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MANCHESTER -- Pep Guardiola insisted that Manchester City won the derby because they were better in response to comments from Jose Mourinho, who said his side had deserved a penalty. City moved 11 points clear of their rivals after a 2-1 win at Old Trafford, where they had 65 percent possession and nearly twice as many shots. Mourinho claimed United should have been awarded a penalty when Ander Herrera was booked for diving after a challenge from Nicolas Otamendi and said it was the second successive derby at home where they were denied by the referee not awarding the spot kick. "Last season was the same. We won because we were better. In all departments we were better," Guardiola told a news conference. On the penalty decision, he added: "For me it is not a penalty first of all because the intention of Otamendi is not to bring him down. "When a team has the courage to have 65-70-75 percent ball average possession it is because it is an honest team. Because he wants to play and that is what we have done. "We are clear, we are open, we want the ball and we want to attack and try to win the game in the way we believe. "The other can do what he wants but my players want to play and sometimes they are quicker sometimes they are faster but it is not a team to look for something special because we are honest." City's win ended United's home record of 40 games without defeat and also equalled the Premier League record for successive games -- taking it 14. More importantly it extended City's huge lead at the top. However, Guardiola is adamant that there is a long way to go in the title race. "In December, you cannot be champions," he added. "Of course it is important for our confidence to feel that we can compete on the biggest stages and have a huge personality. "We are so happy but in three days, with no recovery, we go to Swansea, and three days after, Tottenham Hotspur, so we will see what position we are in March and April but we are so happy to make 14 games in a row winning." Guardiola refused to be drawn on suggestions that there was only team who wanted to win the game after United conceded so much possession in the first half and failed to have a shot on target until David Silva's opener. "I don't know the plan from my opponents but we came he to try to win," he said. "We did it the same like at Stamford Bridge and here too on a big stage. "I said at half-time I am not going to say anything about tactics, just the substitution because Vincent was injured. "We didn't make any comments about tactics just to do this and this will make us stronger in the future because football is like this. "Football is unpredictable like scoring two goals from set-pieces."
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