Guardiola breaks his rule after Manchester United thrashing

Spanish manager Pep Guardiola normally shies away from giving his Manchester City team too much praise, preferring to keep them hungry for improvement.

But the Blues boss confessed they were at “our best” in a second half in which they destroyed a Manchester United side that had threatened to make a fight of the derby in a competitive first half.

City edged the first half 2-1 with two Kevin De Bruyne goals, but they upped the heat after the break, added two more from Riyad Mahrez and could have had a hatful as they repeatedly tore the Reds apart.

And Guardiola recognised that the second 45 minutes saw his side operating at their optimum.

“If the second half is not our best, I don't know what we have to do,” he said. “I am so demanding but I know my limits and I know the players' limits and second half in all terms, the commitment and everything, the display was everything. It’s Man United.”

United had gone into the game as distinct underdogs and threatened to upset the apple-cart when Jadon Sancho rubbed out De Bruyne’s opener with an equaliser. And Guardiola, who was animated in his technical area in that first half, was not happy.

 “We struggled to make a better build-up, to bring it in their half,” he said. “In the first half we scored some actions on the counter-attack. They did really well. We felt from the first minute of the second half, we had the game in control.”