Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that his team found it difficult to break down Manchester United’s defensive formation.
The Premier League derby between the two sides ended in a goalless draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.
City had a handful of chances, mostly falling to Omar Marmoush, but were unable to find a way past United goalkeeper, André Onana.
Speaking to the media after the match, Guardiola described United’s tactical set-up as “difficult” to contend with.
He said: “We know that playing against a 5-4-1 is always difficult. They defended very narrowly and allowed us only to operate on the flanks, outside the congestion.
“For many years, I’ve come up against teams using the 5-4-1, defending deep. So it’s nothing new. Normally, we manage to find a way through because of the quality and talent of our players.
“But sometimes there’s an extra element missing — perhaps sharpness or composure — and that’s something we cannot always predict. They didn’t play brilliantly, but we weren’t in a position to punish them either.
“They tried, we tried — but we weren’t good enough in key moments to really hurt them or take advantage of the spaces that opened up.”
