Manchester United and Jose Mourinho are bleating about injustice but need to accept derby winners City outclassed them

Jose Mourinho controlled the agenda in the build-up to t he Manchester derby .

The Manchester United boss, a master of the dark arts, accused neighbours City's players of going to ground too easily, of tactical fouling and even had a dig at opposite number Pep Guardiola for wearing a yellow ribbon in support of imprisoned politicians in his native Catalonia.

But when his United side took to the field against Pep Guardiola's City, that sense of control deserted Mourinho.

He and his players were subjected to a chastening lesson to slip 11 points behind the Premier League leaders and champions-elect.

Mourinho's frustration at his side's 2-1 defeat boiled over in the ensuing bust-up with the City camp that erupted outside the away dressing-room, involving as many as 20 people from both clubs, into which the FA has launched an investigation.

Blues first-team coach Mikel Arteta was cut above an eye having been struck by a thrown object — believed to be a bottle — while Mourinho was said to have had a milk carton hurled at him after remonstrating with Guardiola's players for the over-zealous way they celebrated their win.

Mourinho was already angry at referee Michael Oliver failing to award United a penalty when Ander Herrera went down under a challenge from Nicolas Otamendi with 11 minutes remaining and the visitors leading 2-1.

The United boss seized on that perceived injustice as the reason for United's defeat, rather than accepting that, once again, the forward-thinking and progressive Guardiola had made his old foe Mourinho look like a coaching relic, unable to adapt to the modern game.

Mourinho and Guardiola, whose toxic rivalry was forged during their respective spells at Real Madrid and Barcelona, have now met 20 times.

Guardiola has triumphed in 10 of those matches, with Mourinho winning on just four occasions — conclusive proof of who has the upper hand in their rivalry.

While Mourinho bleated about decisions going City's way and Guardiola's team being “lucky”, most United fans were not so myopic, accepting they had lost to the better team and have a job on their hands to have any chance of reasserting their domestic dominance in the era of Guardiola.

Mourinho's players, too, shared their manager's sense of denial over the result and the manner of United's defeat.

Herrera walked through the interview area after the game, showing the assembled reporters a video clip of the penalty incident on his phone, imploring them to share his sense of disbelief over not being awarded a spot-kick.

And even though City had 65 per cent possession to United's 35, more shots on and off target and took the game to their opponents, even though Mourinho's side had to win the game to effectively reignite the title race, there was a refusal to accept the better side had deservedly triumphed.

“It's hard to lose the way we did, because we lost with two unlucky goals,” said Herrera. “Apart from that, I don't think they created too much.

“I think we controlled the game. It's true we played most of the time in our half, but we didn't have too many problems. It's a real pity to lose the way we did.

“It's a big punch, because of the way we lost. When you play against City, you can expect to have problems when they have the ball. But we didn't have too many problems when they had the ball, that's why we feel even more disappointed.”

Yet even former United skipper Gary Neville, now working as pundit for Sky Sports, was candid enough to admit the visiting Blues were a different class to Mourinho's timid side.

"I thought City were on a different level to United," said Neville. “It's tough to do what City have done - to come here and play like they have, showing authority and confidence.

“You're talking about Barcelona or Real Madrid. Not many teams come here and do that.

“I even saw some United fans at the end clapping off the City manager and players. Seventy thousand United fans have walked out of here today thinking the best team have won.”

If only Mourinho could be so honest in his appraisal of City and the huge chasm and gulf in class that now exists between them and United.

Until he does that, his team will continue to be second-best to the neighbours and he'll keep operating in the shadow of Guardiola.