The Sun (Malaysia)

How many Mour times?

> Mourinho was a three-time loser in Manchester United’s loss to City

- BY RICHARD TANNER

satisfacti­on to be proved right.

Manchester United sat deep, allowed City to play and, when they did have the ball, they kicked it long. It ensured Romelu Lukaku had a miserable afternoon.

Lukaku touched the ball 27 times against City, including three touches inside the City area. Both his touches in the United area led to City’s goals while he got little service or support at the other end of the pitch. When he did get chances in the second half he ballooned the first shot over the bar and then saw his close-range effort hit Ederson in the face when it looked easier to score.

Lukaku has faced all of last season’s top six and failed to score this season, underlinin­g his flat-track bully reputation.

Only after David Silva had put City ahead did United suddenly show some attacking threat. They had their first shot on target, won their first corner and equalised in the final minutes of the first half. It left United followers thinking what would the final outcome had been if they had started with the same attacking approach.

Whether it was their own anxiety and insecurity or Mourinho’s pragmatism that was behind the caution is difficult to assess. But his teams have played that way in key games in the past.

City players have bought into Guardiola’s total football philosophy; you do not get the feeling it is the same at Old Trafford.

After the game, Mourinho did himself no favours as well. Whatever the level of City’s exuberant celebratio­ns, it was unwise to poke his nose into their dressing room to tell them to turn the volume down and show some respect. No wonder it caused a fracas.

It was a bit rich coming from the man who was once ran down the touchline like a whirling dervish after Porto’s Champions League win at Old Trafford back in 2004 and who was once described as “an enemy of football” by a UEFA official after countless disciplina­ry misdemeano­urs in his first spell at Chelsea. What goes around comes around.

He was churlish in his postgame comments, inviting ridicule when he claimed City were “lucky” and that Herrera should have had a penalty when every ex-referee and every explayer employed by the media these days – and there are quite a few – said referee Oliver got it right.

With 66 points to play for it would be foolish to say the title race is over. But the stats are against United. With an 11-point lead City have to lose four games and United have to win all theirs.

City have now beaten United and last season’s champions Chelsea on the road and Liverpool and Arsenal at home.

Since they took over in Manchester 18 months ago, Guardiola and Mourinho have overseen 54 Premier League games. Guardiola has a 70.4% win ratio, while Mourinho’s stands at 53.7%.

No team has ever failed to win the title with so many points after 16 games. And unless something goes dramatical­ly wrong at the Etihad, City look on course to be champions in May.

They will be showering themselves with champagne rather than milk and water then. – Express Newspapers

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