Guardiola knows City’s lead at top of league is fragile

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was pleased with a deserved derby victory yesterday that left Manchester United counterpart Jose Mourinho clinging onto the positives.

David Silva’s early goal was added to by Sergio Aguero early in the second half, only for Anthony Martial to reduce the deficit from the spot and bring back memories of United’s famous comeback in April but Mourinho’s men were unable to stave off defeat at the Etihad Stadium, where substitute Ilkay Gundogan wrapped up a 3-1 win for City.

“First half, not so good,” Guardiola said. “We played like: ‘I don’t want to lose the ball but not the intention to attack or to do something’.

“Despite that, we were stable, we score one goal, the first 15 minutes was so good and after that we didn’t press so well. But the second half we start from the beginning much, much better.

“We change the way we press [Victor] Lindelof and [Chris] Smalling, and of course the goal helped us lot from Sergio.

“After we concede one goal, it is inevitable to think about last season, what happened again in that situation, but we didn’t concede one other chance, we defend so well. The last 30 minutes, we made a very, very good game.”

As for the tension at the end when City’s Raheem Sterling irked Juan Mata by doing stepovers, Guardiola added: “It’s not just the best way defending back, because everything can happen. But he’s young and he’s going to improve.”

City boast a two-point cushion at the top of the Premier League after 12 games – a stage reached with three unbeaten teams for the first time in English top-flight history. “It is two points,” Guardiola said. “It is nothing.”

As for United, the defeat means they are as close to Cardiff City in the relegation zone as league-leading City.

When that 12-point gap was mentioned to Mourinho in a question asking whether their title hopes were over, the Portuguese responded: “I think we are not going to be relegated.”

Despite that brusque response, the United manager was largely upbeat after a loss in which his side’s only shot on target was Martial’s penalty. “I am with my players,” he added. “I am even with the players that today made mistakes that lead to Manchester City goals.

“We are together. I am just sorry we don’t play the next match soon and we have to wait 15 days for that.

“We are improving, we are together, and we go together until the end.”