Guardiola upbeat ahead of City’s EFL Cup test versus Man Utd

Pep Guardiola is looking forward to Wednesday’s EFL Cup semi final between Manchester City and Manchester United and says he is honoured that the Citizens are viewed as favourites in the fixture.
City will seek to reassert themselves against United in the last four, with their status as the leading team in the rivalry for much of the past decade a source of pride to Pep Guardiola.
City have not finished below their neighbours in the Premier League since United’s most recent Premier League title success in 2012-13, winning three subsequent top-flight crowns themselves.
Two of those came under Guardiola, United finishing a distant second in 2017-18 as City racked up a record-breaking 100-point haul.
The sides also met at the same stage of the EFL Cup last season, as City prevailed en route to a third consecutive Wembley success in the competition, although there have been signs that the local argument is starting to turn of late.
“United has always been a big club,” Guardiola said. “When I faced them with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here, it was always important.
“It is a rivalry in the city and for many decades United was above Manchester City. For us, we are incredibly proud and it is an honour for the last decade to be there with them and sometimes win, most of the times, and sometimes lose.”