Pep Guardiola claims Manchester City have answered Sir Alex Ferguson’s most famous put-down after 10 years of dominance.
But the Catalan has offered Manchester United some hope in their bid to return to the summit of English football, claiming he can see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s vision.
Fergie infamously dismissed City as ‘noisy neighbours’ in 2009 - a year after their Abu Dhabi takeover.
But the blue half of the city have silenced Old Trafford with four Premier League titles and six more trophies over the last decade, while United have suffered an alarming decline since their most successful manager retired in 2013.
Ahead of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between the rivals, Guardiola said: “I know for the years I was not here we were the noisy neighbours. Now I don’t know who we are.
In Pictures | Man City vs Man Utd | Manchester derby | 07/12/2019
“Here in England there are many top teams not just one or two like in other countries. Other top teams are important.
“I am not here for one century. I know what United means to Man City fans.
“A top club like United you can lose. We beat them more times than we lose.”
Guardiola has dominated English football since taking over in 2016, winning five of the last six available domestic trophies, including back-to-back titles.
Solskjaer, meanwhile, is aiming to reach his first final since succeeding Jose Mourinho at United just over a year ago.
The Norwegian’s long-term position remains the subject of debate, with United enduring a turbulent season and facing a fight to secure a top-four finish.
But Guardiola believes his counterpart is beginning to make an impact.
“I think he starts to see his team like he wanted,” said the City manager. “The last game versus Arsenal they lost, but you see clearly what he wants.
“It was not easy to handle a team big, big club, always demanding to be champions in all competitions, but I think every manager needs time and I have the feeling United starts to play the way he wants.”
