It’s the fourth Manchester derby of the season! This fixture truly is the gift that keeps on giving, or at least the gift that keeps on being given. The previous three (and the one before that for good measure, and six of the last seven for that matter) ended in away wins. This fits with the long-term trend: since the day in October 2011 when City went to Old Trafford and won 6-1 there have been 14 away wins in this fixture and only six home wins, which is quite the turnaround - before that there had been one away win in nine. So, in short, Manchester City will probably win today, which is the outcome all this recent history suggests is more likely, and is also supported by the fact that, for all that United are on a Bruno Fernandes-inspired nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions and enjoying what Pep Guardiola called “their best moment of the season”, they have a significantly better football team.
True fact: the only Manchester derby to be played on 8 March was in 1969, when City won 1-0 at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have a first league double for a decade over Manchester Metropolis in a new signal that the religion proven by the board in Ole Gunnar Solskjær is being repaid.
United made their crosstown rivals seem the tamest Metropolis aspect introduced right here throughout Pep Guardiola’s 4 years in cost. United have been merely way more harmful than an unusually toothless opponent and have been deserving victors on this 182nd derby that ended within the sort of lively scenes not witnessed at Previous Trafford for some time. The three factors preserve United in fifth, and firmly within the hunt for a Champions League berth, whereas making it ten matches unbeaten. Metropolis, although, can be dethroned as champions and Liverpool topped earlier than the Merseysiders play once more if Guardiola’s aspect loses their subsequent two matches: in opposition to Arsenal and Burnley.
Just below five years had handed since United’s final house league derby triumph. However, for the encouragement, they might look to the two victories over Metropolis already this period, together with December’s reverse fixture.
But Metropolis had gone near humiliating United in January’s 3-1 Carabao Cup win right here throughout a first-half show that forged them as alarmingly callow.
Solskjær fielded a 3-4-1-2 that confirmed seven modifications from Thursday’s victory at Derby: solely Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes and Fred have been retained. Guardiola’s acquainted 4-1-4-1 had one fewer adjustment, the headline being that Kevin De Bruyne’s sore shoulder meant he was excluded, as Phil Foden grew to become the youngest Englishman to start this fixture for Metropolis for 12 years.
Solskjær spoke of getting to press Metropolis, and that is how his staff started: Nicolas Otamendi, Ederson, and Oleksandr Zinchenko all being hassled by United’s magnificent entrance three – Anthony Martial, Daniel James and Bruno Fernandes.
Twice Guardiola was sad as a result of oddly free passes from his males. First, a Zinchenko ball in the direction of Ederson practically put Martial in. Then, Ilkay Gundogan erred in a related style.
In what was a vibrant environment Metropolis’s response was to say two corners – every off Brandon Williams, the second deriving from a clearing header. This pointed to a passage of Metropolis dominance by which Martial needed to clear from below David de Gea’s bar, the goalkeeper having beforehand saved the scores stage with a pointy save.
This got here when Sergio Aguero raced alongside the precise with Luke Shaw in attendance. The No 10 turned and located Foden, and he switched the ball left to Raheem Sterling. A dip of the shoulders and the ahead was bright – his shot was heading in De Gea’s left-hand nook earlier than he steered vast.
United have been at risk of being engulfed by the blue wave. Foden probed and noticed a Harry Maguire clearance rebound off him for a goal-kick. From this, although, the house aspect lastly broke clear, Fernandes hit James early, and he ran through, although his try was too near Ederson.
This quick-release tactic got here near bearing fruit the following time United threatened. This time Williams hit Martial, although, after an on the spot bring-down, his shot was blocked.
James was after utilizing pace: the jet-heeled vast man turned Otamendi in and out alongside the precise and drew the foul. Fernandes hit the wall from the free-kick, Fred nutmegged Zinchenko, and United have been now posing all of the questions. Considered one of these had Martial outmanoeuvring Fernandinho and reducing in from the left; however, a tame shot made simple work for Ederson.
The Brazilian, although, was about to commit the competition’s essential howler. Fernandes received and took a free-kick on the left, after being kicked by Gundogan. The German was then doubly culpable as he and Aguero allowed Martial to glide in and volley Fernandes’s dinked supply. This went straight at Ederson, but in a butterfingers second, the ball was allowed to squeeze in on the keeper’s close to put up.
Metropolis has been now being punched open at will. Wan-Bissaka had change into a buccaneering right-back, terrorizing the guests alongside his flank. Fernandes, Martial, Fred and James joined him in a free-for-all that had Guardiola’s males in damage-limitation mode, determined to achieve the break.
They did, nonetheless, at 1-0 – maybe thankfully as throughout the half’s closing exchanges, Otamendi seemed to have introduced down Fred for a penalty. VAR didn’t intervene, and as a substitute, Mike Dean, the referee, booked the midfielder.
What Metropolis had missed was the same old energy to bewitch their opponent from midfield. On the second-half’s begin, they discovered they vary. Sterling slipped in Aguero, and he completed although this was dominated offside. Ederson, although, nonetheless slumbered. A Joao Cancelo back-pass was dispossessed and with Martial thundering within the keeper solely recovered.
Metropolis claimed a nook on the precise and from 25 yards, Foden’s shot was tipped over for a second from the identical quadrant. This got here to nothing, and Guardiola swapped Aguero and Bernardo Silva for Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez, the Catalan’s frantic body-language telling the story of his staff: an odd lack of poise and ability when required.
