Pep Guardiola: Man City's second half may be best they've ever played

The knives were quickly sharpened in the Sky Sports studio, with Manchester United branded 'shameful' for 'giving up' at the Etihad Stadium.

Roy Keane and Gary Neville tore into United. 'Throwing in the towel,' said Keane. Neville added: 'Finished like an absolute shower.'

But Pep Guardiola wanted to shift the narrative and point out Manchester City were quite good, too, as they went six points clear of Liverpool and widened the gap to United to 22.

In not allowing United a shot after half-time and boasting an eye-watering 92 per cent possession for 15 minutes in the second period, they blitzed their beleaguered visitors rather than the beleaguered visitors beating themselves.

Guardiola was asked to assess the positives of thumping their rivals despite City not being at their best. 'If the second half is not our best, I don't know what we have to do,' he said. 'I'm so demanding but I know my limits and I know the players' limits.

'United were eight games without defeat. I am the biggest critic of my team but when we play good, we play good, and second half we were really good. We should have scored more goals.'

United had won on their previous trip to City, this time last year, but Guardiola added: 'The truth is that when we've lost to them, we were already champions.'

His assertion appeared to be that the only meaningful defeat United have inflicted on his team in six years was here in December 2019, on the way to Liverpool lifting the title.

The City manager expected his protagonists, such as two-goal Kevin De Bruyne, to step up, whereas the pundits anticipated United's would hide.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani were unfit, according to Ralf Rangnick. 'I cannot force a player to play if he doesn't feel fit