Manchester United welcomed reigning English and European champions Manchester City to Old Trafford for a mouthwatering Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon (October 29). Having been in lackluster shape since the start of the season, Erik ten Hag’s side had a mountain to climb against Pep Guardiola’s surefooted City. And ultimately, it turned out to be a futile attempt. The visitors were unquestionably a few notches over their local rivals and deservedly walked away with a comfortable 3-0 win and all three points.
Erling Haaland Steals Show As Manchester City Steamroll Manchester United
Manchester City are arguably the most formidable team in the world. They have a confident backline, a gifted midfield, and an attack that can pierce any team in the world. They are capable of doing enough damage without any assistance from the opposition. Yet, the Red Devils took the extra step of ensuring City’s comfort by gifting them a penalty in the 25th minute.
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund obstructed Rodri’s run inside the United box, instigating a VAR check that ultimately favored the visitors. Erling Haaland stepped up to take the resulting penalty, finding the bottom-right corner of United’s goal with a thumping strike. The Red Devils bore a few more scares in the first half but managed to go into the second half with just a one-goal deficit.
Four minutes into the second half, however, they went 2-0 down, with Haaland once again producing the goods. Bernardo Silva, who had made an exquisite overlapping run, found an unmarked Haaland inside the box, and the Norwegian made no mistake heading the ball into an unguarded net at the back post.
City scored their third of the night in the 80th minute, with Phil Foden joining Haaland on the scoresheet. Having bagged a brace, Haaland turned provider, latching on to Rodri’s rebound and finding Foden with a square pass across the face of the United goal. The Englishman tapped the ball home, with United shot-stopper Andre Onana nowhere in sight.
Ten Hag Sweating To Keep Manchester United Job
Beating City was always a big ask, but the manner in which the visitors played at Old Trafford was not a pleasing sight for the home fans. Ten Hag had no answer for Guardiola’s team’s slick passes, inch-perfect movement, and lethal finishing; it was men against boys out there.
Following Sunday’s defeat, Ten Hag’s Manchester United have slipped to eighth place in the Premier League rankings, further increasing speculation about the Dutch tactician’s future. It will take a miraculous recovery for United to return to the top-four race, and it will not be surprising if Glazers and Co. opt for a change in the dugout as early as January.
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