Here’s David Hytner’s match report from the Etihad Stadium.
More Roy Keane: “There were five or six players there who should never play for Manchester United again. It was shameful.”
It’s good value and we have to be glad he didn’t take the Sunderland job.
Roy Keane, saying that watching the game felt like “being here for two weeks”, says on Sky Sports. He suggests something is amiss with the omission of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The worst thing that you could say about United is that they gave up. In any game if you give up, it’s unforgivable really. The beauty of top-level sport is that there’s no hiding place. You’ve got players not putting in performances and players not running back. They stopped running and they gave up. I don’t understand it.The manager will be criticised about his tactics, but players not running back when you’re playing for Man Utd is really unacceptable. They threw the towel in which is shameful.
More Bruyne on the title race: “It’s winning game by game. They put the pressure on us – we responded in a good way. We always play the way we need to play. Sometimes we don’t get the result but we always play our football. And we will fight for it until the end of the season.”
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On Sky, Gary Neville said this of United: “They were a disgrace in the last 25 minutes.”
Also on Sky, Riyad Mahrez: “I think I touched the ball four times in half an hour.
And Kevin De Bruyne: “United player very differently than on other occasions. They did pretty well in the first half. In the second half we found more space and did really well.”
Goal difference may well play its part and City will wonder if they might have scored more today. United were giving them away. United look to be relying on Arsenal making a mess of their final 13 matches, and that’s possible though also relies on United picking up form.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 28 | 50 | 69 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 27 | 51 | 63 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 26 | 35 | 53 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 25 | 12 | 48 |
| 5 | Man Utd | 28 | 7 | 47 |
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Steve Carr asks a pertinent question: “Why on earth would you hand Ralf Rangnick a significant consultancy role at your football club if this is what he’s capable of as a coach?”
That may become a problematic issue for United, a club with no plan.
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Rick Harris: “Hardly a humiliation to lose 3-1 to City at the Etihad and given the interim manager Rangnick is then who can be surprised that the players aren’t sure what is happening at the club? Doesn’t look like Champions League footy at Old Trafford next season so that may limit the chances United have to bring in a manager who can turn things around.”
Sorry, Rick, I know you sent that on 3-1 but that was a pasting for United.
Full-time: Manchester City 4-1 Manchester United
That’s it, and that was a devastating second half from City, Jadon Sancho’s equaliser became a distant memory. United were bamboozled, their heads dropped, too many mistakes and not nearly good enough to live with City. They go six points clear of Liverpool, with one game more played. Liverpool received no favours from United, who didn’t have an attempt on goal in the second half.
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90+2 min: United can’t say that wasn’t deserved. At least David De Gea, who went down, doesn’t look as badly hurt as he briefly looked.
Goal! Manchester City 4-1 Manchester United (Mahrez, 90+2)
Mahrez has the ball in the net. Is he? offside, just past Telles? VAR checks. There’s a long delay, and it looks very close. It looks onside. The delay suggests it will count, and it does.
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89 min: United have an attack as lonesome cowboy Marcus Rashford chases the ball down and tries to loop the ball up for Jesse Lingard. Ederson, in smoking jacket and with cigarillo on, is finally called into a semblance of action. Up the other end, City waste a good chance, but it barely matters. This is not a contest.
88 min: 92% possession since City scored the third. United have been wrenched apart, and humiliated. Is it the manager, is it the players, is it the board? It’s all of them, you know.
86 min: Pep Guardiola applauds as Cancelo robs the unfortunate Wan-Bissaka, who will want to forget this game. Not all his fault, he was left exposed but it’s been a painful examination of his limitations.
84 min: It’s been a desperate, frustrating second half for United and City fans are jeering as their team passes the ball around as Rashford and Lingard chase the ball in vain. It’s almost cruel, as Barry Davies said 50 years ago when Leeds did this. McTominay steals in for the reducer to smash Cancelo and put an end to the party tricks. For now.
82 min: Foden speeds to the flank, chips it back and Cancelo tries a Mark Hughes at Maine Road in 1989, though David De Gea saves this one unlike Paul Cooper back then. He was better at penalties.
80 min: Off goes Kevin De Bruyne, and Franny Lee’s derby hat-trick record is safe for now. On comes Ilkay Gundogan as the captain is applauded off.
