Jose’s feeling Blue as City slicker Pep sends rival packing
AS messages go, this one was as powerful as they come for Pep Guardiola.
A victory at the home of your title rivals, your local rivals and your biggest professional rival.
For 43 minutes it looked as if it could be another 6-1 hammering for United – like in 2011. In the end, City were hanging on. But there’s no question that the three points were rightfully theirs.
It was the 17th time Guardiola had gone head to head with Jose Mourinho – and The Special One has only won three of them.
After an early goal from Kevin de Bruyne and a second from Kelechi Iheanacho, City were dreaming of replicating that day when Mario Balotelli and his “Why Always Me?” T-shirt grabbed the headlines.
But a hash-up by Guardiola’s new sweeper-keeper Claudio Bravo allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to put United back in the game just before the break and Mourinho’s half-time substitutions almost engineered an unlikely comeback.
All week this game had been built up as a boxing-style rumble between two managers who have a history of animosity.
Was there a handshake? Yes, and a shoulder hug for Pep from Jose. And, perhaps, more surprising, it was repeated at the end.
City started so much on the front foot that United could barely get out of their half.
Whole rainforests have been felled to write about Guardiola’s philosophy, but when City took the lead it owed little to tiki-taka football and more to a good, oldfashioned English long ball.
Aleksandar Kolarov picked up the ball by his corner flag, hoisted it high for Iheanacho, in for the suspended Sergio Aguero, to head on.
Daley Blind was caught flat-footed and De Bruyne drove hard into the corner.
There was a little grappling match between Wayne Rooney and Guardiola when the City manager held on to the ball after it went out for a United throw and Rooney tried to wrestle it back.
Rooney apologised, though his temper was clearly high as he clattered into Fernandinho a few seconds later and was fortunate not to see yellow.
Bravo camped 10 yards outside his box and was five yards his side of the halfway line when his team attacked. It was 32 minutes before he touched the ball with his hands.
When City got their second nine minutes from the break it was no more than their domination deserved.
The same two players were involved as for the opener. This time it was De Bruyne’s shot striking the foot of a post that presented the chance for Iheanacho to tap in.
Just as City looked to be heading in for a comfortable half-time cuppa, United grabbed a lifeline.
City skipper David Silva was booked for a foul on Antonio Valencia, which had Mourinho dancing with rage.
The trouble with ditching England’s No.1 in favour of a keeper who’s good with his feet, is that catching the ball is also a pretty important part of the job.
So when Bravo went up to collect the high free-kick, collided with John Stones and dropped it at Ibrahimovic’s feet, questions must be asked. You’d trust the Swede’s technique and he steered that one home perfectly, yet he had two more chances in stoppage time and muffed both.
Mourinho made one of his classic double substitutions at the break – Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera for Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – and it was as if he’d sent out an entirely different team.
Rashford’s first touch was to skin Bacary Sagna and cross for Ibrahimovic, who volleyed over.
Guardiola brought on Fernando to stiffen the midfield, sacrificing Iheanacho, and now City were penned inside their own half.
Bravo lost control playing about in his box and came within a whisker of conceding a penalty for a slide challenge on Rooney.
Rashford must have thought he’d put United level in the 71st minute when he cut inside and beat Bravo, but Ibrahimovic got a nick on the shot and he was offside.
City came to life for the first time in the second half as David De Gea saved twice from Fernando.
Then in the 75th minute substitute Leroy Sane broke, found De Bruyne who struck a post for the second time in the game.
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