Premier League: United lose on Derby Day
Manchester City 3 - 1 Manchester United
Manchester United put up a strong fight in the derby, but ultimately fell short as Phil Foden's brace secured victory for City, despite Marcus Rashford's early goal.
Rashford's impressive strike, his sixth of the season, gave United the lead for 48 minutes, withstanding City's constant pressure. However, Foden equalised just before the hour mark with a stunning goal, before scoring again late in the game, followed by a goal from Erling Haaland in injury time.
Before the match, Coach Ten Hag stressed the importance of United dominating the midfield and exploiting the pace of their attackers against City's high defensive line. This led to Bruno Fernandes playing in an unusual false-nine role.
Fernandes played a key role in setting up Rashford's goal early on, but United missed opportunities to extend their lead. Despite some promising moments, City's relentless attack eventually led to Foden's equaliser and subsequent goals.
Although United had chances to counter, City's dominance grew as the game progressed, culminating in Foden's decisive second goal. Despite United's efforts, Haaland's late goal sealed the victory for City, handing United their first Premier League defeat after leading at half-time since 2014.
It was a disappointing result for United, but City's determination and clinical finishing ultimately proved decisive.
Match highlights from Manchester United's perspective can be found here- Man City 3-1 Man Utd | Match Recap - YouTube
Reaction from the red side
Liam, a Manchester United fan, said: "It started promisingly but ended predictably. Rashford ignited hope with a powerful goal, causing a stir among the fans. However, by the end of the first half, Man City had dominated with three times the expected goals compared to our paltry 0.29. Unfortunately, they capitalized on this advantage, scoring three goals, with Foden's impressive strikes levelling the playing field and Haaland delivering the final blow in the 80th minute.
"The loss has dashed our Champions League aspirations, and if we don't secure an FA Cup victory, it'll feel like we're back to square one, experiencing the same disappointment we've grown accustomed to at the end of each season."
Josh, another United fan, added: "No one expected United to get a result in this match let alone grab a win. Despite City’s struggles this season United have been way worse. Only three starters were missing to injury but the lack of depth was astonishing. United’s performances heading into this match have been dreadful. There was little confidence that Erik Ten Hag could muster something up.
We went into half-time with a 1-0 lead. With 15 minutes to go, we were still clinging to a 1-1 draw. Two late back-breaking goals gave the appearance that United had come to the Ethiad with a solid plan and came close to seeing it out.
"We came much closer to a result than their plan ever anticipated. United stayed in the match based on nothing more than grit and determination. They needed those attributes because the tactical plan from Erik Ten Hag didn’t give them any chance to win and only a very little chance of coming away with a point."