As an alternative one another, James burst left Otamendi resembling a statue and Ederson needed to repel a blistering effort. And whereas from right here, Metropolis probed alongside each flank, forcing corners, now got here a second Ederson calamity: a throw out within the 96th-minute went straight to Scott McTominay, and the substitute discovered the empty web from 40 yards out.
Solskjær punched the air, and on the closing whistle, United’s assist stranded their supervisor. He and his males are constructing the late-season momentum so badly missed final yr when the whole lot fell aside.
Manchester United have a first league double for a decade over Manchester Metropolis in a new signal that the religion proven by the board in Ole Gunnar Solskjær is being repaid.
United made their crosstown rivals seem the tamest Metropolis aspect introduced right here throughout Pep Guardiola’s 4 years in cost. United have been merely way more harmful than an unusually toothless opponent and have been deserving victors on this 182nd derby that ended within the sort of lively scenes not witnessed at Previous Trafford for some time. The three factors preserve United in fifth, and firmly within the hunt for a Champions League berth, whereas making it ten matches unbeaten. Metropolis, although, can be dethroned as champions and Liverpool topped earlier than the Merseysiders play once more if Guardiola’s aspect loses their subsequent two matches: in opposition to Arsenal and Burnley.
Just below five years had handed since United’s final house league derby triumph. However, for the encouragement, they might look to the two victories over Metropolis already this period, together with December’s reverse fixture.
But Metropolis had gone near humiliating United in January’s 3-1 Carabao Cup win right here throughout a first-half show that forged them as alarmingly callow.
Solskjær fielded a 3-4-1-2 that confirmed seven modifications from Thursday’s victory at Derby: solely Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes and Fred have been retained. Guardiola’s acquainted 4-1-4-1 had one fewer adjustment, the headline being that Kevin De Bruyne’s sore shoulder meant he was excluded, as Phil Foden grew to become the youngest Englishman to start this fixture for Metropolis for 12 years.
Solskjær spoke of getting to press Metropolis, and that is how his staff started: Nicolas Otamendi, Ederson, and Oleksandr Zinchenko all being hassled by United’s magnificent entrance three – Anthony Martial, Daniel James and Bruno Fernandes.
Twice Guardiola was sad as a result of oddly free passes from his males. First, a Zinchenko ball in the direction of Ederson practically put Martial in. Then, Ilkay Gundogan erred in a related style.
In what was a vibrant environment Metropolis’s response was to say two corners – every off Brandon Williams, the second deriving from a clearing header. This pointed to a passage of Metropolis dominance by which Martial needed to clear from below David de Gea’s bar, the goalkeeper having beforehand saved the scores stage with a pointy save.
This got here when Sergio Aguero raced alongside the precise with Luke Shaw in attendance. The No 10 turned and located Foden, and he switched the ball left to Raheem Sterling. A dip of the shoulders and the ahead was bright – his shot was heading in De Gea’s left-hand nook earlier than he steered vast.
United have been at risk of being engulfed by the blue wave. Foden probed and noticed a Harry Maguire clearance rebound off him for a goal-kick. From this, although, the house aspect lastly broke clear, Fernandes hit James early, and he ran through, although his try was too near Ederson.
This quick-release tactic got here near bearing fruit the following time United threatened. This time Williams hit Martial, although, after an on the spot bring-down, his shot was blocked.
James was after utilizing pace: the jet-heeled vast man turned Otamendi in and out alongside the precise and drew the foul. Fernandes hit the wall from the free-kick, Fred nutmegged Zinchenko, and United have been now posing all of the questions. Considered one of these had Martial outmanoeuvring Fernandinho and reducing in from the left; however, a tame shot made simple work for Ederson.
The Brazilian, although, was about to commit the competition’s essential howler. Fernandes received and took a free-kick on the left, after being kicked by Gundogan. The German was then doubly culpable as he and Aguero allowed Martial to glide in and volley Fernandes’s dinked supply. This went straight at Ederson, but in a butterfingers second, the ball was allowed to squeeze in on the keeper’s close to put up.
Metropolis has been now being punched open at will. Wan-Bissaka had change into a buccaneering right-back, terrorizing the guests alongside his flank. Fernandes, Martial, Fred and James joined him in a free-for-all that had Guardiola’s males in damage-limitation mode, determined to achieve the break.
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They did, nonetheless, at 1-0 – maybe thankfully as throughout the half’s closing exchanges, Otamendi seemed to have introduced down Fred for a penalty. VAR didn’t intervene, and as a substitute, Mike Dean, the referee, booked the midfielder.
What Metropolis had missed was the same old energy to bewitch their opponent from midfield. On the second-half’s begin, they discovered they vary. Sterling slipped in Aguero, and he completed although this was dominated offside. Ederson, although, nonetheless slumbered. A Joao Cancelo back-pass was dispossessed and with Martial thundering within the keeper solely recovered.
Metropolis claimed a nook on the precise and from 25 yards, Foden’s shot was tipped over for a second from the identical quadrant. This got here to nothing, and Guardiola swapped Aguero and Bernardo Silva for Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez, the Catalan’s frantic body-language telling the story of his staff: an odd lack of poise and ability when required.
As an alternative one another, James burst left Otamendi resembling a statue and Ederson needed to repel a blistering effort. And whereas from right here, Metropolis probed alongside each flank, forcing corners, now got here a second Ederson calamity: a throw out within the 96th-minute went straight to Scott McTominay, and the substitute discovered the empty web from 40 yards out.
Solskjær punched the air, and on the closing whistle, United’s assist stranded their supervisor. He and his males are constructing the late-season momentum so badly missed final yr when the whole lot fell aside.
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