79 min: The sting seems to have gone out of a game that was so full of incident and intrigue. That’s what City can do, take the steam out of opponents. They didn’t manage that against Tottenham a fortnight ago or even Everton last week but United seem easy prey.
77 min: United will be tired after this, they have been driven to distraction, found themselves chasing shadows. Not much sign that Ralf Rangnick can pull off a signature win here.
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75 min: Mahrez wings in a free-kick from the right and when it’s cleared, City players run back and smuggle the ball back off Jesse Lingard. United’s hopes of countering are being smothered.
73 min: As City pass the ball around, United try to press but it’s all a bit disorganised whereas City are comfortable with changing positions. They string together many, many passes and then Mahrez, from De Bruyne, gets chance to shoot. De Gea, who’s had a busy afternoon, saves.
71 min: First chance to Rashford to, er, open his legs, but having got deep into the City half he seems to run out of inspiration. There is nobody around him and City recollect and then choose to keep the ball.
70 min: Manchester City have too many options in attack for United’s leaden defence to deal with. That was a classic sucker punch of a goal. Soft if you follow United - or Liverpool - but City have been softened up.
Goal! Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United (Mahrez, 69)
And there he is, on the overload. The corner comes in from the left, and in speeds Mahrez. He hits it with his left, and there’s a hint of a deflection off Maguire and in.
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68 min: United taking time to find their new shape and in the meantime, City are passing the ball around well. They would be quite happy with 2-1 at this stage, though Wan-Bissaka comes back to concede a corner as Cancelo charges on.
66 min: United in numbers on the left, which leaves space for the overload on the other side. Which is where Mahrez is. He’s made a few flickers through this game.
64 min: Two United subs, off go Elanga and Pogba, on come Rashford and Lingard. A 4-2-3-1? Probably, possibly though United have been pulled into all types of shapes today.
63 min: Harry Maguire gets a yellow as he takes out De Bruyne. He’s perhaps lucky it wasn’t a red though perhaps it was too far from goal and not studs up. It was more cynical than a Jack Dee stand-up gig, though.
61 min: Another City counter, and Fred upends Foden. United created their own problems there with some loose passing, and this is a dangerous position. De Bruyne fancies it for his hat-trick and smashes it through and past the wall but into De Gea’s arms.
60 min: Cancelo has to step in as Elanga gets the ball in a deep position. He wanted longer than he got, the United player.
59 min: Colin Armitt gets in touch: “Having watched Wan-Bissaka numerous times his defensive tactics are flawed. Instead of marking the man, he’s constantly chasing the ball. All well having attacking full backs, but their primary job is to defend. He lacks this capability.”
Would suggest that coaching may be letting him down.
57 min: City take a free-kick short, De Bruyne plays into Mahrez and misses. Big applause for Oleks Zinchenko warming up on the sidelines.
56 min: Foden almost got away again after more United dithering, only for the ball to be beaten away. United have been swamped all of the second half. And Wan-Bissaka is continuing to be targeted with his protection never getting to him in time.
55 min: Grealish cuts in from the flank and speeds on into the middle of the field, his pass to Mahrez allowing chance for the Algerian to shoot, only for the shot to be blocked. City force a succession of corners.
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53 min: Bruno now looks annoyed when nobody chases in his cross from the left. That’s the price of having no strikers but would Ronaldo have even been up with the play?
52 min: It’s been all City so far this half, but Cancelo has to come across to stop a speeding Elanga. He’s such a willing runner, though he is not amused when Bruno’s pass is overhit. He clearly doesn’t lack for confidence.
50 min: Maguire and Wan-Bissaka for a total of £130m anyone?
49 min: Grealish cuts in and passes it safely. That’s the new Jack, where he is expected to link with Bernardo and De Bruyne, and who’s to say it hasn’t worked? Foden this time, again down the left, and again robbing Wan-Bissaka misses the target. Wan-Bissaka is having a nightmare.
48 min: De Bruyne miskicks one, and it came down that left-hand side again with Wan-Bissaka all at sea. Bruno leaves his foot in on Cancelo and seems to escape a booking.
46 min: Back away we go at the Etihad, City pushing down that United right-hand side where Elanga and McTominay appear, to protect Wan-Bissaka, it would appear.
