Manchester Derby Talking Points

Manchester United bounced back from their dismal defeat to Chelsea at the weekend with a 1-0 win over rivals Manchester City in the EFL Cup at Old Trafford.

Juan Mata's goal puts Jose Mourinho's men in the quarter-finals, where they will face West Ham, and extends Pep Guardiola's winless streak at City to six games.

Here we pick out six talking points from the match…

Mourinho eases pressure

There wasn't much style or swagger to United's performance in a game that didn't see a shot on target from either team in the first half, but this was still a win over their city rivals. A result. That's what Jose Mourinho's arrival was supposed to guarantee.

Mata's goal got the job done and puts United in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup. It's a competition that Mourinho has won three times before and he will surely see this as an opportunity to deliver silverware in his first season. Eliminating the holders will help.

United's issues still obvious

There was no hint of triumphalism from Mourinho after beating his old rival. He appeared almost embarrassed at the final whistle, sheepishly acknowledging the crowd's applause after the handshakes. In part, that is likely to be because he knows the scale of the task ahead.

After all, it was a clean sheet but not one to inspire too much confidence in this defence. Marcos Rojo battled away but is no kind of solution, while Luke Shaw made Jesus Navas look more threatening than he usually does. The defence held up but there is a lot of work to do.

Ibrahimovic still struggling

There are issues in attack too. Jamie Carragher called it the worst half he'd ever seen from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and while the big Swede improved after Vincent Kompany's withdrawal, he still doesn't look close to his best. Whisper it, but he even looks short on confidence.

Ibrahimovic is now 35 but isn't suffering the issue that usually comes with age - failing to get the chances. Instead he's missing them, unable to connect with the sort of volley he usually eats up midway through the second half. It was a win but United's striker needs a goal.

Guardiola's worst ever run

City just need a win. "It's the last competition in terms of importance," said Pep Guardiola before kick-off, reeling off the fixtures his City side are in the middle of. It is some schedule but it can hardly have come as a surprise and Guardiola's job is to navigate a way through it.

Winning along the way is essential but City have now gone six games without one. It's the worst run of Guardiola's managerial career and provides ammunition for those who insist he has experienced nothing like this before. West Brom will need to be beaten on Saturday.

City's youngsters impress

Guardiola seemed to enjoy what he saw from his youngsters though. "I'm so proud of the young players," he said, singling out the right-back for praise. "Pablo Maffeo was amazing fighting with [Marcus] Rashford and [Paul] Pogba, he won almost all of his duels."

Meanwhile, Aleix Garcia gave a creditable performance in the centre of midfield, looking more than comfortable. He completed 85 of his 90 passes, 20 more than any other player on the pitch. These were positives for Guardiola to take even in defeat.

Template for United?

But it's the United boss who will be the happier. Despite the ongoing concerns, he now has some tangible evidence of how this team can beat strong sides. Ander Herrera would appear to be key to that. "He chased, he harassed and he played at a better tempo," said Phil Neville.

United's goal came from Herrera's pressing and that's what United fans and their manager surely want to see a lot more of in future. "To win against Man City gives everyone a better feeling," said Mourinho. It's not his biggest win over Guardiola, but it's one he badly needed.

Credit: Skysports.com