Man City v Man Utd: Five charts that show the Manchester derby divide

“You can go for stats, that’s the way people who don’t understand football analyse football,” said Jose Mourinho after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat by Manchester City.

Well Jose, we’ve looked at them anyway.

League leaders and reigning champions City are now 12 points ahead of United, who languish in eighth after the derby loss.

BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty said there is a “gulf in class” between the blue and red side of Manchester, and the stats that Mourinho so dislikes seem to suggest this.

United firmly in mid-table

“I think we are not going to be relegated,” Mourinho said when asked about their title hopes.

But he’s not as far from the danger zone as he thinks. United are also 12 points from Cardiff in 18th, the same distance as they are from City at the top.

Mourinho continues to set unwanted records. The City loss was United’s fourth in the league this season – the first time they have lost that many in their opening 12 games since the 1990-91 season, when they finished sixth in the old First Division.

Last season, when they finished second, it took them to January to lose four league games, a 2-0 defeat by Tottenham in their 25th match.

BBC