Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has stated that facing Manchester United prior to the Manchester Derby in the Premier League is always challenging. On January 14, the two Manchester clubs will clash at Old Trafford.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has stated that facing Manchester United prior to the Manchester Derby in the Premier League is always challenging. On January 14, the two Manchester clubs will clash at Old Trafford.
Before the game, Guardiola said that Manchester United have made a lot of progress under new coach Erik Ten Hag.
“It’s normal that Manchester United has improved significantly. Many issues must be resolved when a new manager takes over. And it is evident that the team has improved,” Guardiola stated.
The former manager of Barcelona and Bayern Munich stated that every match against Manchester United, whether at Old Trafford or the Etihad Stadium, is challenging.
Guardiola continued, stating, “I had the feeling every time I’ve been in Old Trafford or Man United came here in Etihad Stadium always had been a difficult game.”
He also talked about Manchester City’s loss to Southampton in the EFL Cup, saying that the loss did not surprise him.
“I didn’t find what happened (the loss to Southampton) surprising. We endeavored to avoid it. It took place, regrettably. It is hoped that it will not occur again. However, we did win four Premier Leagues in five years, so it happened. Guardiola added, “And sometimes you have to reset.”
The Spaniard stated that consistency is Manchester City’s strength, but such a result can occur following consecutive Premier League titles.
“This competition, the Carabao (League) Cup, tell me exactly how to do it in terms of consistency or anything else. In addition, this was our club’s and team’s strength in previous seasons. However, after winning the Premier League twice in a row, this could occur,” Guardiola added.
When the two teams last met in October, Manchester City beat their neighbors 6-3, but Manchester United have improved since then, losing only once in their last 18 games.