Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United: Cityzens' Player Ratings as Phil Foden scores spectacular brace | Premier League 2023-24
Manchester City came from behind to defeat Manchester United 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday, March 3.
City entered this contest on the back of an incredible run of form. They were undefeated in 17 games across competitions prior to this game. They steamrolled past Luton Town 6-2 in the FA Cup in their last game as Erling Haaland scored five goals.
Pep Guardiola went with all-out attack for this game as Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku slotted into the XI in place of Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes.
Manchester City made a decent start to the game as they looked to keep possession for extended spells. However, they were caught off-guard early on as Manchester United grabbed an early lead.
Bruno Fernandes played a lovely pass into Marcus Rashford's path and the Englishman hammered the ball into the top-left corner to make it 1-0 after eight minutes.
The hosts tried desperately to find a way back into the game with a whopping 18 first-half attempts. However, just three of those were on target as Manchester City trailed 1-0 at the break.
Having misfired in the first period, the hosts looked determined to make amends in the second half. Phil Foden took matters into his own hands just nine minutes after the restart after receiving Rodri's pass. He drove infield and smashed his shot past Andre Onana into the top-left corner to make it 1-1.
Foden ran the show for Manchester City from that point. He grabbed the go-ahead goal with a smart finish from a tight angle in the 80th minute, following an assist by Julian Alvarez. Erling Haaland then put the game to bed in the 91st minute as he scored to make it 3-1.
With the win in the bag, Guardiola's men kept pace with Liverpool, moving within a point of them. On that note, let's take a look at City's player ratings.
Manchester City Player Ratings
Ederson - 6.5/10
Ederson did not make a single save but distributed the ball with 89% accuracy, including four long balls.
Kyle Walker - 7.5/10
Manchester City's captain had a great game in defence. He won both his duels and made one tackle, one interception and one clearance. He passed the ball with 95% accuracy, including three long balls and one cross. Walker also attempted one shot on target.
Ruben Dias - 7/10
Dias had a decent game in defence as he passed the ball with 96% accuracy, including three long balls and one cross.
Nathan Ake - 7.5/10
Ake won five duels, making one tackle, one interception and one clearance. He passed the ball with 98% accuracy, including one key pass.
Rodri - 9/10
Rodri put in another commanding display in midfield for Manchester City. He passed the ball with 90% accuracy, including three key passes and a remarkable 10 long balls. He assisted City's first and third goals. The Spaniard also won five duels, making two tackles.
John Stones - 7/10
Stones had a decent game in midfield as he passed the ball with 92% accuracy, including one key pass and three long balls.
Bernardo Silva - 8.5/10
Silva had a great game in midfield and was at his creative best. He distributed the ball with 87% accuracy, including seven key passes, two crosses and two long balls. He also completed five dribbles and won five duels.
Kevin De Bruyne - 8.5/10
De Bruyne put in a great performance in the middle of the park. He distributed the ball with 84% accuracy, including six key passes and four long balls. He also attempted five shots without hitting the target and won four duels.
Phil Foden - 9.5/10
Foden put in a near-perfect performance for Manchester City, especially in the second half. He grabbed a stunning brace to turn the game on its head to complete the hosts' comeback. Foden attempted his highest-ever shots in a game with nine, with four of those on target.
Phil Foden passed the ball with 95% accuracy, including four long balls and two key passes. He also won five duels and made one interception.
Jeremy Doku - 7/10
Doku had a decent game on the left flank. He passed the ball with 84% accuracy, including one key pass. He attempted one shot on target and also completed three dribbles.
Erling Haaland - 6.5/10
Despite scoring late on, Haaland put in a rather subpar performance. He missed one of the simplest chances in the first half, somehow firing the ball over the crossbar from a couple of yards out.
The Norwegian attempted three wayward shots before scoring his late goal. He also won one duel.
Substitutes
Julian Alvarez - 7/10
Alvarez had a decent game as he replaced Doku in the 59th minute. He had 100% accuracy for his 15 passes, including two key passes.
Oscar Bobb - N/A
He came on in the dying embers as Foden went off with an injury and did not play enough minutes to warrant a rating.