EPL: We couldn’t punish Man Utd – Guardiola reflects on 0-0 draw

[Newsman]

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that his team found it difficult to break down Manchester United’s defensive formation. The Premier League derby between the two sides ended in a goalless draw at Old Trafford on Sunday. City had a handful of chances, mostly falling to Omar Marmoush, but were unable to find a way past United goalkeeper, André Onana. Speaking to the media after the match, Guardiola described United’s tactical set-up as “difficult” to contend with. He said: “We know that playing against a 5-4-1 is always difficult. They defended very narrowly and allowed us only to operate on the flanks, outside the congestion. “For many years, I’ve come up against teams using the 5-4-1, defending deep. So it’s nothing new. Normally, we manage to find a way through because of the quality and talent of our players. “But sometimes there’s an extra element missing — perhaps sharpness or composure — and that’s something we cannot always predict. They didn’t play brilliantly, but we weren’t in a position to punish them either. “They tried, we tried — but we weren’t good enough in key moments to really hurt them or take advantage of the spaces that opened up.” EPL: We couldn’t punish Man Utd – Guardiola reflects on 0-0 draw

Source: https://dailypost.ng/2025/04/06/epl-we- ... -0-0-draw/