Erling Haaland’s two goals secured a crucial victory for Manchester City in the highly anticipated Manchester derby, while their rivals, Manchester United, suffered a humiliating defeat on their home turf.
Football enthusiasts from all corners of the globe gathered at Old Trafford to witness the 191st Manchester derby, a historic occasion that coincided with Pep Guardiola’s team equalling their treble win from 1999. Haaland was the hero of the match, as he not only scored a penalty kick but also netted an uncontested header before setting up Phil Foden for the game-winning goal, resulting in a 3-0 victory for City. However, City’s dominance was even more pronounced than the final score indicated.
Manchester United, led by Erik ten Hag, had been enduring a disappointing three-game winning streak across all competitions leading up to this match, and their woes continued as they suffered their fifth defeat in their first ten Premier League games. The turning point in the game came in the middle of the first half when Haaland put City ahead with a penalty kick after a VAR review revealed Rasmus Hojlund’s foul on Rodri.
City’s relentless attack exploited United’s defensive weaknesses, leading to Haaland’s second goal with a powerful header. Foden added the finishing touch to the match in the later stages. If not for the heroics of Andre Onana in United’s goal, the damage could have been even more severe. United fans expressed their frustration when Ten Hag decided to substitute Hojlund, and it was indeed a dismal end to an emotionally charged week for the club.
Prior to the game, fans wearing the traditional red and blue colors of the two Manchester clubs joined in celebration, but it was City that dominated right from the start. The match was nearly put to bed with only eight minutes left when Kyle Walker played a precise pass to Foden, who struck a powerful header that Onana managed to save.
Onana’s quick reactions prevented Haaland from adding to his tally after a looping shot. VAR came into play again when a free kick was awarded. Michael Oliver instructed Paul Tierney to review a possible foul by Hojlund on Rodri. Once the penalty was awarded, Haaland calmly converted, further frustrating the home fans.
This early setback in the 26th minute bolstered City’s confidence and silenced the Old Trafford faithful. The visiting supporters even taunted the home crowd by likening the atmosphere to that of the Etihad Stadium. While City maintained control in the latter part of the first half, United did have two excellent opportunities to level the score.
First, Hojlund capitalized on a loose ball, rounded Ederson, and set up Bruno Fernandes to score a blistering goal. The young scorer might have wished he had gone down, considering how aggressively John Stones defended in the buildup. Late in the match, United came perilously close to scoring again when Marcus Rashford’s shot was met by Scott McTominay, who managed to take a touch before Ederson made a crucial save.
The noise level inside Old Trafford soared at that moment, and Onana further impressed with a close-range save from Haaland’s shot. This appeared to be a turning point in the match, but City wasted no time extending their lead. After Fernandes and Foden both had attempts, City exploited United’s fragile defense, delivering a cross that Bernardo Silva deftly headed to Haaland, who was unmarked and able to score with a header at the far post. A group of jubilant City fans taunted their United counterparts with chants of “Mind the gap, Man United” while Onana thwarted Grealish’s attempt to increase City’s lead with a 49th-minute header.
As Haaland appealed for a penalty, the England attacking midfielder sent a cross-shot into the box, and the away fans continued to make their presence felt. Rashford came close to scoring with a smart touch and shot, offering United a brief glimmer of hope that was short-lived as City resumed their attacking onslaught. Ten Hag’s decision to replace Hojlund with Garnacho was met with resounding boos from the crowd, and Onana displayed great reflexes to deny Haaland a third goal.
Before Onana was finally beaten once again in the 80th minute, Grealish saw a shot blocked and go wide. This time, Haaland turned provider, as Onana’s deflection of Rodri’s shot fell to the striker, who then set up Foden for another goal. As some United fans began to leave early, the player who scored attempted an overhead kick. Few could blame those who left early, as their team’s performance was far from satisfactory. They missed the opportunity to be disheartened as time ran out.
