Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City: 5 Talking Points

The 170th edition of the Manchester Derby turned out to be a 0-0 stalemate as neither of the two sides could break the deadlock. It was an intense match but devoid of action in a derby where both the teams cancelled each other out in all departments leading to a dull draw.The result sees Manchester City retain top spot ahead of Arsenal on goal difference whereas United drop to the fourth place behind West Ham United, also on the goal difference. Here are the five major talking points from the game. 

#1 Manchester derby flatters to deceive

The blockbuster fixture of the Premier League turned out to be pretty anti-climactic as both the Manchester clubs play out a drab draw. This was the first 0-0 draw in the fixture since February 2012 and the first at Old Trafford in over a decade.

The Manchester derby has been one of the goal-laden fixtures in recent years, but this wasn’t supposed to be a quintessential derby fixture. More than the tactical setup of the both the teams, the dullness of the derby symbolized the lack of risk-taking from both the teams.

Neither of the teams played with flair or a sense of adventure which has been the hallmark of both sides. The lack of imagination was too hard to assimilate, especially in a highly charged derby fixture.

With attacking lineups boasting Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial for the Reds and Raheem Sterling, Yaya Toure and Kevin De Bruyne for the Blues, it was a game which shocked one and all with its monotony. This was indeed a forgettable fixture and one that will scar a few minds who relish an attacking brand of football.