MAN CITY 3, MAN UTD 0
Manchester City put their indifferent start to the season behind them to claim bragging rights in the derby as they dedicated their win against their neighbours to boxing legend Ricky Hatton whose death was announced earlier in the day.
Phil Foden’s opener was followed by a brace for Erling Haaland as City climbed to eighth place and piled on the misery for the Red half of the city.
While City fans celebrated with a Poznan towards the end, the vast majority of the United fans had long gone.
And it begs the question, how much longer will United persist with head coach Ruben Amorim as nothing has changed from last season?
City were far from the high standards of recent seasons, but they were still too good for United who displayed the same frailties as last season.
Amorim may have spent £200,000million in the summer – admittedly Matheus Cunha wasn’t playing – but they still see a million miles from being a force once again.
United’s head coach said: “I understand it is not the record it should be for Manchester United, but there have been a lot of things in the last month you don’t know about.
“I understand everything, and results dictate the narrative.
“My message is that I will do everything and what is best for the club. The rest is not my decision.”
Amorim added he is not for changing his 3-4-3 system which has been deemed as being ineffective.
“I will play my way until I want to change it,” he said.
Reflecting on the game, Amorim added: “If you look at the goals, we can avoid those goals. That was the biggest difference. We can do better, especially the second goal. We suffered goals we can avoid.
“The biggest difference was when we had transitions, we didn’t score. In the second half they did better in transition, and we suffered in that moment.
“We can do better, that is clear but again transitions – the third goal, lack of quality in the connection, people don’t know who is going to the ball and then the guy is free to score. The first one he is in the middle of four guys and we can be aggressive in that moment.
Embed from Getty Images“In these kind of games we need to be perfect and in this game we were not perfect. The frustration is always the same because with the amount of chances we need to score goals.
“We need to work on a lot of things for the next game.”
City manager Pep Guardiola said: “We are in a situation with a start we didn’t expect and of course our opponents are so strong. We want to be close and still fighting for titles. The spirit was great, our players have a lot of pride and they want to try to do better on a special day. We saw our fans so happy and that is our job, so, so privileged.
“We have many things to improve. We are not yet a team but step by step. The victory helps us a lot. In the games we have had a lot of momentum and others not enough.
“They [Manchester United] have fantastic players and I know here we struggle against them, we have more better results at Old Trafford.”
Guardiola was delighted to see Foden back to his best after a difficult 2024/25 season, saying: “He played incredible. He is a guy who loves to arrive at the box. Our last Premier League title he was the best player in the Premier League. We need him so much.
“The players have a lot of pride. Erling’s commitment this season is unbelievable. Two games, seven goals is not bad.”
City made six changes to the side that suffered a last-gasp defeat at Brighton before the international break.
Deadline day signing Gianluigi Donnarumma came straight into the starting line-up for his debut, replacing James Trafford.
Foden also started with Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O’Reilly and Jeremy Doku recalled
Matheus Nunes and Oscar Bobb dropped to the bench, while John Stones, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush were not involved.
United made four changes to the side that edged out Burnley in their previous game.
Benjamin Sesko was handed his first start up front, with Noussair Mazraoui making his first appearance of the season following a muscular issue.
Patrick Dorgu and surprisingly Manuel Ugarte also came in, with Casemiro on the bench alongside new signing Senne Lammens.
Diogo Dalot, Mason Mount and Cunha missed out through injury.
There was an emotional tribute to City fan Hatton pre-match with one minute’s applause and both sets of players wearing black armbands in memory of the former world champion whose death was announced earlier in the day.
Foden said the win was dedicated to Hatton, saying: “100% I had extra motivation going into the game, it was for him and his family and for the people suffering right now.
“The lads gave everything. It wasn’t a pretty match, but it was all for him.”
And Guardiola thanked the visiting fans for the part they played in the tribute to Hatton.
City were fast out of the traps as inside 20 seconds Haaland, wbo scored five goals for Norway in a 11-1 win against Moldova earlier in the week, fired narrowly wide from a tight angle.
United had their first opening in the fourth minute when Sesko turned well to create an opening but was denied by a decent stop from Donnarumma.
City made the breakthrough in the 18th minute through Foden.
Doku ran at the United defence. His first attempted cross was blocked by Ugarte but his second was a cut back which was expertly headed home by Foden from 10 yards, his seventh derby goal.
Sesko time his run perfectly to beat the offside trap but Donnarumma raced from his line to block as the striker bore down on goal.
United made a bright start to the second period only to fall further behind in the 53rd minute.
Foden and Doku linked on the left to release Haaland who lofted the ball over advancing keeper Altay Bayandir for his fourth goal of the season for City and 10th overall as he has netted six for Norway.
Haaland almost struck again moments later when United were caught playing the ball out from the back.
The Norwegian’s initial effort was blocked by Bayandir but he latched on to the rebound only to see it strike the inside of the post with Leny Yoro making a huge clearance.
United would have halved the deficit but for a wonder save from Donnarumma who dived full length to turn away a goalbound volley from Bryan Mbeumo – that’s why many believe he is the world’s best keeper.
Halland struck his eighth derby goal with 22 minutes to seal victory.
Substitute Harry Maguire lost the ball to Bernardo Silva who released Haaland who ran from his own half to fire low past Bayindir.
That’s 15 goals in Halland’s last 10 games for club and country and seven inside the last week.
It was becoming embarrassing for the Reds as Tijjani Reijnders raced through the Reds’ defence and fired wide with only Bayindir to beat.