Guardiola cautions that Manchester United’s difficulties are not exclusive to their club and could occur at any other club as well.

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has cautioned that no team is exempt from the type of turmoil that has plagued their rival, Manchester United, in recent times.

The city team easily won 3-0 against their rivals at Old Trafford on Sunday. After a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle at home in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, the pressure on Erik ten Hag increased even more. This loss marked their eighth defeat in their first 15 games across all competitions.

Guardiola’s side appeared in complete control of the derby as Erling Haaland scored a first-half penalty and then doubled City’s lead just four minutes into the second half, later teeing up Phil Foden to complete the scoring.

However, the 52-year-old maintained that the victory was not as simple as it may have appeared to others.

Guardiola stated that the game was not easy, but scoring the second goal early in the second half gave them an advantage and allowed them to maintain control. However, he also acknowledges the strength of Manchester United and holds them in high regard.

“We can now obtain the same time frame they currently have. These types of situations affect everyone. Although we were victorious in the game, that is the extent of it.”

After losing to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup in September, City did not have a midweek game this week. This gave them the opportunity to send a large group to Paris on Monday for the Ballon d’Or awards. Seven of their players were nominated for the award due to their impressive performance in winning three trophies last season.

Although he did not receive the top award, Haaland was named the main striker and won the Gerd Muller trophy, while City was recognized as the club of the year.

When asked about Haaland’s reaction to not winning the Ballon d’Or, Guardiola responded that he seemed content to be considered as a top contender alongside Messi, Mbappe, and others. It was a positive night for Manchester City.

“I want to extend my sincere congratulations to Messi. The presence of Manchester City is significant, as we have not had many opportunities to be there. Our presence was crucial. As for Haaland, he has a bright future ahead of him and should see this as a challenge. With his help, we can aim to return to that stage next year.”

After coming back to Manchester, the main attention has now turned to the upcoming game against Bournemouth on Saturday. This presents a chance for City to potentially take the top spot, albeit temporarily, with Arsenal playing against Newcastle later in the day and the current leaders Tottenham not playing until they face Chelsea on Monday night.

The city is beginning the weekend with a two-point deficit from the top spot, but Guardiola is not concerned about the standings at this point in the campaign.

“I have noticed that each season gets more difficult compared to when I first arrived,” he stated. “There are now stronger managers and teams, but I see it as a challenge,” he continued. “What matters most is that we are still in the competition after 10 games. We still have 28 more to go and a lot can happen, but our performance is improving.”

The Cherries ended their long wait for a first Premier League win of the season with victory over Burnley last weekend and Guardiola said he enjoyed the style of Andoni Iraola’s side and the way they approached Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at home to Liverpool, a 2-1 defeat.

“Of course always after the win they are confident,” Guardiola said. “They competed really well against Liverpool. Andoni is an incredibly well-respected manager in Spain playing in an offensive style. They don’t sit back.

“He is among the youngest managers in Spain and his move to the Premier League is a remarkable achievement. Hopefully, he will maintain his strong performance.”

Source: independent.co.uk