"They've made them worse" - Gary Neville unhappy with Erik ten Hag's substitutions in Manchester United's loss to Man City
Manchester United legend Gary Neville is unhappy with Erik ten Hag's substitutions late in the second half against Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday (October 29).
The Cityzens led 3-0 by the time Rasmus Hojlund and Victor Lindelof were taken off in the 73rd minute. Alejandro Garnacho and Sergio Reguilon took their place, and the double substitution led to many Manchester United fans booing the decision inside Old Trafford.
Commenting on the change, Neville said on Sky Sports (h/t BBC):
"There were some boos that went up when United made their substitutions. I do think they've made them worse rather than better."
Hojlund had an eventful game after starting as Ten Hag's No. 9. He gave away a penalty in the first half by pulling Rodri back inside the box. Erling Haaland scored from the spot in the 26th minute to give his team the lead.
A few minutes later, the Denmark international was through on goal. Despite visible contact from John Stones, he stayed on his feet before the goalscoring chance petered out. The striker's decision not to go down did not please Roy Keane.
Hojlund registered no shots, created two key passes and completed 13 of 17 attempted passes in the first half. Lindelof, meanwhile, started out of position at left-back in Manchester United's backline.
Reguilon added more agility and speed down the left flank of the Red Devils' defense but had no tangible impact. Garnacho too didn't do anything notable going forward and also lost all five of his duels.
Manchester City behind Arsenal despite Manchester United win
Manchester City's win against Manchester United wasn't enough to take them above Arsenal in the Premier League table.
The Gunners secured a 5-0 Premier League win over Sheffield United on Saturday (28 October). This took them to second in the standings — just two points behind pace-setters Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester City knew they had to beat Manchester United by a healthy margin to reclaim second spot. A brace from Erling Haland and a late goal from Phil Foden helped them secure all three points at Old Trafford.
While it was enough for Manchester City to match Arsenal's points tally of 24 points from 10 games, it wasn't enough to take them over the Gunners. Both teams have a +15 goal difference, but the north London giants have scored one more goal than the Cityzens this season.
United, meanwhile, are reeling in eighth position with 15 points after suffering their heaviest defeat in a Manchester derby at home since March 2014.