Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has vowed to redress the balance of power in Manchester — and Pep Guardiola is backing his Old Trafford revolution.
The two managers go head to head on Tuesday as Manchester United host City in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
And Solskjaer insists he can rise to the challenge set by Guardiola’s back-to-back Premier League champions after already beating the Catalan once this season — winning 2-1 at the Etihad last month.
“That’s what we have to go for at this club,” said the United manager. “We beat them a month ago, so we know we can beat them.”
Guardiola has opened up a chasm between the city rivals since taking up his job in 2016. Over that period City have amassed 73 more points than United and won five of the past six available domestic trophies.
But he believes Solskjaer’s vision is beginning to come through.
Guardiola said: “I think he starts to see his team like he wanted. It was not easy to handle a big, big club that’s always demanding to be champions in all competitions. But every manager needs time and I have the feeling United are starting to play the way he wants.
“I have incredible respect for this club and I’m sure sooner or later they will be back in the positions to fight for the title. But in every club’s history there are periods when you struggle a bit.
“I didn’t come here just to beat United or be in front of them. That was not the target. It was to play good, to win the title. Now we have the challenge to get to another final so we are going to play for that.”
