Man City Boss Admits Rivals Were Simply the Better Team After Derby Loss Damages Title Hopes
A gracious Pep Guardiola offered no excuses after his Manchester City side were outplayed in a 2-0 defeat to rivals Manchester United on Sunday, bluntly stating the “better team won” and crediting their superior energy.
The loss at a buoyant Old Trafford, with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu sealing United’s win, dealt another significant blow to City’s fading Premier League title defense. Arsenal could now stretch their lead at the top to nine points later this weekend.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the final whistle, Guardiola was unequivocal in his assessment. “The better team won. They were better,” he admitted. “When a team is better you have to accept it. They had an energy we didn’t have, so congratulations.”
He acknowledged his team’s defensive lapses but refused to hide behind individual mistakes. “We can talk about this action or that action, but in general… they were better.”
The scoreline could have been more severe for City, as United saw three goals disallowed for offside, struck the woodwork twice, and forced several saves from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in a dominant display.
When pressed on the implications for the title race, Guardiola struck a philosophical note, suggesting his team might need to take a step back to move forward. “It is about how we grow up as a team… To be better you may have to take a step back. The season is a long way and you have to continue to analyse.”
The concession from the usually relentless City boss underscores the scale of United’s performance under interim manager Michael Carrick and the growing mountain his own team must now climb to catch Arsenal.
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