Phil Foden saw red as City claimed the Manchester bragging rights with a 1-0 victory against United in the 199th derby.
On a day when Old Trafford again demonstrated their disdain for the idle ownership model that continues to disregard its fans, their players failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage.
Erling Haaland notched the game’s only goal, but it wasn’t without controversy, as VAR interjected to overrule an on-field offside decision.
And while Michael Carrick will feel aggrieved by the bizarre ruling, a collective performance has again placed the managerial hot seat into the spotlight, with a second defeat in four Premier League outings.
City retain their 100% record alongside Arsenal, while the Reds sit 13th on four points ahead of a midweek Carabao Cup outing with Brighton.
Fresh off a professional European performance against Sabah FK on Thursday evening, United understood the altogether different task facing them against their City rivals.
Enzo Maresca’s team retain ambitions domestically and on the continent, and had revenge on their minds following their January humbling at Old Trafford.
Still, form is routinely forgotten in a derby, and the Reds were striving for a notable spark to kickstart their Premier League campaign.
Carrick is focused on building momentum, and entrusted the attacking duties to Marcus Rashford, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, with Benjamin Sesko once more starting from the bench.
But Luke Shaw was a worrying omission from the matchday squad, drawing additional scrutiny for a decision not to bolster the backline during the summer window.
With so much at stake, both sides were understandably cautious throughout the opening quarter, with neither willing to overcommit for fear of offering up an early advantage.
United did settle quickest, though, and began controlling the contest, thanks in large part to the midfield awareness and technical mastery of Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans.
Frustration was the natural response from those in blue, inevitably leading to Foden’s dismissal midway through the half for a reckless kickout at Fernandes following a derby duel on the touchline.
To their credit, City responded brightly and began playing with more urgency, as if compelled to act in the face of adversity. In contrast, United threatened but routinely faltered with their final ball against a reformatted narrow structure.
Rashford offered the greatest threat and was a constant thorn on the left flank. The Wytheshawe man came agonisingly close with a trademark free-kick in the dying minutes of the half, clipping the post from 30 yards.
In what is becoming a familiar sight, Carrick opted to avoid utilising his bench at the restart, instead retaining confidence in his starting XI.
Mainoo nearly rewarded his decision within five minutes, matching Rashford’s first-half antics in rattling the woodwork with a scorching effort from distance.
Wave after wave of red assault followed as United pushed for a deserved opener while enjoying almost complete control of possession for 15 minutes.
Nonetheless, City opened the scoring against the run of play through Haaland despite an initial offside call.
The Norwegian had accepted his fate, but was understandably overjoyed when a prolonged VAR stoppage deemed him marginally onside while also disregarding Enzo Fernandez’s role in the buildup.
Fernandez then brought the best from Senne Lammens moments later. The Belgian tipped a smart effort onto the post, as a shell-shocked United attempted to come to terms with a questionable couple of minutes.
Much has been said about this group’s game management, or lack of it, in recent performances, and their inability to find a semblance of composure played into City’s hands.
Sesko replaced Tielemans in response, as Carrick tried to drive some momentum into his attacking line, with Rashford making way for Joshua Zirkzee shortly afterwards.
Fernandes, devoid of much of his usual charisma, handed Mbeumo a golden opportunity to salvage a point in the fifth minute of injury time. But the in-form attacker failed to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma from 12 yards.
The result, while questionable given the bizarre officiating, tells only a fraction of the story. United were once again blunt in possession, and lacking inspiration in the final third.
City, for all their attacking prowess, thrived on frustrating their hosts and managed the game better despite their numerical disadvantage.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments or across our social channels. Photo by News Images via depositphotos.com.
Recent Posts
- The forgotten slow start to a glorious Manchester United campaign
- Manchester United officials retain confidence in Project 150 strategy
- Manchester United Supporters’ Club retain desire for change of ownership
