Manchester City took on Manchester United in one of the most anticipated games of the season on Saturday. Though it ended in a very dull, goalless draw, Pep Guardiola told the City website that he was happy with the result.
The Citizens came into this game with some excellent form behind them. They looked to make it another win but could not break down the United defence. The draw leaves them in ninth spot in the Premier League table.
The manager was happy with the way his players performed and though they failed to create many chances, the Spanish boss was satisfied with their performance. There was one good chance for Riyad Mahrez but the winger could only get his shot straight at David De Gea.
It will be encouraging for the Citizens that they managed to keep a clean sheet against a team that has an excellent attack. This was recognised by Guardiola as he told the City website:
“It’s a good point. I would like to win but okay, it’s Old Trafford we cannot forget. They are so fast up front. It’s Manchester United.
“Most parts of the game we were good. We lacked chances to score but we were good. We struggle to score so we have to be solid, control the game and not concede counter-attacks.
“I am so proud. This team will kill you. They are so fast, so good, so strong at set-pieces. Coming here to Old Trafford, this is quite good. I know the expectation for Manchester City is so high and we accept this but being solid is good.”
United were also desperate for a win after getting knocked out of the Champions League in midweek, but despite the best efforts of both teams, the game ended in a tedious stalemate.
City don’t have much time to dwell on this result as they have games coming thick and fast.
They will be at home to West Brom on Tuesday and will look to grab all three points there. It will help them if they are a little more attacking than they were against United.
Being more defensive, and pragmatic could be attributed to how dangerous United can be on the counter. They have players who can cause serious problems when there is a turnover. This perhaps explains why we didn’t get to see City be at their most expansive today.
Manchester City still have a lot of ground to make to reach the top of the table. But they are putting together a good run of form and they will want to keep that going. If they can keep getting clean sheets, it will definitely help their cause.