The Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium was a one-sided affair. Man City completely dominated but it was thanks to the brilliance of their stars that they were able to win 3 points against Man Utd.
The visitors entered the match with the mindset of "knowing yourself and knowing your opponent". Coach Erik ten Hag arranged the team to sit deep with Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro holding positions very close to the defensive line.
The surprise happened in the 8th minute. From a long pass from goalkeeper Andre Onana, Bruno Fernandes assisted Marcus Rashford to shoot powerfully from a distance to open the score. This goal helped Man Utd's spirit rise. However, they still maintained an active defense against Man City's relentless attacks.
Foden helps Man City beat Man Utd.
The home team maintained a ball possession rate of over 70%. In the first half alone, Man City launched 18 shots but the goal still eluded the Etihad team. Man Utd's defense did not play well as they still let the opponent create opportunities.
Even Erling Haaland missed incredibly, he tapped the ball into the air from just 5 meters away after a pass from Phil Foden. On the other side of the front line, apart from his early goal, Rashford played disappointingly and ruined many of Man Utd's counter-attacks. The visitors did not have any more attacks after scoring.
In the second half, Man City continued to increase the pressure on the opponent's field. Man Utd collapsed not long after that. In the 56th minute, Phil Foden skillfully dribbled the ball before finishing from outside the penalty area to equalize 1-1 for Man City.
The goal caused Man Utd to lose their rhythm of play. They were under great pressure from their opponents. When veteran Jonny Evans left the field, the visitors' defense had more gaps.
After many attempts to attack, Man City took the lead and Foden shined again. In the 80th minute, Foden had a smooth combination with Julian Alvarez before finishing with a tricky shot to raise the score to 2-1 for Man City.
Man Utd's hopes were ended when Sofyan Amrabat - a player brought on by Man Utd late in the match - made a mistake. The midfielder simply lost the ball in his own half. Rodri passed the ball to Haaland who finished to seal a 3-1 victory for Man City.
Result: Man City 3-1 Man Utd
Score
Man City: Foden (56'; 80'); Haaland (90+1')
Man Utd: Rashford (8')
Man City vs Man Utd lineup
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Ruben Dias, Ake, Rodri, Stones, Silva, De Bruyne, Foden, Doku, Haaland.
Man Utd: Onana, Lindelof, Evans, Varane, Dalot, McTominay, Casemiro, Mainoo, Bruno, Garnacho, Rashford.
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