Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City: Pep Guardiola’s side show they can win ugly as they clear significant hurdle in Premier League title race
Manchester City have won the battle. Now, with the derby behind them, they have given themselves the best chance of winning the war.
On a night when they reached 157 goals for the season and passed their own record, from the 2013-14 title-winning campaign, for goals in an English season, City showed they don’t just win pretty.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knew his out-of-form, error-prone and goal-shy Manchester United couldn’t go toe to toe with their rivals, and his spoiling tactics worked well for a time.
Read more: Trevor Steven: Solskjaer's still the right man for United
But just as they have in each of their now 11 consecutive Premier League victories, City found a way around whatever was put in front of them.
Having leapfrogged Liverpool to ensure top spot changed hands for the 28th time this season, only Burnley, Leicester and Brighton now stand in their way. This could prove to be a decisive blow in this epic title fight.
United stifle
United came into the game on the back of their worst run of results since 1989, having conceded their most league goals since 1979, and without a clean sheet in 11 matches across all competitions.
Considering that context, Solskjaer’s 5-3-2 formation and focus on isolating Marcus Rashford on the counter-attack with the sluggish Vincent Kompany made sense and it was executed fairly well in the first half.
Marcus Rashford frequently got the better of Vincent Kompany (Source: Getty)
Kompany was booked after just nine minutes, while United buzzed into tackles, broke up play and introduced a measure of chaos to the normally composed and calculating City machine.
The result was the desired one: to drag City into a game they’re not used to playing. Barring two comfortable saves from Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling, Pep Guardiola’s side created nothing before the interval.
Key change
Fernandinho is the perfect man for a derby: combative, reliable and responsible. When he was forced off in the 50th minute following a crucial tackle on Paul Pogba it looked a blow for the visitors.
But it proved to be the opposite. On came Leroy Sane, with a re-jig in midfield moving Bernardo into the centre and Ilkay Gundogan to the base of midfield.
Fernandinho's injury proved a turning point (Source: Getty)
Four minutes later Bernardo accepted Gundogan’s pass and fired into the near post to break the deadlock, with Sane then repeating the trick to settle the contest.
This time it was City’s incredible squad depth, rather than Guardiola’s tactical acumen, that proved the difference.
De Gea off the boil
De Gea used to be Mr Consistent for United, but this season his form has dropped off alarmingly.
Frequent wonder-saves have been replaced by frequent worrying mistakes – and it’s cost United dear since Solskjaer’s honeymoon period expired in dramatic circumstances.
Having inexplicably let Lionel Messi’s weak shot squirm underneath him in last week’s 3-0 defeat by Barcelona and allowed Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson to beat him from distance in Sunday’s 4-0 rout, he was beaten at his near post by Bernardo and failed to stop a Sane shot which came straight at him.
David de Gea was guilty of making another poor mistake (Source: Getty)
The contrast with his opposite number was marked. Ederson commanded his area, flying out to save at the feet of Rashford early on, while looking a picture of calm assuredness.
Title hopes heightened
While United’s hopes of finishing in the top four are fading in a miasma of mediocrity, City appear to be marching on towards defending their Premier League title.
Their disappointment at being knocked out of the Champions League by Tottenham may still be fresh, but it will prove an advantage in the run-in.
While Liverpool host bottom side Huddersfield on Friday before turning their attention to their own trip to Barcelona, City have focus all their attention on domestic fixtures.
City haven’t lost their swagger and, with one focus, are favourites to clinch it. Liverpool fans’ efforts in supporting United through gritted teeth could be in vain after all.