Pep Guardiola needs an hour to show Man City success but can't waste time vs Manchester United

Whoever had warp speed levels of sarcasm from Pep Guardiola, cross it off your derby weekend bingo card.

Confronted with the unusual recent history of this fixture, where City tend to conduct 90-minute training sessions at Old Trafford and United habitually win at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola sought to offer an explanation.

“It’s true we won there more than here but no specific reason. In all the games we were more proposed and were punished on the counter-attack,” he said.

“It’s the better strength and quality from United when they can run with Ronaldo, Elanga, with Rashford, with Jadon Sancho. Contact Bruno Fernandes with them and they are unstoppable.”

So far, so normal. This was a Guardiola pre-match news conference after all, where lavish and over-the-top praise for the opposition are par for the course.

This is also derby weekend, though, so best to season any take with plenty of salt.

“They are faster and quicker and that is why we are going to defend, for the first time deeper, and use a counter-attack for 90 minutes," he added.

Of course, there’s more chance of Guardiola replacing the injured Ruben Dias at centre-back with Moonchester than that being the actual game plan.

Expect a couple of tweaks specific to the occasion but City will not deviate from their usual methodology - a chosen course that has racked up trophy after trophy.

“Wow, we need one hour to explain what we have done at Man City,” Guardiola replied when asked about the divergent paths the two Manchester clubs have taken over the past decade,

“What they have done at Man United I don’t know because I’m not there and it’s not my business.

“I think Man City follow a pattern. We want to play in this way.”

The terms of engagement are set but it