Erling Haaland urged Manchester City to “get our asses going”, then showed how with the second and third goals that sealed this 197th derby for Pep Guardiola’s men, and ended a two-defeat run.
This is no vintage City iteration – currently, at least – but witnessing how the prolific Norwegian bagged his strikes, and performed throughout, suggests their main man is up for leading the revival.
Haaland’s second was a picture of cool: the centre-forward skipped on to Bernardo Silva’s threaded pass, looked up, paused then beat Altay Bayindir with the precision that makes him a phenomenon. It was on 68 minutes and signalled contest over on an afternoon that began in sombre mood due to Ricky Hatton’s sad passing on Sunday morning.
This win gives City six points from four league outings and leaves Ruben Amorim’s struggling unit on four. They might have trundled home nursing a 4-0 (or more) downing if Haaland’s teammates were as cut-throat as he – towards the close Tijjani Reijnders again sprung United’s wafer-thin midfield, Amorim wheeled in disgust, but the Dutchman sprayed wide.
In Haaland, Gianluigi Donnarumma (excellent on debut), Rodri, Phil Foden (who netted the opener), Rúben Dias and others Pep Guardiola has a high-quality coterie. Amorim still does not, which is the puzzle he must solve if last season’s disastrous campaign is not to be repeated. Yet again his side lacked imagination, guile, and, most importantly, fantasy. Perhaps it will click but 12 years after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement how-soon-is-now remains the poser regarding when United might turn a seemingly endless corner.
Between them Guardiola (six) and Amorim (four) made 10 changes, the former’s headline one the dropping of James Trafford for Donnarumma, the latter’s to hand Benjamin Sesko a first start.
United’s new No 30 and City’s new No 1 had an opening action when Sesko pivoted and shot and the Italian flung his 6ft 5in frame right and saved.
Amorim’s solution to Matheus Cunha being injured was to ignore Kobbie Mainoo, retain Bruno Fernandes as his 8, move Bryan Mbeumo to the left 10 berth, and select Amad Diallo as the right-sided one.
Diallo spurned a gilded opening. Fernandes tapped left to Patrick Dorgu, the wingback spiralled the ball to the far-post, and the Ivorian fluffed an airborne scissor-kick.
Soon, Phil Foden taught him how to finish. Rodri, as his genius, was calm in midfield traffic when shaping a simple pass to Jérémy Doku. The Belgian hit turbo-boost, leaving Luke Shaw motionless, then careered along the right deep into United’s area.
A first cross pinballed back to him. The second was floated into Foden whose leap and header, steered left past Altay Bayindir, impressed.
Great for Guardiola, dismal for Amorim who, soon, again had to witness his side scythed apart by Doku, this time along the left. Slick feet created time. Then, when he rolled to Reijnders, the midfielder unloaded into Bayindir’s midriff and United breathed again.
Next, they fought well for a hard claimed foothold that halted a passage of City pummelling them as personified by a Haaland barge through their centre. Fernandes flipped balls to Dorgu or sought to release Diallo or Mbeumo down the middle. Sesko wrestled Dias and those in blue had to scurry after passes from those in red: the reversal of how Guardiola schools them.
When Nico O’Reilly drifted inside and hit over this came seven minutes before the break and was several since City’s previous foray. They had the lead but not the initiative: a boon for United that illustrated a decent first-half effort.
Yet the bottom line was this: as the contest started up again United stared at a second league loss, and City a second win.
A Fernandes corner was repelled; then Noussair Mazraoui’s dart on the right stymied by Josko Gvardiol’s attention. After Fernandes hoofed a pass out Amorim clapped exasperated hands.
Then, what felt the killer blow. Doku’s latest scamper threaded Haaland through, he galloped onto the ball, then pierced Bayindir with a finish that caused widespread jubilation apart from those from the town’s red zone.
If Haaland’s finish was lethal, his miss moments later had Guardiola kneeling in disbelief. Matthijs de Ligt’s loose pass went to Doku whose ball again had the big No 9 stomping in.
Bayindir rushed out, the goal gaped, and Haaland, yards away, scooped the ball all the way past the goalline to find the right post.
At the other end, Mbeumo volley’s had Donnarumma tipping out for a corner. Now Amorim switched Leny Yoro for Mainoo and Mazraoui for Harry Maguire. This pushed Fernandes into a 10 berth, Diallo became the right-wingback and Mainoo was the 8.
But United remained toothless and when Haaland was replaced on 88 minutes – for Oscar Bobb – it was to a raucous ovation
