Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United
Ok Premier League fans, hands up if you saw this coming?
I certainly did not and the SBOBET Premier League betting odds certainly did not either.
In fact, before kick-off, I begged the question had Manchester United ever been so far adrift in the betting stakes in modern times?
This, the 179th Manchester derby, just goes to prove it can be a funny old game.
Highlights of the game
Of course, when champions Manchester City reflect on this game there will be nothing funny.
They are now 14 points off the summit and, even if they won each of their remaining league matches between now and next May – which they won’t incidentally – it would unlikely be enough to claim a third successive title.
Manager Pep Guardiola had made the point in the build-up to the match that City had largely been better than United in his three and a bit years in the north-west and, a look at the team sheets, emphasised why.
On the respective benches, City have five internationals amongst their outfield substitutes.
For United there were two and Juan Mata and Ashley Young are more former internationals than current picks for Spain or England.
Yet here were United creating the Premier League highlights and, while the jury is out on their progress – they have been frustratingly inconsistent in recent weeks – Guardiola needs to look at his failure to replace influential skipper Vincent Kompany as one of the reasons for their fall from the summit this term.
Coupled with the unfortunate loss of Aymeric Laporte, it has proven costly and has also meant Fernandinho, the unsung hero who has kept them ticking so much in recent years, has had to move back into defence.
His long-term replacement Rhodri naturally needs time to settle into English football, as I mentioned earlier this week, and that was both evident and understandable in his first Manchester derby.
Both United goals came in a breathless opening half-hour at Etihad Stadium where they repeatedly carved open the home rearguard with some devastating counter attacking.
Marcus Rashford opened the scoring from the spot after he was clumsily knocked over by Bernardo Silva, with the penalty correctly awarded by video assistant referee Michael Oliver and the young English striker coolly keeping his composure from the spot for the second time in less than 72 hours.
The irrepressible talent then fired narrowly wide and struck the crossbar as City struggled to contain him and United threatened to extend their advantage.
Extend it they did before the half hour as the lively Daniel James found Anthony Martial on the right of the area and he had space to turn and expertly squeeze his shot inside Ederson’s near post.
Gabriel Jesus should have pulled one back with a header before the break but directed it wide and United went in at the break two goals to the good.
A crucial last-ditch challenge from Victor Lindelof also proved vital early after the restart as the pattern of the game continued as expected – City with plenty of possession and United defending doggedly and threatening on the counter-attack.
The real downside of the evening came midway through the second half and should hopefully see the fan responsible banned from attending matches. Thankfully, midfielder Fred did not appear to be injured and both clubs deserve credit for their swift post-match stance dealing with the issue.
The loss of another defender to injury, John Stones, was a further blow to City and, while it was his replacement, Nicolas Otamendi, who rekindled home hopes with a header five minutes from time, it was not enough.
It did take a top save from David De Gea to deny another substitute in Riyad Mahrez what would have been a swift leveller but this was United’s night.
Manchester is Red and, while a full strength City remain the best team in the country, they feel a little blue right now, their title dreams long extinguished.
Key statistics
Rashford has scored 13 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions this season – equalling his best goalscoring return for Utd in a single season (13 goals in 47 appearances in 2018-19 and 13 goals in 52 apps in 2017-18).
Rashford has been directly involved in 15 goals in his past 14 games in all competitions for Manchester United and England (13 goals, 2 assists).
Martial has been directly involved in 10 goals in his last 13 Premier League starts (six goals, four assists).
City have conceded more Premier League goals via penalties to United (five) than any other opponent, with the Red Devils scoring from the spot in both of their last two visits to the Etihad Stadium.
This is Guardiola’s worst points return after the first 16 matches of a top-flight season in his managerial career. He has also lost two home league games in a single season for only the third time in his managerial career (2014-15 with Bayern Munich and 2008-09 with Barcelona).
What’s next?
City now have three away matches on the bounce.
They travel to Dinamo Zagreb for a Champions League ‘dead-rubber’ in midweek. They have qualified for the last 16. They then meet Arsenal in the Premier League next weekend followed by a trip to League One Oxford in the League Cup quarter-finals on December 18.
United also have a ‘dead-rubber’ European tie at home to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League before entertaining Everton a week tomorrow (December 15).
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