City won because of honesty: Guardiola aims barbs at Mourinho

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London, December 11: Pep Guardiola said Manchester City's triumph in the Manchester derby was a victory for the honesty of his players and their football.

Set-piece goals from David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi earned City a 2-1 win at a snow-flecked Old Trafford on Sunday that propelled Guardiola's side a yawning 11 points clear of United at the Premier League summit.

United coach Jose Mourinho had accused City's players of diving and committing "tactical fouls" prior to the game and afterwards he made an unconvincing claim his side should have been awarded a late penalty when Ander Herrera was booked for diving.

But Guardiola said: "We won because we were better. In all departments, we were better."

Guardiola grew accustomed to Mourinho's barbs when he was in charge of Barcelona and the Portuguese was trying to knock him from his pedestal at Real Madrid and he said his old adversary was up to his old tricks.

"The message was the same in Barcelona: our players diving," said.

"It's because they want to play. And that is what we have done. We are clear, we are open. We want the ball, want to attack, we want to try to win the games in the way we believe.

"The others can do whatever they want. My players want to play, want to attack. Sometimes they're quicker, sometimes they're faster, but they're not a team who try to look for something special (by diving). Because we are honest."

In a classic example of Mourinho mischief-making, the United manager had also questioned Guardiola's right to wear a yellow ribbon in solidarity with the jailed Catalan separatist leaders Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez.

The City manager has not been told he cannot wear the ribbon and he delivered an impassioned defence of his position after the match, saying he intended to show his support for the pair "even if they suspend me".