JUAN MATA’S SECOND-HALF strike earned Manchester United a 1-0 win over holders Manchester City on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho’s resurgent side reached the English Football League Cup quarter-finals.
Humiliated 4-0 by Mourinho’s former club Chelsea at the weekend, United got back to winning ways and claimed a measure of revenge for their 2-1 loss to Pep Guardiola’s City in last month’s league derby.
The result at Old Trafford gave Mourinho only his third victory in 13 encounters with Guardiola, who has gone six games without victory for the first time in his glittering managerial career.
“The players did everything and deserved to win. We are happy,” Mourinho said.
“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 clear that feeling, because a derby knockout and to win gives everyone a better feeling.”
United will now entertain West Ham United, who claimed a 2-1 upset win over Chelsea, while Southampton’s reward for overcoming Sunderland 1-0 is a trip to Arsenal.
Mourinho previously won the competition three times at Chelsea and with City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all falling by the wayside in the fourth round, his path to the final is clearing once again.
While City remain top of the league, on goal difference, and although Guardiola selected a much weaker team than Mourinho, their early season momentum has deserted them.
Mourinho used his programme notes to say “sorry” to United’s fans for the result at Chelsea and his decision to make only four changes to his starting XI showed his eagerness to make amends.
Guardiola, in contrast, made nine changes, notably handing starts to youngsters Pablo Maffeo and Aleix Garcia.
His side should have gone ahead in the second minute when Kelechi Iheanacho headed over from Jesus Navas’s cross and they might have had a penalty when Michael Carrick caught Garcia near the byline.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba both wasteful, United struggled to establish a foothold in City territory and when they did, the visitors’ defenders were on hand to block.
Had Marcos Rojo not rushed across to block from Iheanacho, meanwhile, United would have trailed at the interval.
But Mourinho’s half-time team talk had the desired effect and after City goalkeeper Willy Caballero had touched a shot from Pogba onto the post, the hosts took a 54th-minute lead.
Leaving Nicolas Otamendi on his back in an aerial challenge, Ibrahimovic crossed from the left and with Ander Herrera and Fernando colliding at the near post, Mata popped up to sweep home.
“Congratulations to United, they made a good performance,” said Guardiola.
“We had chances on the counter-attack. I am happy with the young players. No regrets (about his team selection).”
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To say his career in management has been ‘largely unsuccessful’ is incorrect.He did have success at Sunderland.
That’s why I said ‘largely unsuccessful’ rather than ‘entirely unsuccessful’ Eamonn.
To call his management ‘largely unsuccessful ‘ is unfair Paul. He took Sunderland from bottom of the table to win the championship. Success.Then he kept them in the Prem. more success.
Already sick of the Roy Keane stories. I’ve read sweet f**k all about Martin O’Neill who last time I checked, was actually appointed boss, not Keane.
By the way I hope that O’Neill does not start tiptoeing around d**kheads like Stephen Ireland and Darron Gibson, begging them to come play for Ireland. If he puts 11 men out there who replicate the pride, commitment and passion shown by the likes of the Clare and Cork hurlers last month, in every game they play then ill be happy enough. You can’t ask for more than that. Leave the primadonnas at home.
Agreed. Had to laugh at Stephen Ireland being interviewed and saying he’s going to give some consideration to coming back. He hasn’t done anything to merit it since he was playing for City.
Last month, Roy helped his old Forest mate Gary Charles with some coaching at a University of Nottingham football match. I talked to some of the boys – after they got over the shock of Keane walking into their dressing room unannounced, they said he was articulate, obviously enthusiastic about what they were doing, and helpful in his critique. This is just one example of what he’s been doing the last three years; from helping some university players to observing training at Barcelona – he hasn’t just been walking the dogs and working for ITV. He’s been serious about trying to improve his skill set and I suspect he’s had a good old think about where he’s gone wrong in the past in his management style.
Since when does coaching come into international football??? Coaching is done at your club.
Tactics & the motivation are the only thing an international manager (that’s Martin O Neill everyone not Keane, just try remember that) gets to do with the short amount of time with the players……
Good work journo, another nonsense story
Lets take them across the water. Gerrard and Lampard could never play well together as they’ve only ever played one style of football and basically only predominantly for one club.
Coaching them at international level was the only way to get them to change their style of playing. Unfortunately for England it didn’t work. Possibly a good coach may have made it work.
A coach is essential at all levels.
A hotshot…. In precious few days that you have the players, how can you coach them?? Team organisation, tactics & mentally preparing them for an international match should be just scrapped for coaching grown men???
Kids get coached, precessionals listen to tactics
@Kevin: Maybe the lack of success was because they were trying to coach these two top players into a style of football they were both uncomfortable with, rather than having the tactical fluency to play them as they would wish to be played.
People seem to forget Martin O Neill is the manager not Roy Keane
I think your article is very misleading Paul. You are damning his coaching ability by criticising his man management skills. From what I gather he is an intelligent and innovative coach on the training ground whose management career was stifled by issues with the man management rather than the coaching.
I meant ‘coaching style’ in the broader sense of the word, Joseph. Man management can be considered a part of coaching.
Id disagree, man management is part of management, coaching can be a part of management too but would be more widely considered, in the context of British football at any rate, as the work done with players on the training pitch.
Sorry to say that while your articles are normally good I’m afraid you should have given this one a miss, it smacks of Sun type journalism.
FACT: Martin O’Neill is ROI manager
FACT:Roy Keane is his assistant and no doubt part of his coaching staff.
Why is all the talk about Roy and not what Martin brings to the job. From reports I have read, I have no idea one way or the other, O’Neill can be quite tough when he wants to be. So less of the jumping on the Dunphy bandwagon please.