Erling Haaland of Manchester City delivered his debut goals at Old Trafford, paving the way for a 3-0 crushing of Manchester United in a tense English Premier League derby. Manchester City, once hesitant about visiting Old Trafford, dominated the field and re-established their control with a win over a disheartened United on Sunday.
Currently in third place with 24 points after ten games, Manchester City have seen a resurgence under the guidance of Pep Guardiola. Conversely, United, despite their first loss in four games across all competitions, languish in the eighth spot with only 15 points. Notably, United has suffered six defeats in their last eight face-offs with their regional rivals, including a 2-1 loss in last season’s FA Cup final.
Haaland, with equal league goals to United’s overall tally, was thrilled about the victory, “It is definitely one of the best wins,” he affirmed. Manchester City’s midfielder Bernardo Silva echoed the sentiment, praising the team’s performance.
The 26th-minute penalty by Haaland, following a VAR-assisted confirmation of a foul on Rodri by Rasmus Hojlund, marked City’s first penalty at Old Trafford in their last 27 Premier League visits. The Norwegian striker confidently dispatched the penalty into the bottom right corner of the net.
Despite the last league win under Alex Ferguson in 2012-13, United has not been able to outshine their local rivals. With the clubs having stark differences on and off the field, the trend seems set to continue for another season. The City supporters were seen mocking the home fans with chants about United’s unpopular owners, the Glazer family, hoping for their prolonged stay.
The initial enthusiasm amongst United fans about a potential sale of the club appears to have been misjudged. British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe seems to have settled for a minority stake after a year of negotiations. With the rise of City as the dominating force in English football under Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, United’s decline under the Glazers has been stark.
The disparity in performances is not entirely attributed to money. United has outperformed City in recent transfers, but with little to show for it. Despite the team’s goal-scoring struggles, United’s manager Erik ten Hag opted to leave expensive attacking players Antony and Mason Mount on the bench.
Ten Hag, who received praise for his first season in charge, is now tasked with stemming a season that seems to be spiralling out of control. After another round of heavy investment during the summer transfer window, United’s performance has regressed.
The club’s worst start since 1986-87, with five losses in their first 10 league games, has put them at risk of missing the Champions League knockouts. Ten Hag’s decision to replace striker Rasmus Hojlund was met with disapproval from the Old Trafford crowd, with many leaving after Foden’s goal 10 minutes before the end.
Former United midfielder Roy Keane stated, “The United players are just short in every aspect, technically and tactically. It’s a long way back for this team.” Questions are starting to be raised about the former Ajax boss as United sit eighth in the table, eight points away from the top four.
On the other hand, Guardiola’s City is aiming for another historic achievement. Having matched United’s glory under Ferguson by securing the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in a single season, they are now targeting a fourth consecutive English top flight win.
