For 45 minutes, Manchester United at least had an excuse to fall back on as to why they were behind against Man City. Despite an encouraging first-half performance, Ralf Rangnick's side went into the break 2-1 down after Kevin de Bruyne's brilliant brace, though there was some encouragement at how their team had performed.
If not for individual errors, United might well have kept City at bay. Instead, their defensive fragility was once again exposed on a day when star centre-back Raphael Varane was missing through Covid.
It would still be a big stretch to say United would have avoided defeat with him fit, but there is certainly an argument to suggest the first two goals conceded would have been avoided with his expertise in the backline.
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Both defeats to City, the home hammering by Liverpool, a thrashing away at Leicester and that devastating loss at Watford all came in matches where Varane has been absent this season. It certainly looks to be more than a coincidence that these poor performances take place when he is missing.
Yet, by the time the full-time whistle reverberated around the boisterous Etihad Stadium, the absence of Varane was no longer relevant, such was the utterly pathetic second-half performance that had followed.
United's lacklustre showing proved there are far bigger issues than a centre-back pairing at the club and reinforced the deep rooted problems at the very core. No matter who had been selected at the heart of the defence, it would have made no difference to the humiliating manner in which the team seemingly gave up, with players instead just waiting to be put out of their misery.
The excuse of missing such a key player was also thrown out of the window by the fact that United were being torn apart by a side without their star defender too. Ruben Dias' absence was a genuine cause for concern ahead of the derby match, though it was hardly worth a mention in the coverage, such was City's superiority.
It is true that any team would be affected by the loss of one of their key players, but it is so telling that the likes of elite teams like City and Liverpool still find a way to adapt when dealt such a blow. In comparison, United often look resigned to defeat when they have such a setback, evidence of the psychological issues which continue to plague their attempts at making any progress.
United's latest humiliation should not be put down to team selection, their tactical approach, the absence of key players, a need for new signings or uncertainty regarding their next manager, but rather a failure to do the very basics and the minimum asked of anyone who is fortunate enough to wear the famous shirt.
A spirited second-half performance would have provided United with a convenient excuse on a day when their noisy neighbours made another racket. Instead, any complaints will have fallen on deaf ears.
United without Varane are unrecognisable, while City without Dias are almost identical.
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