Comparing Guardiola’s Manchester derby record to Sir Alex Ferguson’s
Pep Guardiola has helped establish Manchester City as the dominant force in England during his six-year reign, but how has he fared against local rivals Manchester United? We’ve done some digging to find out…
Guardiola arrived in England back in the summer of 2016 when City had just beaten United to a place in the following season’s Champions League.
While they were already beginning to inch ahead of their Manchester rivals, the former Barcelona boss soon began to create a chasm between City and United.
As United have floundered under a succession of managers, never once threatening a title challenge, Guardiola has won four Premier League crowns while playing some of the best football ever seen on these shores.
But the 51-year-old hasn’t always emerged from Manchester derbies unscathed; United have scored plenty of victories over Guardiola’s City, most memorably in February 2018 to deny City the opportunity to win the league against their greatest rivals.
Having won their past four Premier League games, they might fancy their chances of upsetting the applecart at Old Trafford again on Saturday.
City could do with a win themselves to put the pressure back on Arsenal, who currently sit five points above them in the league. If any team in the league is capable of going on a miraculous unbeaten run, it’s Guardiola’s City.
Regardless of what happens this weekend or on any individual result, though, Guardiola is already one of the greatest Premier League managers of all time and perhaps only second behind Sir Alex Ferguson.
City were never much of a threat under Ferguson’s reign at Old Trafford, only becoming noisy neighbours in his last couple of seasons, though they often raised their game against United.
Under Kevin Keegan, City won the last derby at Maine Road and the first encounter at their new stadium. But, as befitting the status of the two teams during the 1990s and 2000s, United usually came out on top.
But which managerial great has enjoyed the better record in the fixture, Guardiola or Ferguson? We’ve compiled the relevant statistics to answer that very question…
Pep Guardiola
Games: 17
Wins: 9
Draws: 2
Losses: 6
Goals for: 29
Goals against: 19
Points per game: 1.71
Win rate: 53%
Loss rate: 35%
Goals per game: 1.71
Goals against per game: 1.11
READ: The Premier League table since Sir Alex Ferguson left Man Utd in 2013
Sir Alex Ferguson
Games: 45
Wins: 25
Draws: 9
Losses: 11
Goals for: 76
Goals against: 59
Points per game: 1.86
Win rate: 55.5%
Loss rate: 24.4%
Goals per game: 1.68
Goals against per game: 1.31
READ MORE: Where are they now? Man City’s XI from Pep’s first pre-season game
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Man City’s XI from their 6-1 victory over Man Utd in 2011?