Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City: 5 talking points as Bernardo Silva shines in derby win for the Cityzens | Premier League 2021-22
Manchester United came up short in the Manchester derby as Pep Guardiola's Manchester City secured a relatively comfortable win with two first-half goals. Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo were the stars of the show as Manchester City took home the bragging rights from this game at Old Trafford.
The game got off to a disastrous start for the hosts, who conceded an own goal in the seventh minute. Eric Bailly's sliding effort to clear a Cancelo cross diverted the ball straight into his net. Manchester City worked very well in the buildup to the goal and by no means was it a lucky break.
Bruno Fernandes faced the brunt of City's physical game and was fouled on a couple of occasions. This achieved the desired outcome of throwing the Portuguese off his game.
City looked dangerous every time they had the ball while Manchester United were allowed no wiggle room in the final third. Their best chance of the game came from a Luke Shaw cross which was met wonderfully with a first-time effort by Cristiano Ronaldo. Luckily for Ederson, the shot was straight at him.
David De Gea was called into action in the 28th minute as he made an acrobatic save leading to a corner. He made yet another impressive save from the same play. He was then called into action multiple times and had to make five good saves in the first half.
But Manchester United were caught napping in the last minute of the first half. Bernardo Silva picked out Joao Cancelo with a smart pass and darted into the box. Cancelo's curling cross was met by a flying effort from Silva at the far post, as no United defender was marking him.
Derby day delight for @ManCity 🔵
#MUNMCI https://t.co/4bYegYxXeU
The game resumed with reduced intensity after the break as City were comfortable in defending their two-goal lead. Phil Foden hit the side of the woodwork in the 81st minute, which was the best chance of the half for either side.
Manchester City bagged yet another clean sheet for the season. They delivered the kind of performance expected from them after a shock defeat against Crystal Palace last time around.
As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suffers another home defeat, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Manchester United were not at their best against Manchester City
Manchester United lacked the fervor needed in a derby game and did not look lively on the pitch. They spent most of the game reacting to City's game rather than creating meaningful chances themselves.
Chances were scarce as City choked them down the middle and they lacked the creativity to create chances otherwise. The defenders showed a lack of concentration as Bailly's late reaction led to an own goal. Furthermore, their inattentiveness led to Bernardo Silva beating De Gea from close range from an unlikely angle.
A shift to four-man at the back after the break might've improved their defensive performance but City had their number in the final third.
#4 Manchester United flop against a big team yet again
Manchester United have five wins to their name this season. Thanks to their early form, they were able to maintain a top-four position in the standings. Given their performance against Manchester City, it is important that we analyze not just their losses but also their wins in the Premier League.
Four of their five wins have come against teams from the bottom half of the table. But three of their losses have been against Leicester City, Liverpool and now Manchester City. They managed just a single shot on target throughout the game.
Man United's average positioning in the first half vs. Man City 😳
(h/t @SofaScoreINT) https://t.co/8d0gkjNMNi
It is becoming kind of a pattern for the Red Devils to come up short against a big club. This should be concerning as that's not a sign of potential champions.