Pep Guardiola bristled when Gary Neville pointed out last month how many fouls Fernandinho makes each game, stopping opposition counter-attacks, but he cannot have been too upset to see the success of the same tactic on Sunday afternoon.

Guardiola could never admit that he tells his players to foul – “I would never ask my players to deliberately foul an opponent” – but he must also know that his players understand their responsibilities. And the way City play, defending high up the pitch, with everyone except for two or three outfield players committed forward, only sharpens their tasks.

“The responsibility on me is big,” Fernandinho admitted out this week. “I have conversations with Pep all the time about my role, and also with Mikel Arteta. It is my job to fix things in the middle of the pitch. If the opponents break our lines and are attacking our box, something has gone wrong with me. And it is me who has to fix it.”

Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Ederson - 6 out of 10 Gave away the penalty that brought United back into the game. It was a poor choice from the goalkeeper but he wasn’t really troubled for the rest of the match. REUTERS Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Kyle Walker - 6 out of 10 Pushed high with the rest of City’s back line and gave them options in attack, from runs down the wing to long balls over the top. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings John Stones - 6 out of 10 Led the defence and pressed high up the pitch to give City options to pass the ball around and probe the gaps in United’s defence. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Aymeric Laporte - 6 out of 10 Was as happy to attack as he was to defend, he fed balls through to the front men easily and was solid when asked to defend. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Benjamin Mendy - 6 out of 10 Offered City another dimension on the left wing, linking well with Bernardo Silva and Sterling. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Bernardo Silva - 8 out of 10 With David Silva they controlled the game for City in the first half, he chased the ball and kept it in play to lead to the opening goal and set up Gundogan for the third. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Fernandinho - 7 out of 10 Often forgotten in this quick, sharp, attacking Man City side but he provided a stable presence in the mid-field making challenges and interceptions to stop United’s attacks fully developing Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings David Silva - 9 out of 10 Scored the opener and caused the most problems for United. He combined with the whole front line to get the ball into the box and utilise the tight spaces on offer. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Riyad Mahrez - 7 out of 10 Gave Luke Shaw a good battle on the right wing and won it in the first half. Making space for himself to cross the ball or cut inside and run with it. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Sergio Aguero - 8 out of 10 Scored City’s second goal with a brilliant finish but the build up one-two with Mahrez was glorious. Action Images via Reuters Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Raheem Sterling - 7 out of 10 Offered pace and skill for Man City up front. He moved out wide and delivered a great ball into the box that led to the opening goal. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings David De Gea - 6 out of 10 Conceded three, saved more than that. United need a better back four or De Gea will be gone come summer. AP Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Ashley Young - 6 out of 10 Like every United player he started slowly and left gaps in behind him that Sterling found, but he got into the game and offered United a more attacking presence on the right. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Chris Smalling - 6 out of 10 Had the chance to level things in the first half but didn’t really catch his header. Found it hard to nullify the threat of the Silvas. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Victor Lindelof - 6 out of 10 Found it tough going in the first half but came into his own in the second 45 minutes and stopped Aguero on a few occasions. AP Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Luke Shaw - 6 out of 10 Probably came of worse when battling Mahrez, he gave away a free kick and was fully able to get forward due to City’s pace on the counter. REUTERS Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Ander Herrera -5 out of 10 Asked to mark David Silva in the first half and failed miserably. He lost the ball on multiple occasions but worked hard to recover. PA Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Marouane Fellaini - 7 out of 10 Defended well. Attacked well. It’s a pity no-one else kept up with his standards. Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Nemanja Matic - 5 out of 10 Lacked creativity to send United forward in the first half and preferred to sit in and defend. He let Gundogan drift away from him and score the third goal that sealed United’s fate. Action Images via Reuters Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Jesse Lingard - 6 out of 10 With Rashford and Martial, Lingard gave United pace up front but the lack of creativity in mid-field meant that they weren’t utilised well. AFP/Getty Images Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Marcus Rashford - 6 out of 10 Had a lacklustre game leading the line. He didn’t get as much of the ball as he needed and communication the between the front three wasn’t the best. Action Images via Reuters Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings Anthony Martial - 7 out of 10 Was quiet in the first half as he didn’t get much off the ball. Stepped up to the plate and sank the penalty to bring United back within one. PA

Sure enough on Sunday afternoon Fernandinho was as important as ever. City dominated possession but they were up against a Manchester United team with an obvious gameplan, to counter-attack with their fast front three of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial.

Yes, City were far superior for the start of the first half and almost all of the second. But the way City play means that they are always vulnerable on the break no matter how well they are playing. Because every time they lose the ball there is space for the opposition to exploit.

This game could have been one for United to make the most of those gaps. But instead Fernandinho did everything possible to stop them from breaking through. It was a performance to sum up everything good about Fernandinho, and which shows why he is such an effective performer. At times he broke the rules, fouling opponents as a last resort. But there is a skill to know when to do that while getting away with it.

It started early enough when Fernandinho made an obvious foul on Lingard which other players might have got booked for. But Fernandinho has a great gift for committing bookable offences that don’t lead to a card, as Neville and Martin Keown have pointed out recently. There is a special knack to doing that, one that players like Mark van Bommel and Thiago Motta have mastered in the past. Fernandinho has that same skill, and if he had been booked for that foul on Lingard it might have been a different game.

It was Fernandinho's interception that set-up Sergio Aguero for the second goal (Getty)

But as it was, Fernandinho was unburdened by a booking and could continue to play his natural game with his usual ruthlessness. When Kyle Walker and John Stones were dragged apart and Rashford passed through the gap, Martial was left with space to run into. He cut inside to shoot and there was Fernandinho, shuffling across just in time to block the shot.

Then, early in the second half, when David De Gea’s kick put Lingard in trouble, there was Fernandinho to steal the ball from him and pass to Bernardo Silva. Seconds later City had a 2-0 lead.

Pep Guardiola refused to admit that Fernandinho is employed to shut down the opposition (AFP/Getty) (AFP)

Through the second half Fernandinho continued to make crucial interceptions against Lingard, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera and anyone else who was trying to take the ball through his space. And when Luke Shaw was too quick for him, Fernandinho was able to fall on him from behind, sending him flying, another foul that a less clever player would be booked for.