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Despite conceding first, Man City still defeated Man Utd 3-1 thanks to Phil Foden’s impressive performance in round 27 of the Premier League.
The Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium took place in a one-sided manner. Man City was completely overwhelmed, but thanks to the brilliance of their star, they won 3 points against Man Utd.
The away team entered the match with the mindset of “knowing yourself and knowing others”. Coach Erik ten Hag arranged a deep-lying squad with Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro holding positions very close to the defensive line.
The surprise happened in the 8th minute. From a long pass from goalkeeper Andre Onana, Bruno Fernandes assisted Marcus Rashford with a powerful long-range shot to open the score. This goal helped Man Utd ‘s spirit rise. However, they still maintained a proactive defensive stance against Man City’s overwhelming attack.
Foden helped Man City defeat Man Utd.
The home team maintained a ball control rate of over 70%. In the first half alone, Man City launched 18 shots but the goal still eluded the home team at Etihad Stadium. Man Utd’s defense is not necessarily playing well as they still let their opponents create opportunities.
Even Erling Haaland missed out incredibly. He cushioned the ball into the air at a distance of just 5 meters after Phil Foden’s pass. On the other side of the front line, in addition to scoring at the beginning of the match, Rashford played disappointingly and ruined many of Man Utd’s counterattacks. The away team did not have any more attacks after scoring.
Entering the second half, Man City continued to increase the pressure on the opponent’s field. Man Utd collapsed not long after. In the 56th minute, Phil Foden skillfully dribbled the ball before scoring a dangerous shot from outside the penalty area to equalize 1-1 for Man City.
The loss caused Man Utd to lose their rhythm of play. They are under great pressure from their opponents. When veteran Jonny Evans left the field, more gaps appeared in the away team’s defense.
After many attacking efforts, Man City took the lead and Foden shined again. In the 80th minute, Foden coordinated smoothly with Julian Alvarez before scoring a dangerous shot to increase the score to 2-1 for Man City.
Man Utd’s hopes ended when Sofyan Amrabat – the player Man Utd sent on to the field at the end of the match – made a mistake. This midfielder simply lost the ball right at home. Rodri passed the ball to Haaland to finish, sealing a 3-1 victory for Man City.
Result: Man City 3-1 Man Utd
Scored
Man City: Foot (56′; 80′); Haaland (90+1′)
Man Utd: Rashford (8’)
Man City vs Man Utd lineup
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Ruben Dias, Ake, Rodriguez, Stones, Silva, De Bruyne, Foden, Doku, Haaland.
Manchester United: Onana, Lindelof, Evans, Varane, Dalot, McTominay, Casemiro, Mainoo, Bruno, Garnacho, Rashford.
