BLUES VERDICT: CITY 0 UNITED 0 Aguero: I have no problems with Pep
SERGIO Aguero says he had no problem with being benched by Pep Guardiola earlier this season.
The Argentine striker was dropped by the Blues boss in January when he favoured new signing Gabriel Jesus.
He regained his place and impressed when the Brazilian suffered a metatarsal injury.
And Aguero insists there is no bad blood towards the Spaniard after being axed for the first time in his City career.
“I’ve always adapted to whatever the manager has decided,” Aguero said. “When I was on the bench, it wasn’t a problem.
“Pep spoke to me and told me he was going with Gabriel Jesus. I just had to keep training hard and trying to do well when I got the chance to restore the manager’s confidence in me. I had the chance to restore the manager’s faith in me.
“I’m happy (Jesus) is back now and that means I’ll have to be much more focused and alert when I play. If I have to start on the bench once again, I’ll have to accept it.
“That’s football. I always respect my coaches and I certainly respect Pep. I just want to play and give my all until the end of the season.”
Guardiola has demanded more of Aguero this season - urging him to press and run more as well as scoring.
“The thing I’ve found the hardest has been getting into my head the fact that I have to press the centre-back and the goalkeeper in matches,” he said. “That’s what Pep asks me to do.
“I’ve been adapting this year and so has the team. The team has adapted to a different style of play.” CITY could not grab the three points but they made it plain which team remains kings of Manchester.
And the way that the United fans celebrated at the final whistle, like fans of a lower league club that has just earned a cup draw, indicates that they know it, too.
City’s dominance of the game, in the second half especially, was complete enough to make those United faces as red as their shirts.
But the problem which has haunted the Blues all season was only too evident, as they were the superior team but simply could not convert it into chances.
Sergio Aguero hit a post, sub Gabriel Jesus was fractionally offside when he turned in Aguero’s cross, and the Blues penned the Reds in their own half for virtually the entire second half.
The question has been asked all week, as to whether Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho has had the better season – well the performances of these two teams gave the answer.
With City, you could see Guardiola’s plan coming together, while Mourinho’s United were aimless, even if they defended for their lives.
Once the experienced City back four showed some nous by pushing up on Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial – whose pace was troubling in the first half – United were a busted flush.
Fernandinho was the king of the midfield battles, Yaya Toure dictated the ebb and flow of the game and Vincent Kompany was in no mood for defeat.
And yet, even the deadliest striker in the Premier League could not find a way through, for all the dominance. It also happened at Wembley on Sunday, just as it has happened countless times this season.
The return of Gabriel Jesus was a major boost for the Blues, and for a moment it seemed he was the lucky talisman once again, darting to the near post, a fraction too quickly, to head in Aguero’s cross.
He has already shown that he could be the man to solve Guardiola’s oftheard lament about City not being good enough “in the boxes”.
The first half had been different, with United still content to sit deep and try to contain a Blues team which was a touch rusty without the oil which David Silva applies to the cogs and flywheels, and the threat of a breakaway Pep Guardiola consols Gabriel Jesus whose goal was ruled offside goal was very real.
Claudio Bravo increased that threat by flapping nervously at a cross and presenting the ball to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, although he redeemed himself by blocking and holding the shot.
Sergio Aguero hit the post and tested David De Gea two or three times in the first half, but with Jesus back he now faces a fight for his place.