MX23RW : Thursday, December 12 22:27:55| >> :120:15642:15642:
[monks data]
Attendance: 73,288
Manchester United logo
Premier League | Gameweek 29
Mar 8, 2020 at 4.30pm UK
 
Manchester City logo

2-0

Martial (30'), McTominay (90')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Pep Guardiola: 'Manchester City in good spirits ahead of derby clash'

Pep Guardiola: 'Manchester City in good spirits ahead of derby clash'
© Reuters
Sergio Aguero scored the only goal as Manchester City beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at Hillsborough.

Pep Guardiola feels Manchester City can look forward to this weekend's derby in good spirits after securing their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Sergio Aguero scored the only goal as the holders saw off a spirited but limited Sheffield Wednesday side 1-0 at Hillsborough on Wednesday night.

Coming after last week's stunning Champions League win at Real Madrid and success in the Carabao Cup final, City are now ready to face Manchester United in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Guardiola said: "It's better to go there winning games, being in the FA cup than being out, and tomorrow we're going to watch a little bit of United versus Derby to analyse what they have done the last game, and we're going to go there to try to win."

City, however, may have to face their rivals without key man Kevin De Bruyne, who missed the trip to Sheffield after suffering an injury in the latter stages of the Carabao Cup final.

Guardiola said: "Kevin had a problem here (points to shoulder). He was not fit. In the last game, the last minutes he fell down in a bad position and had a problem in his back. We don't know how long (he will be out). Hopefully not much."

Asked if he would be fit for the derby, Guardiola said: "I don't know."

Real Madrid v Manchester City – UEFA Champions League – Round of 16 – First Leg – Santiago Bernabeu
Kevin De Bruyne (left) may not appear against Manchester United (Nick Potts/PA)

City controlled possession against Wednesday but found clear-cut chances hard to come by, particularly in the first half.

A firm left-foot finish from Aguero, which squirmed under goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith on 53 minutes, came as City increased tempo after the break but they could not add to their lead.

But Aguero's effort proved enough as Wednesday failed to seriously test Claudio Bravo.

Guardiola, who made six changes from the side which won at Wembley, said: "This is our fourth game away in a row and we have another one on Sunday at Old Trafford.

"We spent a lot of mental energy in the last games and then came here.

"But the players were absolutely ready, we didn't concede one shot on target and that means a lot for our capacity to read the game. At the end we scored a goal and could have scored much, much more."

Wednesday boss Garry Monk was proud of his battling side and felt they had a genuine gripe over City's goal. Replays suggested Aguero may have been fractionally offside, but VAR was not being used in the tie.

Monk said: "The players did exactly what I asked and delivered it at a very good level.

"Overall we're disappointed to lose the game to a goal that should have been offside. I would rather have lost it to a goal that was more legitimate," he added.

"What is strange is having VAR in some grounds and not others but I am not complaining. Credit to them, they are a fantastic team.

"I'm disappointed with the result but very pleased with the level of commitment."

ID:391868: cacheID:391868:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7643:
Written by
P A
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Kevin De Bruyne warms up for Man City on March 1, 2020
Read Next:
Kevin De Bruyne doubtful for Manchester derby through injury
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!