Jose Mourinho has taken losing lightly, especially so early in the season.

Manchester United are already having to come to terms with the fact that barring a miracle, the title will be Manchester City's.

Pep Guardiola's men opened up an 11-point lead over their rivals with a 2-1 win in the Manchester derby, a victory that ensured they have now won a record 15 league games on the trot.

The majority of Premier League fans, managers, and players alike have been falling over themselves to congratulate the two-time winners on their free-flowing, frankly gorgeous football.

In short, Pep has finally instilled some of that Barcelona magic at the Etihad - but not everyone is impressed.

Ahead of the derby, Mourinho couldn't resist a dig at what he described as "tactical fouls". A bold claim and one he could well find himself in hot water for.

"They attack with a lot of players and when they lose the ball, they are many times unbalanced in numbers," he said, via Goal.

"They have lots of people surrounding the ball area and they have a very strong – and this is a great quality – transition in the next few seconds after they lose the ball and many times, they need what is called a tactical foul. Then it is up to the referee to analyse and to make a decision, but I cannot speak about that.”

Guardiola's response

It's taken a little while for Guardiola to hit back. Perhaps he's been preoccupied with City's title tilt, preparations for Saturday's crucial game against Tottenham, or the fallout from the tunnel brawl at the end of the derby.

"I don't know how many fouls we make on the pitch," he told a press conference ahead of Spurs' visit.

"I don’t know. But I think when you have 70 percent possession we are not that team. It can happen. When we have the ball, we kick each other.

"I think that doesn’t happen in football. I don't know statistically but I don’t think so. I never, never, never, never sent a message to my players.

"You can ask the players, these players and the old players, if my message on the pitch was to make fouls. I don’t use this kind of message."

The Catalan isn't the only one to take umbrage with his opposite number's comments.

The FA have asked Mourinho to explain himself and could charge the United boss with bringing the game into disrepute.

What do you make of Mourinho's accusation? Have your say in the comments.