How Pep Guardiola turned Old Trafford into Man City’s playground and Man United’s nightmare

There may come a point, perhaps next season, when Pep Guardiola emulates Ralf Rangnick. Which, wonderfully as the godfather of gegenpressing, the frenetic football philosophy that changed how European football was played over the last decade, has done with Austria, probably would not be taken as a compliment in Manchester. Except for the issue of how he draws level with an unsuccessful caretaker: Rangnick mustered eight wins as a manager at Old Trafford. Guardiola is now up to seven, and he has never managed Manchester United.

But the Theatre of Dreams seems transformed into his playground. Sir Alex Ferguson hoped it would be when he tried to woo Guardiola over dinner in New York in 2012; though his aim was to persuade the Catalan to become his successor, not United’s nemesis.

Manchester City have five league titles to United’s none in his seven years in England, an average of 19 points between them every season and a nine-point advantage already in this one. The gulf has been wider than the 4.5 miles that separate Old Trafford from the Etihad Stadium; it is so pronounced that a 3-0 win at United’s home feels unremarkable. There are measures of the differences between the clubs: since the start of the 2021-22 season, United’s goal difference in the Premier League is plus 10. City’s is plus 149.

When Guardiola is asked what City do right, it is in the context of what United do wrong. “I don’t know what United have done because I’m not here,” he said. “But I didn’t expect it because when I arrived here with [Jose] Mourinho, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic – top, top players.”

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The mention of Mourinho may have been a coincidence or a pointed reminder of a rival he saw off: he was United’s designed answer to Guardiola. Like many another plan at Old Trafford in the last decade, it failed. But even if inadvertently, Guardiola provided an indictment of United when he discussed City. “We are in the same direction: chairman, CEO, sport director, manager and the players,” he said. “Wrong or right, we go there.”

A strategy has involved false nines and, in Erling Haaland, a bona fide centre forward, two generations of players, a host of different footballers capable of out-passing United. But if there has been a man of the series, the best player over the course of those seven wins, it was Sunday’s man of the match: Bernardo Silva.

“He loves to play in Old Trafford,” said Guardiola; with three goals and two assists in those last six wins, the Portuguese has been consistently influential, whether as false nine, hyperactive winger or midfield fulcrum.

“He is irreplaceable. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Guardiola. “He doesn’t wear earrings or tattoos and has a normal car. And if, once again, a contrast can be drawn with certain United player, Silva has become the face of an ethos: of tactical nous and versatility, of a selfless work ethic, of a capacity to perform in big games, of intelligent possession. The constant has been control: of the ball, of the game, often of the season.

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Perhaps the real footballing lessons came on previous trips to Old Trafford, when Guardiola overloaded on passers. Haaland can lend a prosaic feel to victories: when the goals are a penalty, a close-range header and a tap-in, they added to the sense that this was not City’s most spectacular win on the neighbours’ territory. There have been statement results: the 6-1 under Roberto Mancini more startling, last season’s 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium more dramatic. Previous derby wins have ushered Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer towards the exit and, for now, Erik ten Hag has a firmer grip on his position.

But if United’s mediocrity and City’s entrenched superiority stripped their triumph of the element of surprise, there was no great need to make a more emphatic statement. City have done that plenty of times before. Nor were there overriding conclusions to be drawn about Guardiola’s side: they had lost at Arsenal and, were this an excellent United team, it would be seen as an assertion of their title credentials.

Not now. There is little doubt City can churn out wins against the lesser lights, with the occasional aberration like September’s defeat at Wolves; take away the vast ground, the red shirts, the names and the history and this could have been one of their generic victories against bottom-half teams.

A four-match run where they face Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham will provide a greater indication if they can make if four in a row, if they can go one better even than Ferguson’s serial champions ever did.

“Maintaining consistency for many years is difficult,” Guardiola said. “The biggest title we have is this one. Still now after the treble and five Premier Leagues.” That consistency is particularly apparent on enemy soil. “It’s always special for all of us to win at Old Trafford,” said Guardiola. And yet it is also normal.