Guardiola defends Man Utd and names five players who made Man City ‘suffer’ | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has defended Man Utd over their performance in the 6-3 defeat to Man City on Sunday and claims the main reason for their loss was his own side’s “good” display.

Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat-tricks as City blew away Man Utd at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday with the scoreline flattering the Red Devils.

Man City took their foot off the gas in the second half to allow Man Utd three consolation goals with Anthony Martial scoring a brace after Antony’s brilliant strike.

The performances from the two sides highlighted the huge gap between the teams with Man Utd facing a lot of criticism after the match.

But Guardiola picked out Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw for praise ahead of City’s Champions League tie against Copenhagen tomorrow.

Asked whether he was surprised at how passive Man Utd were against his Man City side, Guardiola said: “No, we were good. We were good.

“We were good. It’s not about United, we were good. Second half, they were better and they played good. When Bruno, Eriksen, Lisandro or Dalot, everyone can play, Luke Shaw.

“Players don’t lose the balls. You run, you suffer. So, but the first half we were better.”

Haaland, who now has 14 goals in his first eight Premier League matches, was the star of the show for Man City as the Norway international contributed two assists on top of his hat-trick against Man Utd.

On Haaland’s performance, Guardiola said earlier this week: “What Erling is doing he has done in Norway, in Austria and in Germany, that is the reality.

“He came (here) and realised, ‘Oh, these guys, my mates, run like an animal and I have to do it too’.

“Of course, the quality we have alongside him helps him to score goals but, what he has done, I didn’t teach him once.

“When the ball is right he attacks the box. How he moves behind the central defender away from the action, he has incredible instincts that the ball will arrive there and it comes from his mum and dad. He was born with that and just to help him produce more goals.

“I have had incredible centre forwards in my career. What I like in the last period of the game is he is involved.

“He said, ‘I prefer to touch the ball five times and score five goals’. I don’t like that, I want him to touch the ball more and more, so he became a football player who scores goals.

“I like that he’s part of more situations, but don’t forget his biggest talent is to put the ball in the net.”