Manchester United vs Manchester City. Premier League.
Old TraffordAttendance73,502.
Report and free match highlights as Premier League top scorer Haaland scored either side of half-time and set up Foden to win Manchester derby and lift Man City to third, two points behind leaders Tottenham; Man Utd eighth and have now lost six of last eight against Pep Guardiola's men
Monday 30 October 2023 07:55, UK
Erling Haaland struck twice and Phil Foden added another to give Manchester City a dominant derby day victory at neighbours Manchester United, with the 3-0 win at Old Trafford taking the defending champions up to third, two points behind Premier League leaders Tottenham.
City had lost their last two on the road in the Premier League but had too much for a United side who, despite a recent run of narrow wins and a spate of injuries, have issues to address across the pitch. If it wasn't for Andre Onana, who made a series of fine stops, the scoreline could easily have been heavier.
Haaland and Foden both scored hat-tricks in the 6-3 City win when these sides met a year ago and 12 months on the gap between the Manchester rivals remains huge.
Haaland's first came from the spot, after Rasmus Hojlund's pull on Rodri in the box was punished by referee Paul Tierney from the pitchside monitor. Sky Sports' pundits all described it as "soft" but former referee Mike Dean was convinced it was a "clear holding offence".
Premier League top scorer Haaland then hammered home a header after the break for his 11th goal of the season. It was a carbon copy of a chance at the end of the first half which Onana stunningly stopped but Haaland gave the goalkeeper no hope this time.
Onana denied Haaland a third from a one-on-one chance soon after and the striker passed up the opportunity to go for goal again when he squared for Foden to tap in a simple finish to put City out of sight.
City have now won six of the last eight derbies across all competitions and were rarely troubled in this one. A first-half Scott McTominay drive forced Ederson to tip over and Marcus Rashford sent a second-half chance wide but City head coach Pep Guardiola, in charge for a 20th Manchester derby, has mastered this match-up.
United boss Erik ten Hag, whose decision to sub off Hojlund was booed, couldn't come up with the formula for an upset and his side stay eighth, already 11 points behind pacesetters Spurs.
United were out to make a statement from the first whistle, flying out of the blocks against their more fancied neighbours, with makeshift left-back Victor Lindelof hooking the ball onto the roof of the net and McTominay shooting at Ederson inside two minutes.
But that early threat was quickly extinguished as City took control and United needed Tuesday's Champions League heroes Onana and Harry Maguire to rescue them on nine minutes. Onana saved Foden's close-range header and then brilliantly prevented Haaland from putting in the rebound before Maguire cleared from his own goal-line. It would be the first of several super saves from the goalkeeper.
City were in complete control when Hojlund tugged Rodri in the box from a free-kick. VAR Michael Oliver advised referee Tierney to check the pitchside monitor and Haaland kept his cool to convert the penalty, after a long delay which included Onana being booked for time wasting.
Foden almost undid the first-half dominance of City when he sent a wayward pass between his own centre-backs, allowing Hojlund to rush through. It looked for a moment that he would make amends for his foul for the penalty but John Stones caught him up and got a vital touch to send him wide.
It was a rare moment on the front foot for United but they created another one before the break, with McTominay drawing a fine save from Ederson with a shot from the edge of the box. Onana out-did his opposite number just before the interval, though, flashing across his line to push away a Haaland header which looked certain to hit the net.
Ederson was made to work again at the start of the second half by Bruno Fernandes' dipping drive but Haaland got the better of Onana with another header soon after and that left the home side with a mountain to climb. City's authority became almost absolute from that point on.
Grealish and Haaland were denied by Onana before his parry allowed Haaland to tee up Foden for goal number three, adding to the disgruntlement among the home fans, who had jeered Ten Hag's call to take off Hojlund a few minutes earlier.
Rashford did have one more sight of goal for United, chesting a high pass into the box but, with Kyle Walker tracking back, he had to delay his shot and eventually skewed it off target.
His goal drought now stretches to one in 13 this season but from defensive injury problems to the midfield make-up - where Sofyan Amrabat and his half-time replacement Mason Mount struggled - Ten Hag has plenty of problems on his plate now. City brutally highlighted them.
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag: "First half, we played very well. The game plan went on how we wanted. We defended very good. They almost didn't create - one big save from Andre in that start. We had two or three breaks, we had to benefit from it. We have to take more from it, but the penalty changed the game. I don't have a comment on it.
"The second goal, we made the mistake, we made the wrong decision to go up to the goalkeeper in the wrong moment. And we did not recover quick. They got into the game and power in the midfield, they could switch the game and put players in wrong positions. But it started with us. Then they outplay us.
"Last year we were in the same situation, also after the game against City. We have to forget this game and recover on Wednesday. We have played three times this year against City. We played very good in all those games. First half today was good, we made it difficult for them. The chances were similar and they got the first goal. We played three games well against them."
Did he regret Mason Mount's half-time introduction? "You can't say that. We had to create because we are losing the game. You can wait, clear, but when you have Mason Mount on the bench you can expect creativity."
On fan boos for Hojlund coming off: "Rasmus Hojlund is playing every game, he's not used to it. Against City, he had to work very hard to get the press on. For the team, you had to expect new energy on the pitch."
Man City boss Pep Guardiola: "I always have a good feeling here, the players always give their best. For so long seeing Sir Alex Ferguson at the top, we have changed the tendency, especially away [at Old Trafford].
On Bernardo Silva: "I could be talking for 10 minutes [what] Bernardo does to our team. He is beyond good in all departments. We are in love with him. He's humble and everybody loves him in the locker room. We were scared to lose him. He's irreplaceable. Every time he comes here at Old Trafford, he plays really well."
Man Utd face Newcastle at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup fourth round in a repeat of last season's final live on Sky Sports on Wednesday, kick-off 8.15pm. They then travel to Fulham in the Premier League on November 4, kick-off 12.30pm.
Meanwhile, Manchester City host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday November 4, kick-off 3pm. They then host Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday November 7, kick-off 8pm.
