Man City Match Zone

Stretford Galacticos Embarrassed In Manchester By The City Way

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Johnny On The Spot: #MINDTHEGAP. 12 points already by Armistice day. The gulf in class was gigantic. From the moment the team sheets were read out this result was never in any doubt. It was merely a case of how many. I did not think it possible, but mid-table Maureen’s Manchester united look more limited than they did 7 months ago. They are a team in regression. Relentless narrow escapes all season belie their aged tactics and have papered over widespread cracks as the side slip further into obscurity.

Backed by a legion of scribes, pundits and deluded supporters entrenched in the past, the strategy is a dated defence first anti-football set up reliant on physicality and late stage utilised pace up front in the hope that an opposition dominant in possession will beat themselves. Put simply, an imperious City not only had to exorcise the ghost of last April’s travesty of a result, they had to succeed where across their last 7 games, Valencia, Juve x2, Newcastle, Chelsea, Everton and Bournemouth had all failed to see the rags off when in total control.

I swear no other side in the Premier League approaches games like this. It is utterly predictable but also very difficult to deal with. But today, this was a time for champions and brilliant game management. As he deployed his well drilled centurions earlier this season, Pep Guardiola hooked the Silver Fox Aguero who is on a run of 18 goals in his last 14 league home games for Ilkay Lampard who off the back of absolute midfield control sealed this embarrassingly one sided Manchester derby superbly.

All United and their 5 wins from the last 17 league derbies across 9 seasons have to bank from this latest no show was a route one penalty won by the Belgian Heskey after another Ederson emergence from boredom. The icing on the Stretford cake of humiliation was to see our very own Stockport Iniesta, Phil Foden coming on to join the party. In the words of the legendary Walter Smith, TAKE IT. The panicked appointment by footballing novices of “all about me” Mourinho has horribly backfired. – Manchester united, exiting the city walls with your record breaking signings integral to a pathetic multi-million pounds doomed effort at catching City up, where do you go from here?

Manchester City
3 – 1
Manchester United

The Etihad Stadium

FA Premier League

Referee: Anthony Taylor of Wythenshawe

Manchester City Manchester United
Silva (12'), Agüero (48'), Gündogan (86') Martial (58' pen)
31 Ederson 1 David De Gea
2 Kyle Walker 18 Ashley Young
5 John Stones 12 Chris Smalling
14 Aymeric Laporte 2 Victor Lindelöf
22 Benjamin Mendy 23 Luke Shaw
 
20 Bernardo Silva
 
21 Ander Herrera Mata 73'
25 Fernandinho 31 Nemanja Matic
21 David Silva Foden 90+2' 27 Marouane Fellaini
26 Riyad Mahrez Sané 62' 14 Jesse Lingard Lukaku 57'
10 Sergio Agüero Gündogan 75' 10 Marcus Rashford Sánchez 73'
7 Raheem Sterling 11 Anthony Martial

Substitutes

4 Vincent Kompany 4 Phil Jones
8 Ilkay Gündogan 7 Alexis Sánchez
18 Fabian Delph 8 Jaun Mata
19 Leroy Sané 9 Romelu Lukaku
33 Gabriel Jesus 17 Fred
47 Philip Foden 22 Sergio Romero
49 Aro Muric 36 Matteo Darmian

Game Statistics

20 Goal attempts 6
5 On Target 1
5 Corners 1
12 Fouls 12
1 Yellow Cards 1
0 Red Cards 0
70 % 30

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