With summaryManchester United had no chance at all on Sunday evening at Old Trafford, in a one-sided derby against city rival City. Erling Haaland decided the game with two goals and an assist on Phil Foden: 0-3. The pressure on Erik ten Hag will increase again in the coming weeks.
Sjoerd Mossou
Latest update:
29-10-23, 20:30
The teases resounded incessantly from the away section on Sunday, where City supporters once again underlined the relations in the football city of Manchester. “Old Trafford is falling down,” is heard over and over again from the corner of the old stadium, in a playful variation on a classic British song.
The visiting fans happily sing their way to the end of the match, while the grumbling in the home stands becomes more and more intense. In a city derby that should have honored the recently deceased club legend Sir Bobby Charlton with a victory, afterwards cynicism and grumpiness reigned in the red part of Manchester.
On the sidelines, Erik ten Hag apparently undergoes the punishment unmoved, but the blatant class difference irrevocably hurts the Dutch manager. While United surprisingly won at home last season, they now look hopeless against Pep Guardiola’s top team. The third goal is telling after eighty minutes, when Haaland casually serves Phil Foden, who only has to slide the ball into the empty goal: 0-3.
Almost immediately from kick-off, City are in charge at Old Trafford, except for a few short match phases. United mainly plays from the reaction, hoping for a whim from Marcus Rashford or Rasmus Hojlund, leaning on a closed organization. The visitors are nevertheless supreme on the ball, combining smoothly and controlling, patiently looking for an opening.
Erik ten Hag: ‘I can’t blame my team for anything’
Erik ten Hag does not understand why people accuse him of not letting Manchester United play football as frivolously as Ajax. “We will never play the football we played at Ajax here,” he said after the lost Manchester derby. “I now have other players, that’s not why I came here.”
“The player material you have determines how you will play,” said Ten Hag at Viaplay. “That’s why we play here in a different way than I did at Ajax. That will have to be the case, because I can’t play the same way here. That is not in the DNA of Manchester United at all. The football at Ajax is very typical, here we will play much more directly. We also have the players for that, especially at the forefront.”
Ten Hag did not drop his players after the defeat against City. “We played quite well in the first half. But of course that penalty changes the picture of the match. Then we have to play offensively. We forgot our agreements for a moment and conceded 0-2 far too quickly. But in the first half we did exactly what we had to do and made it very difficult for them. I’ve seen us fight. I can’t blame them for that either. I can’t really blame my team anyway.”
City did not get big chances for a long time, but a moment in the 24th minute opened up the game. Referee Paul Tierney initially noticed it, but Hojlund committed a foul during an incoming free kick by clumsily and unnecessarily pulling Rodri to the ground. At the insistence of the VAR, City is still awarded a penalty, used flawlessly by Haaland: 0-1.
The goal paves the way to a worry-free victory for the visitors. Scott McTominay gets a good shooting opportunity, Hojlund is only allowed to go at Ederson, but based on the field play it is mainly City that can claim a goal. Haaland headed in his second goal just before half-time, but Andre Onana then made an unparalleled save from close range.
Five minutes into the second half, the United keeper still has no chance. A brilliant City attack leads through Bernardo Silva to Haaland, who is able to head it completely clear at the far post: 0-2.
After that goal, United took the initiative more emphatically, but City hardly had to get nervous. Rashford gets another good chance, but shoots wide. Ten minutes before the end, the match is finally decided, when Foden taps the ball in and slides on his knees towards the away section: 0-3. Two minutes later, Foden almost made it 0-4 with a bicycle kick, but his spectacular attempt went half a meter wide of Onana’s goal.
“You’re f*ckin’ shit,” the fans in the corner sing again, triumphantly and hatefully, knowing that United will once again not be a significant competitor in the battle for the Premier League title.
In fact, it will be a tough job for United to qualify for the Champions League again this season. Number four Liverpool, which won 3-0 against Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon, already has eight points more than number eight Manchester United after ten rounds. Tottenham Hotspur, the surprising leader in the Premier League, is even eleven points above Erik ten Hag’s team.
OptaJoe
@OptaJoe
90’+7′
End of second half
90’+3′
Yellow card for Bruno Fernandes
90’+2′
Yellow card for Antony
87′
Jack Grealish is replaced by Jéremy Doku
87′
Julián Álvarez is replaced by Mateo Kovacic
86′
Christian Eriksen is replaced by Antony
86′
Marcus Rashford is replaced by Anthony Martial
82′
Phil Foden’s overhead kick goes just wide
Pfohhh! That would have been something. After a cross from Jack Grealish, Phil Foden tries with a spectacular bicycle kick, shortly after making it 0-3. This attempt goes half a meter wide of the goal. A 0-4 like this would have been a real humiliation for Manchester United in the city derby in front of their own audience.
80′
0-3 Manchester City! Goal from Phil Foden!
After two goals, he also provided an assist for Erling Haaland: he let Phil Foden make it 0-3 for Manchester City at Old Trafford. A painful match for Erik ten Hag and his team. Many supporters have seen enough and leave the stadium with more than ten minutes left on the clock.
74′
Victor Lindelöf is replaced by Sergio Reguilón
73′
Rasmus Højlund is replaced by Alejandro Garnacho
69′
Marcus Rashford misses a chance to score a goal
Oh dear! Manchester United need a tying goal to make something of this match, but Marcus Rashford’s shot goes wide by a meter. The running action and the assumption were fine, but after he shook off Kyle Walker, his shot went a meter wide of City keeper Ederson’s goal.
49′
0-2 Manchester City! Goal by Erling Haaland!
Shortly before halftime, André Onana stopped Erling Haaland’s header, but four minutes after halftime, Manchester City’s Norwegian goal machine made it 0-2 at Old Trafford.
He calmly nods in from a subtle cross from Bernardo Silva, who got around Jack Grealish well on the left flank and got the ball into the loop at the right time.
Can Erik ten Hag come up with something to prevent a derby defeat?
45′
Second half kicked off
After a change in Manchester United’s midfield, we start the second half, in which Manchester United has to make up for a deficit. Due to Onana’s nice save shortly before half-time, the deficit is less than 0-2, which means that Erik ten Hag’s team certainly still has a chance of a result.
46′
Sofyan Amrabat is replaced by Mason Mount
45’+5′
End of first half
Manchester City is 0-1 ahead at Old Trafford at half-time. Erling Haaland scored from a penalty after 26 minutes. Shortly before halftime, the Norwegian top striker also seemed to make it 0-2, but United keeper André Onana made a clever save on the line.
45′
Good save Ederson
At the start of the four minutes of extra time, Manchester United suddenly had a chance, but City keeper Ederson made a good save on midfielder Scott McTominay’s shot.
42′
Yellow card for Sofyan Amrabat
42′
Yellow card for Phil Foden
26′
0-1 Manchester City! Goal by Erling Haaland!
After a foul by United striker Rasmus Højlund on Rodri, Erling Haaland gives Pep Guardiola’s team the lead at Old Trafford from a penalty. André Onana saved Jordan Larsson’s penalty in the last minute on Tuesday, but the keeper from Cameroon now dives into the wrong corner.
Statistics
Line-up
Premier League fixtures and results
Stand Premier League
Watch our Premier League videos here
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss anything from the stars.
The post first appeared on www.gelderlander.nl