Manchester United 1, Manchester City 0: Derby victory eases pain of Chelsea debacle, insists Jose Mourinho
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho believes his side’s EFL Cup victory over rivals Manchester City will go some way to exorcising the ghost of their harrowing Premier League thrashing by Chelsea at the weekend.
Former Stamford Bridge playmaker Juan Mata proved the match-winner in the second half as the hosts set up a home tie with West Ham United in the last eight of a tournament which United won four times under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“I’m happy,” said Mourinho. “In the last week everything went against us but we are professionals. The fans felt deeply such a negative result and today was a good chance to clean a little bit that feeling. To win against City gives everyone a better feeling.
“We were on a good run of results but it was a big defeat, numbers that the history of this club doesn’t deserve and when I am in a club my heart belongs to the fans and I felt deeply for them.”
City counterpart Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, appeared unconcerned by defeat – only his fourth career loss to foe Mourinho – and preferred to focus on the positive performance of youngsters such as Pablo Maffeo and Aleix Garcia.
“I’m proud of the young players and how they played,” said Guardiola. “At that level you need to be more clinicial with the last pass but it’s difficult against United. We are happy.
“I try to win but now we’ll focus on the next competitions.”
City had won on four of their previous six visits to Old Trafford and wasted a presentable chance inside the opening two minutes when the usually-lethal Kelechi Iheanacho was unable to direct a header goalwards from Jesus Navas’s whipped cross.
United were devoid of quality in the first half, particularly in the attacking third, and only had half chances to show for their endeavours as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rashford failed to produce decisive contributions.
Midfielder Paul Pogba, United’s £89m summer signing, eventually came to life after the re-start and was thwarted by City goalkeeper Willy Caballero, who turned his left-footed shot onto the post.
United opened the scoring on 54 minutes as Mata swept low past Caballero from Ibrahimovic’s pull-back after the former Paris Saint-Germain striker had shrugged off the attentions of Nicolas Otamendi; the sixth successive game in which City have trailed 1-0.