Hero of the Etihad, the day Erling Haaland missed the unthinkable into an empty net, Before his final revenge, Phil Foden appeared as a unbalancing factor in the overwhelming dominance of Manchester City, who overcame Marcus Rashford’s initial goal for a Manchester United whose derby seemed too long.
Faced with the obligation to win after a visit to Anfield, in a great fight for the leadership of the Premier League with Liverpool, City responded with an exercise of patience with which they erased the field until they disappeared. Manchester United. His endurance exercise lasted as long as Foden decided.
In the fight of styles it was clear that Pep Guardiola’s City everyone knows what they are playing and Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United did great with the derby suit. Sustained by a genius from Rashford after eight minutes. Rewarding the simple with a spectacular goal. Long ball by Onana, reception by Bruno Fernandes, back pass and 30-meter right hand that cannot be appealed.
A goal that even made Manchester United dream of coming up heads in the coin toss that their matches have become lately. Buried the security of the start of 2024 with games in which he longs for leadership. Nobody stepped forward. Rashford was left alone in the battle, always trying to take advantage of the space on the counterattack in Guardiola’s defensive line of three.
City had no choice but to take risks. The fight for the title involved a victory prior to the attempted assault on Anfield. The leader, Liverpool, had won at the buzzer and a gap of 4 points determined the next day. With possession always overwhelming (74%) and a frenetic pace of play, the search for a comeback began.
The goal had taken everyone by surprise. City lived in the rival area, throwing corners incessantly – up to twelve in the first act -, Foden refined his left foot, Stones fell asleep in the shot and Haaland did not need a header. But this season the weak point of Guardiola’s team is the return after loss. The spaces that appear in a short effective defense. Rashford took advantage of them, and Garnacho wanted them.
City’s continuous push caused United to take steps backwards. Well positioned at the start, even forgiving the second after a slip by Rúben Dias, being the last man, which left only Rashford with the entire field to run. Poor control and Walker’s coverage was decisive. As much as Onana’s firmness in the first act. He took out Foden’s cross shot with his right foot, from whom he snatched a one-on-one with his quick exit minutes later.
The superiority with the local ball did not turn into dangerous actions. A dominance without determination in the final meters was reflected in 18 shots, just three on goal. Even the feeling of generating greater damage when, once again, Rashford appeared at the far post to forgive another dizzying action by United with a bad shot.
With less overflow than usual on Doku’s side. With Bernardo Silva trying to calm down a match without control. Despite the lack of clarity in the first act, City always generates. Onana wanted to become the hero of the derby with a shot from Rodri. He hooked a poorly centered clearance from Varane with his right hand, with power and a final bounce on the grass that increased the merit of the goalkeeper’s intervention who, on the brink of half-time, already overcome, looked at the sky giving thanks.
Because Haaland failed what has never been seen. Only between the posts, after Rodri’s center, Foden’s perfect header and the left-footed shot above. More difficult to send it to the stands than to the net. United was miraculously saved, as the second half seemed like an eternity. Even more entrenched in his territory. Without a midfielder with personality to ask for the ball and anesthetize the game.
City overturned and the match lasted as long as Onana could stand. A stretch on Doku’s shot deflected by a defender was his last serve. He could do nothing in the return of the initial goal, when Foden feinted with his left foot and unleashed an unreachable whip into the top corner. Ten Hag was reprimanded for his complaint after calling for a foul on Rashford at the start of the play.
He knew what was coming. Without bench depth, with a worse squad than the almighty City, which found more dynamite with the entry on the scene of Julián Álvarez. United no longer existed. It was about time. And it came after a marking error by Casemiro, who lost Foden’s wake when he threw the wall at Julián, and when he reacted, the derby hero had already signed his double of glory. There was still time for Haaland to retaliate, after Rodri stole in the high zone, and first-time definition to satisfy the hunger of an insatiable scorer.
#City #beating #United
