Manchester United vs Manchester City: Pep Guardiola defiant despite extending winless run

Manchester United 1 Manchester City 0: Juan Mata scored the only goal of the game

Guardiola and Mourinho were all smiles before the game (Getty)

Pep Guardiola insisted he will not alter his approach at Manchester City, despite Juan Mata’s winning goal for Manchester United sealing this EFL Cup fourth round tie and extending the Spaniard’s winless run to six games – the longest of his managerial career.

Guardiola, who claimed that captain Vincent Kompany was withdrawn at half-time due to being ‘too tired’ to continue, takes City to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday aiming to avoid a seventh successive game without a win.

But despite seeing City slump to their third defeat in five games – the club are now on their worst run since December 2008 – Guardiola claimed he would not change his methods in an effort to halt his team’s bad run.

“No,” Guardiola said, when asked whether he would change his approach. “I learn in the 16 games. I know my players and we prefer when you win to when you don’t win. It is part of the process.

“What have I learned? The same as when we won 10 games in a row.

“Every match is different, I need to analyse them all. Every team has streaks of good results and bad results. The strange thing is after seven years as a manager, it happens now.

“But congratulations to United, they made a good performance. We had chances on the counter attack and we control their long balls with our four boys. I am happy with the young players. No regrets.

Guardiola has gone six games without a win for the first time ever (Getty)

“When you see the team, 11 players run and 11 players fight. That is all. We have to start to win again and next Saturday we have our next chance.”

Kompany’s absence in the second-half affected City’s defensive resolve, with the team lacking the solidity displayed during the first-half with the Belgian centre-half.

“He told us he is tired and not ready to play the second half,” Guardiola claimed about Kompany’s withdrawal. “But the important thing is after two years injured, he played three days ago 70 minutes, today 45 and no injuries.

“That is a good step, the first step. After we have to see. He felt not good, knowing what happened in the past.”

United manager Jose Mourinho conceded he selected a stronger team than originally planned for this tie following Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at Chelsea.

But Mourinho, whose team host West Ham United at Old Trafford in next month’s quarter-finals, admitted that defeating City would give his players a morale boost.

“To win against Man City, I think, gives everyone a better feeling and I’m especially happy for the players and the fans,” he said.

“Until Chelsea, we were in a good run of results, or at least not bad. In the last seven we lost one, but it was a big defeat and numbers that the history of this club does not deserve.

Mourinho picked up a much-needed win after the Chelsea defeat (Getty)

“When I am in a club, my heart belongs to the fans and I felt deeply for them. I never had people like these ones.

“We lost 4-0 and they were supporting. Today the stadium was full, not full of people but full of real support.

“The love the people have for the club is bigger than bad results and bigger than three bad seasons, so we had to give something back.

“My players gave everything.”