The 199th Manchester derby was defined by two controversial refereeing decisions: Phil Foden’s first-half red card for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes, and the VAR intervention to award Erling Haaland’s winning goal despite Enzo Fernández appearing to interfere with play from an offside position. In both cases, a healthy dose of common sense might have led to a different outcome – and Pro Ref later admitted that Haaland’s goal should not have stood. Still, it’s tough to argue that the final result was harsh on United.
Foden’s dismissal gave the hosts a huge opportunity they failed to take, their best chance falling to Bryan Mbeumo in stoppage time. Michael Carrick began his reign with a 2-0 home derby win against 11 men in January, so this felt like a backwards step for the manager, unable to find a way to control the game. Carrick also bemoaned City’s two days of extra rest after Champions League games this week – but chose to keep Fernandes and others on for 90 minutes in the 4-0 stroll past Sabah.
United’s next two league games are away at Fulham and at home to Spurs. Carrick will need to be smarter to stop an early-season wobble becoming something more serious. Niall McVeigh Foden’s red card also posed a big test for Enzo Maresca, overseeing his first derby as Manchester City manager.
After a solid but unspectacular start to the league season, this could have become a painful afternoon with his team down to 10 men. Instead, the Italian made smart decisions to secure a galvanising result – and keep pace with Arsenal, both teams already edging clear of their expected rivals. Maresca made just one change in the first 80 minutes, but bringing on Iliman Ndiaye for Rayan Cherki gave his team a more direct threat on the break.
Fellow new signings Enzo Fernández and Elliot Anderson have settled quickly, the latter imperious in midfield during a second half where City rarely looked short-handed. At the back, Marc Guéhi barely put a foot wrong as Maresca’s side showed a solidity that had been lacking. The manner of Haaland’s winner was fortunate, to say the least, but the visitors’ second-half display deserved all three points.
NMc On another day, any of the excellent individual goals from Charalampos Kostoulas, Malick Yalcouyé and Yasin Ayari could have been the showstopper in Brighton’s rout of Coventry. But none could compare to Lewis Dunk’s sensational 35-yard piledriver into the top corner. For a centre-back to even consider shooting from where he did is ridiculous, but Dunk insisted he has “that sort of shot in my locker”, with Fabian Hürzeler saying everyone at the club knows all about the shooting technique he possesses.
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