Manchester City Vs Manchester United: coach Erik ten Hag of Manchester United left Cristiano Ronaldo on bench as Erling Haaland and Phil Foden grab a hat-trick each in City’s 6-3 bashing of the Red Devils.
The two teams locked horns in the first Manchester Derby of the 2022-2023 season at the Etihad Stadium at 2 pm on Sunday, October 2, 2022.
Manchester City starting lineups;
Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Ake, Cancelo; Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo; Foden, Haaland, Grealish.
Manchester United starting lineups;
De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; McTominay, Eriksen, Fernandes; Antony, Sancho, Rashford.
Note that Manchester City and Manchester United have played 188 matches in all competitions. In those games, Manchester United won 77 games, while Manchester City grabbed 58 wins, and the remaining 53 games ended in draws.
Across all competitions, the two Manchester based teams have met most often in the old First Division, where they contested 104 derbies, United winning 35 and City 30. There have been 12 fixtures played in the Second Division, United claiming six triumphs to City’s two. In the Premier League era, United hold the advantage with 24 victories to City’s 16.
Only in cup competitions have City gotten the better of United, with five EFL Cup victories to United’s four. In the FA Cup, United won six ties to City’s three, with no draws between the teams in the world’s oldest cup competition.
In the Sunday’s Manchester derby on October 2, 2022, Manchester City annihilated their cross-city rivals, Manchester United, 6-3.
Pep Guardiola’s squad got goals from Phil Foden (3) and Erling Haaland (3), while the away team got a fantastic goal from Antony in the second half. Thanks to two goals from Anthony Martial in stoppage time, the final score was more respectable for the visitors.
United’s last Premier League game was almost a month ago, and manager Erik ten Hag reverted to the same starting XI that beat Arsenal 2-1. However, Man City had to make several adjustments.
Due to Rodri’s injury, Ilkay Gundogan shifted to a holding role in the middle of the field. Pep Guardiola’s starting defense included Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji.
However, Man City showed no signs of being hampered by the lineup alterations, as they got off to a strong start.
After Man United’s Diogo Dalot was booked for a reckless charge on Jack Grealish, the team struggled to regain control of the game.
The first goal of the day came after the away team had been breached. Canelo sent a pass over the top to an overlapping Bernardo Silva as Man City took advantage of the overload on the left wing.
After receiving a pass from the Portuguese midfielder, Phil Foden scored with a left-footed sweep that beat David de Gea, who was stationed on the goal line.
Man City’s passing and Foden’s finishing were superb, but Man United made things too easy for their opponents.
In contrast to the host team, Erik ten Hag’s squad struggled to piece together more than two passes. Up attack, Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Jadon Sancho were extremely wasteful, losing the ball on nearly every attempt.
United’s fullbacks, Dalot and Tyrell Malacia, were being picked apart by Grealish and Foden, while Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, and Scott McTominay were overwhelmed in the middle.
In the meantime, Raphael Varane sprained his ankle while blocking a shot, and City scored another corner-kick goal to increase their lead.
It looked like Man United were employing a zone defense, which matched Eriksen up against Haaland. The Norwegian striker made a deep run, outmuscled the United back line, and scored a header to put his team up 2-0.
Man City was unstoppable, leaving Man United reeling. After 37 minutes, the Premier League champions scored their third goal of the encounter as Kevin de Bruyne and Haaland combined once more.
The United defense was fooled by a deft De Bruyne pass. Haaland used his studs to make contact with the ball as he extended past De Gea and finished the goal.
Before the break, Man City upped their lead to four goals. When Man United gave the ball away outside the City penalty area, the home team quickly countered and scored. De Bruyne drove forward with the ball, beyond United’s middle, and crossed to Haaland out on the wing.
A second goal for Foden came thanks to a beautiful assist from the Norwegian striker, who curled a cross to the back post.
Eleven minutes into the second half, Man United scored a consolation goal when Antony blasted a superb effort past Ederson.
But neither Man City nor Haaland was through yet. In the 64th minute, after being set up by Sergio Gomez, the 22-year-old Norwegian hammered home a shot past De Gea to complete his hat trick.
Few teams in the world can equal Man City’s thrilling brand of attacking football. The away team was horrible and had become a mob at this point.
Nine minutes after a teammate scored a three-trick, Foden completed his own.
Foden, an England midfielder, scored after Haaland threaded a pass through five or six Man United defenders and into the box.
Two of Anthony Martial’s goals came in the final minutes of the game, but by that moment City’s rout of their supposed rivals was already secure.
Manchester United fights back but it was just too late for Erik ten Hag’s men at the Etihad Stadium.