In the stands, there was footage of Sir Alex Ferguson watching replays of City’s second goal where City queued up to score as United defenders dallied. And as Oasis’ Bring It On Down (one of their best) plays, De Bruyne and Bruno exchange pleasantries and away we go.
Ian Copestake: “I might not be a football guru who sits on a bucket, or is nicknamed the ‘professor’, but even I can see that the City defence don’t like pace and Erlanga has a bunch of it. Burnley it up to him!”
The emails are in:
Paul Griffin: “Amateurs criticising Maguire just reveal their ignorance of cutting edge tactics. He is playing as a false five.”
Tom Stratford: “16 mins Is is too premature to say that United look more dangerous in attack than with Ronaldo being wheeled around?” No I’d probably plough on and go for it John. Take a bow Jadon Sancho!”
Justin Kavanagh: “Ralf Rangnick was talking earlier about United’s recruitment policy but he should also be examining what they do with those recruited. Last week, Varane looked like Mick McCarthy having a bad day; this week you’re already comparing Paul Pogba to Tony Cascarino.”
Rick Harris: “United seem these days to be like rabbits caught in headlights and utterly mesmerised before being crushed under the wheels of juggernauts like City and Liverpool. Ole Solskjaer held his own against Guardiola so Rangnick could do with getting something out of this game – especially with Arsenal doing what United couldn’t and beating Watford.”
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Half-time: Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United
It’s been quite the game, Kevin De Bruyne ruling supreme in attack, while United have been chaotic in defence. Not that they haven’t created problems and Jadon Sancho scored a fine goal. Two teams going at each other, bragging rights, ruddy, bloody football.
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45+3 min: Telles’ kick is cleared, as is Bruno’s shot on the rebound, and then Telles has a shot blocked by Stones. The action continues to the last seconds of the half, and Maguire almost scoops in from a corner with the last kick of the 45.
45+2 min: Another City counter but this time Maguire stops De Bruyne. Just, but he got the job done. United speed down the other end to win a corner.
45+1 min: Three minutes were added on. There was that slight break in play but it’s been otherwise absolutely relentless.
45 min: Mahrez, who has been quiet, does some Mahrez things, coming off the right, smashing in a shot that De Gea saves well down to his right. It’s been a story of players cutting in to shoot. The days of wingers not being inverted seem to be over. Eventually, an inverted winger will mean a player who crosses from the left with his left.
44 min: Elanga chases back to concede a corner, Foden takes, there’s a shout for a handball but Telles smashes it away. City want another before half-time. Pep is bound to be a bit angry in the dressing room if they don’t.
42 min: De Gea scampers out to clear another of those City counters before Wan-Bissaka - for once - gets it away.
41 min: Sancho, from the same left-hand channel from which he scored, gets the ball from Bruno but leans back and whacks his shot into the further reaches of the Etihad Campus.
40 min: United settle into a passage of possession with City sat back. They soon get it back and De Bruyne gets a Pogba pass, giving him chance to speed up the other end, and release Foden, who shoots wide from a tight angle.
38 min: Bruno Fernandes is the furthest forward for United, Foden is the furthest forward for City. The game is changing. Not just this one, but football as a whole.
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37 min: Some applause from the crowd suggests the stoppage is thankfully short-lived and after Pep Guardiola has given Jack Grealish some wild-eyed instructions, they can restart.
35 min: There seems to be a call for play to be stopped, with the crowd alerting the players and the officials. And there will be a break in play while somebody is attended to. Both Pep Guradiola and Ralf Rangnick gets a short time to issue fresh instructions.
33 min: More chaos down United’s right-hand side but this time they get the ball clear.
31 min: The last Manchester City hat-trick in the derby was Franny Lee in 1970, we are told. Last United hat-trick? Andrei Kanchelskis in 1994?
30 min: Ralf Rangnick probably needs to protect Wan-Bissaka and Lindelof down that right-hand side. Just an idea.
Goal! Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United (De Bruyne, 28)
Chaos and confusion, and down the left City go. Foden carves through and has a shot saved, then Grealish slaps in a shot. The ball breaks to De Bruyne, who calmly thwacks home.
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27 min: City are overloading the United right, the Wan-Bissaka corridor of uncertainty, and that’s where their goal came from. City start to dominate possession, and United seem happier to use the speedy counter.
