Jose Mourinho digs at Manchester City for wild celebrations as he stays quiet on United bench at West Brom: 'You don't go crazy when you win'

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Jose Mourinho has taken a thinly veiled swipe at Pep Guardiola over Manchester City’s celebrations.

The Manchester United manager said his muted reaction to his team’s goals at West Bromwich Albion was due to mental stability gained through experience, while claiming that ‘other managers don’t change’.

City enjoyed Saturday night’s emphatic win over Tottenham Hotspur by posing for a full squad photo in the Etihad Stadium dressing room and singing about United ‘parking the bus’.

Romelu Lukaku did not celebrate his opening goal against West Brom on Sunday afternoon

Jose Mourinho says his muted celebration following Lukaku's goal was equally insignificant

By contrast Mourinho barely moved when Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring at the Hawthorns in the 27th minute and there was little emotion when Jesse Lingard added a second eight minutes later.

Lukaku also failed to celebrate a goal for the second time in five days to underline the subdued reaction to United cutting the gap to City back to 11 points.

Mourinho explained that Lukaku’s sombre approach came in part from the Belgian’s history with West Brom, before adding: ‘Probably the second thing is he looks at me and I don’t celebrate too. And he says if he doesn’t celebrate why should I celebrate?

‘I didn’t because you get more experienced, you get more balanced. You don't go crazy when you win. You don’t get depressed when you lose. You are much more stable with experience. Some other managers, they are different, and they don’t change. I change.

‘If I score a goal in the last minute you will see me run, for sure. But a goal in minute twenty-something, 1-0 with a lot to play? Let’s play.’

The Belgian put his side ahead with a towering header in the 27th minute at The Hawthorns

Mourinho insisted that there was still plenty to play for in the title race too.

‘Last match in the Premier League, Watford at Old Trafford, mid May, and until then every match we go,’ he said. ‘Every match we try to win. If you do that question to us and then you do it to the third and the fourth and to the fifth and to the sixth, probably they disappear. Probably they want to go on holidays. We don’t want to go on holidays. We want to play until the last match.’

Having produced a lacklustre first half West Brom gave United a fright with a stirring finish after Gareth Barry reduced the deficit with the first West Brom goal under Alan Pardew in four games.

Pardew accepted the blame for the display in the opening period but argued his side should have been awarded a second-half penalty when Ashley Young barged over James McClean.

He said: ‘Young is anticipating the goalie reaching the ball and then he thinks, “I'm not sure he's going to get there,” and then he takes him out.

‘It's a penalty, whichever way you look at it. But I can't criticise the referee, he didn't see it.’

West Brom have not won for 17 games in all competitions and remain in 19th place, two points from safety.

‘We were disappointed first half and I think I picked the wrong team,’ he said. ‘The boys gave me so much at Liverpool. Obviously I'm getting to know them but I didn't think we had that energy in the first half that we need against Man United. It was too comfortable for them.’ 

Manchester City have celebrated recent victories with social media posts and loud music