Manchester City returned to winning ways with a 3–0 victory over local rivals Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ve lost two games in a row, it’s not good enough, it’s way too bad,” Erling Haaland fumed ahead of United’s arrival. “We need to figure it out.” The burly Nordic goal-gobbler took on that challenge himself.
Phil Foden broke the deadlock after 18 minutes before Haaland rammed home City’s advantage with a second-half brace in one of the most convincing performances Pep Guardiola’s side have delivered in months.
Alongside an in-form Haaland, one obvious avenue for improvement is a rejuvenated Foden. The academy graduate was only making his second Premier League start since the previous Manchester derby more than five months ago and swiftly made up for lost time.
Starting in a central role while Bernardo Silva was shunted out on to the right, Foden found himself with the freedom of Greater Manchester in which to steer a header beyond Altay Bayındır from just eight yards out. Jérémy Doku had drifted across from the left flank to swamp United’s two-man midfield in a worryingly familiar pattern of play for Ruben Amorim’s side.
Derby day is always particularly special for the No. 47. The Stockport-born City fan comes from a Manchester United supporting family which counts his father, brother, uncle and grandfather as Red Devils. The personal rivalry has proved to be potent inspiration.
Foden’s header was his seventh derby goal. Haaland swiftly matched the Premier League high watermark of eight set by Sergio Agüero.
Embodying the improvement he had called for pre-game, City’s ruthless No. 9 deftly finished off a slick passing sequence in the 53rd minute. Foden and Doku were again involved in the construction of a move which saw the sky blue shirts dance between United’s statuesque defensive structure, skipping around the bamboozled visitors like red training cones.
Three minutes after getting on the scoresheet, Haaland somehow conspired to miss a glorious chance to double his tally after hurdling Bayındır and sliding a scuffed effort onto the inside of the far post. He would only have to wait until the 68th minute to make it 3–0.
Racing clear into United’s entirely unguarded half of the pitch, Haaland had the composure and clinical clarity of thought to steady himself before stuffing the ball in the bottom corner.
A late flurry of chances were squandered by the visitors yet City were well worth all three points.
