5 Manchester United players who underperformed against Manchester City | Premier League 2021-22
Eager to extend their eight-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, Manchester United made the short trip to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Unfortunately for Ralf Rangnick’s side, they were completely outclassed by the hosts and were ultimately lucky to get away with a 4-1 defeat.
Manchester United started well, pressing aggressively to keep City from building from the back. Unfortunately, their plans fell apart just five minutes into the fixture when Kevin De Bruyne drilled home from close range. The visitors had no answer for the defending champions’ rapid-fast counter-attack.
Former City academy boy Jadon Sancho restored parity for United 17 minutes later, with the Englishman curling the ball brilliantly from the edge of the box.
Instead of getting pegged back by the goal, the Citizens charged ahead and regained their lead in the 28th minute. De Bruyne doubled his tally for the night, smashing the ball home from close range.
23 minutes into the second half, De Bruyne turned provider, setting up Riyad Mahrez’s thumping strike to put City firmly in control. The Algerian doubled his tally in the 90th minute, allowing the defending champions to extend their lead at the top of the table to six points.
Except for the opening half hour, it turned out to be a thoroughly one-sided contest, one that greatly hurt United’s top-four chances.
Here are five Man United players who came up short in their trip to Manchester City:
#5 Marcus Rashford
Brought in for Paul Pogba in the 65th minute, Marcus Rashford did nothing to justify his introduction.
Instead of providing penetration in the final third, the Englishman looked like a misfit, struggling to adjust to the pace of the game.
🥵Marcus Rashford vs Man City | Carrington’s Finest 🔥😍🥵 https://t.co/PPiyHGDnHs
In his 26-minute cameo, Rashford only took 11 touches of the ball and made three accurate passes.
The academy graduate failed to register even a single shot and lost three of his four ground duels.
#4 Fred
After a couple of decent performances, Fred once again failed to make any impact for the Red Devils. He looked sluggish and confused and was completely smothered by Man City’s spirited midfielders.
Except for the opening session, the Brazilian barely got into the game and struggled incessantly, both up top and at the back.
In the eighth minute, Fred was played through on goal by Bruno Fernandes, but he couldn’t get his shot away on time and was closed down by Ederson.
Sums up @Fred08oficial & @ManUtd day 😩 https://t.co/BwMGdG0ih4
Over the course of the match, the 29-year-old had no key passes, lost 10 duels, and was dribbled past a whopping seven times. Surely an encounter to forget for the midfielder.