On Saturday, Manchester City suffered a painful defeat against Manchester United that complicates their chances of competing for the Premier League title. For head coach Pep Guardiola, the loss also meant extending a poor run of results against the Red Devils.
Bryan Mbeumo scored the opener in the 65th minute after an assist from Bruno Fernandes, putting Michael Carrick’s team on track for victory. Patrick Dorgu later doubled the lead, giving his side breathing room for the final minutes, a stretch in which they even came close to extending the advantage.
This was not just another loss for the Citizens, given the importance of the derby for the club, but it was also significant for the coach. “Rivals that have beaten Guardiola the most in his coaching career: Manchester United: 10 times. Liverpool: 10 times. Tottenham: 10 times,” soccer statistics expert Mister Chip wrote on his X account.
As a result, the Red Devils have established themselves as one of the clubs that have defeated Guardiola’s teams most often. And there is more context to that statistic. The fact that all three teams are English means that most of those losses have come while managing Manchester City, rather than Barcelona or Bayern Munich.
Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, talks with Phil Foden.
Specifically against Manchester United, Guardiola has suffered seven Premier League defeats since arriving in England in 2016. Two additional losses came in the EFL Cup, with the remaining one occurring in the 2023–24 FA Cup final.
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What did Guardiola say about the loss to Manchester United?
Manchester United’s superiority over the course of the match was so clear that Pep Guardiola did not attempt to offer excuses for the result. “The better team won,” the Manchester City coach said during his postgame press conference, according to BBC Sport.
“They had something we didn’t have. We always talk about the energy we need. It’s related to how you defend, some moments, some duels and some situations, but also with the ball,” Pep added. “It’s my 27th derby. I came here many times and today we were not at the required level to win this type of game.”
Arsenal fail to capitalize on Manchester City loss
Manchester City’s derby defeat against Manchester United appeared to clear the path for Arsenal to pull away at the top of the Premier League standings. The Gunners were visiting Nottingham Forest, one of the league’s weaker sides this season, with a chance to open up a nine-point lead with a win.
Instead, Arsenal settled for a disappointing 0–0 draw that left the situation largely unchanged. Arsenal now lead the standings with 50 points, seven ahead of Manchester City. Aston Villa have the same total but could close the gap if they defeat Everton on Sunday. Manchester United, meanwhile, climbed to fifth place with 35 points, just one behind Liverpool.
