United closing the gap on local rivals
Despite failing to take three points from a Manchester derby at the sixth time of asking, Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at City carried with it plenty of positives. “There was a change in this game,” the United manager, Marc Skinner, said. “We’re frustrated with the result but not the performance.” In previous meetings United have struggled but on Sunday they came to the Etihad and, in front of 44,259 people, took the game to City. Skinner said the difference was that his players had “come off not feeling like they’ve had to defend for their lives like they perhaps did sometimes last season”. This was a close-to full strength City side, albeit with five new signings in the starting XI, making United’s performance all the more impressive. SW