25 min: It was Grealish losing the ball that led to United’s goal though it took some great play for it to happen. Him and Bernardo and Foden link up, with Foden heading in at De Gea. That would have been a rare header in a Trevor Brooking style.
23 min: Sancho was being booed as he sped at City’s goal; he was a City youth player but the City fans know how dangerous he is now. That was was United paid £70m for. And it’s a counterattack in a Manchester derby that does for City again.
Goal! Manchester City 1-1 Manchester United (Sancho, 22)
On the counter, Elanga, Pogba and Fernandes finds Sancho cutting in, and he cut in past Kyle Walker and buries it beyond John Stones and Ederson. What a goal.
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20 min: United pushing on, and continuing to dominate possession. But it’s City on the counter who show all the danger. The Ole days are over, baby. This feels like a very different Manchester derby though City at last settle into some possession.
18 min: Ooof, De Gea has to make a save as De Bruyne powers on, again in that Stevie G style, and Foden and Maguire tussle. The referee penalises Foden but they were both at it. United are very wobbly at the back.
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16 min: Is is too premature to say that United look more dangerous in attack than with Ronaldo being wheeled around? They also have a soft underbelly as wildcat City attack proves. It ends with De Bruyne having a shot blocked, he fires into it in the style of Steven Gerrard.
15 min: De Bruyne and Maguire collide with the Belgian coming off worse. But he’ll be OK to keep going. Then Bruno is baulked by Jack Grealish as he was shaping to put Elanga away.
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13 min: United have attacking ambitions and ideas, as Bruno fails to thread in Sancho for a return ball. They’re doing OK at one end, and at the other looked all at sea as soon as their opponent went at them.
12 min: Pogba spreads play and then chases into the box after it. Him as false nine is a new one on everyone.
Steve Carr from Galway gets in touch: “Explain what Harry Maguire was doing there please. Please!”
Standing there, mostly.
11 min: A foul, from Bernardo on Bruno, the follow through catching his Portuguese compatriot.
10 min: Pogba, in his role as main striker, gets the ball from a McTominay pass and lays it off like Tony Cascarino waiting for the return to be launched in. It’s Manchester United but not as we know it.
8 min: Not a good sign that City’s first attack in anger carved through United like a knife through Vimto. But, at the other end, Fernandes’ pass finds Fred, who cuts and weaves, and only gets robbed by Ederson’s lunge. Chances at both ends already.
6 min: Inspirational play from City, leaden defending from United, as is the story of much of the last nine years. United caught cold, and it’s difficult to see how but Bernardo ghosted past Lindelof.
Goal! Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United (De Bruyne, 5)
Bernardo and Grealish link up, and Bernardo knocks it back from the byline and De Bruyne smashes home. Too easy.
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4 min: Jeers as United mislay a pass. Pogba and Fernandes playing up with each other like Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish used to, perhaps without pressing...
3 min: More boos as United pass the ball around. The United fans make their voices heard. It’s tense and a crackling atmosphere, just as you would expect. Elanga and Sancho are staying wide, Pogba and Fernandes pushing on.
2 min: City take up possession, as they can be expected to dominate, with United pressing high up.
1 min: And away we go at the Etihad, with City fans singing how their team is the best in the land and all the world as the knee is taken. Boos as soon as the ball falls into the possession of a player in red.
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The teams are taking to the field, City in Ukrainian flags saying “no to war”, United in a dark shirt saying “no to war”. That’s the message, it’s one of solidarity. Oleks Zinchenko is in the stand as there is a moment of applause and solidarity for those in Ukraine.
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That picking Jack Grealish, a £100m signing, for the Manchester derby seems a big call is indicative of how things have gone for him at City.
Notwithstanding the fact that goals and assists have been around for quite a while, there was a certain amount of truth there. Grealish isn’t simply there to put away chances; he’s there to draw defenders towards him, reel them in, create space. The problem isn’t so much what Grealish does with the ball; it’s getting the ball to him in the first place.
Ended up a close-run thing for Arsenal in leaping into fourth place. The excellent Nick Ames was at Vicarage Road.
On the Sky coverage, Roy Keane seemed more than doubtful on Ronaldo’s absence with a “knee flexor” problem.
