Jose Mourinho's Manchester United are still a 'top team', insists Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola

Guardiola believes it is too early to judge the title credentials of City's cross-town rivals

Pep Guardiola has insisted that Manchester United remain a ‘top team’ despite their struggles under Jose Mourinho at the start of the new Premier League season.

United’s ambitions to pose a serious threat to Guardiola’s Manchester City, the reigning champions, have been damaged by back-to-back defeats after just three games.

Mourinho is under mounting pressure to turn fortunes around at Old Trafford after a summer defined by frustration in the transfer market and tension within the club.

Guardiola claimed it was still too early to assess United’s title credentials but admitted the pressure his long-standing rival Mourinho is under comes as part of the job.

“They remain a great, top team,” Guardiola said. “We’re in August. There are a lot of points to play for and the real season starts after the international break, every three games, the travelling and no time to prepare for the games.

“Unfortunately it’s our job,” he added, on the pressure Mourinho is facing. “Our job depends on results. When we win we are good, when we don’t we are not good. When you get to that level, they are top, top managers.”

While United are six points adrift of the early pace-setters, City are two back following their controversial draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday.

Guardiola will hope that the reigning champions can bounce back against Rafael Benitez’s Newcastle United, who are expected to adopt an ultra-defensive approach at the Etihad in order to salvage a result.

“We dropped two, or won one, point at Wolves. The secret last season was when we did that we won the next game.

On Newcastle’s approach, Guardiola added: “Last season he did it against us away and ar home. I didn’t speak with Rafa so I don’t know. We have to adapt. He believes that’s the best way to get points and we’ll try to defend well against any system they want to play.

“We see the quality of our players. After five minutes I’ll know their idea exactly and pick up the behaviours of my players, the way they are training and what we need.”