We talk about Ronaldo being almost some sort of machine, he’s very rarely injured. But every now and again, he [Rangnick] comes out with that and says ‘hip-flexor’. It doesn’t add up for me.
Could be some post-match fall-out from all that.
Pep Guardiola has been talking to Sky Sports.
I guess with the philosophy from Ralf Rangnick they will have a lot of players inside and deep runners. High intense pressing and aggressive. We expect that. It is an option [the false nine]. They have played like this. Or maybe 4-4-2 diamond. They can play with the wingers as Bruno and Pogba and come inside. We will see after five minutes. Always United is a tough opponent.
The table after Arsenal’s defeat of Watford makes worrying reading for United. They probably need to win this game.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 27 | 47 | 66 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 27 | 51 | 63 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 26 | 35 | 53 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 25 | 12 | 48 |
| 5 | Man Utd | 27 | 10 | 47 |
Ralf Rangnick spoke to Sky Sports about his selection and approach to this match.
We have two Covid cases with Rafa and Luke. And Cristiano had some problems with his hip flexor again on Friday. We decided for that formation to be as compact as possible and still in transitional moments be able to create chances.
The news from the United camp and Ralf Rangnick is that Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw have Covid and Cristiano Ronaldo has a hip problem.
Jonathan Liew on City trying not to “do a United”.
Certainly, given Guardiola’s dazzling era of success, the urge for continuity will be strong. There is no reason to assume Begiristain and Soriano will immediately follow Guardiola out of the door. The existing City blueprint – a spiderweb of affiliate clubs, a world-class scouting system, a state-of-the-art training ground, a commercial strategy based around cashing lots of big cheques from Abu Dhabi companies you never knew existed – will simply be placed in the service of Guardiola’s successor. The football will still be attacking and high-energy. Phil Foden will still do amazing things. In this respect, at least, City fans have little to worry about. But then continuity was the plan at United, too.
Ralf Rangnick was looking long-term in his press conference ahead of this match.
It’s a question of continuity and consistency, knowing exactly how I want to play as a club and a manager, of having a clear transfer strategy and signing players who fit into that system. That’s what both clubs have been doing in the last five or six years.
If I look at their transfer policy and their transfer success, they haven’t had many players who after one or two years people would have said maybe that wasn’t the right signing. Both clubs have been pretty successful and this is where Manchester United have to go again.
The champions’ changes less dramatic though a team that can afford to drop Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan to the bench is very strong. In come Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez, with Kyle Walker comes in as part of a defensive reshuffle. Ruben Dias is missing.
So, that’s confirmed: no Ronaldo, not even on the bench. What gives there? Perhaps we may find out soon. And Rashford on the bench with Anthony Elanga the furthest forward for United? Three changes for United, Harry Maguire replaces Raphael Varane, Scott McTominay is in for Nemanja Matic in midfield, and Jadon Sancho comes in for Ronaldo.
Will United be better without Ronaldo? Looks to be plenty of pace on the counter.
Here are the teams
Manchester City: Ederson, Cancelo, Laporte, Stones, Walker, Rodri, Silva, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Foden, Grealish. Subs: Carson, Sterling, Gundogan, Jesus, Zinchenko, Fernandino, Delap, Mbete, McAtee
Manchester United: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles, McTominay, Fred, Elanga, Fernandes, Pogba, Sancho. Subs: Henderson, Bailly, Jones, Mata, Rashford, Lingard, Dalot, Matic, Mejbri
Preamble
One of those rare occasions when Liverpool find themselves roaring on their historic rivals down the M62. And a game Manchester City really really really need to win. It’s all set up, in a fixture where United have a pretty decent record at the Etihad in recent years and despite City being the far superior team in Manchester for the last nine years. There will be no Cristiano Ronaldo against the club he snubbed for that prodigal return, and no Edinson Cavani either. So, a Manchester derby without recognised strikers, with apologies to Marcus Rashford. It’s not been like this since the mid-1980s days when Mark Lillis was lining up against Peter Davenport. Pep Guardiola, unlike perhaps much of City’s support, will not have been sorry to see the back of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who had a positive record against the Catalan genius. He and Ralf Rangnick have yet to meet as managers, but there’s always a first time, right? Ralf, from his role as chalkboard overlord of the Red Bull empire will know all about Pep.
Kick-off at 4.30pm. Join me.
