The first Manchester Derby of this season went to Manchester City on Sunday. At their own Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola’s team was dominant against arch-rivals Manchester United. And it was a very welcome victory for the blue side of the city.
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In today’s Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, all eyes were focused on the goalkeepers when the lineups were released.
Both Manchester United and Manchester City had dipped into the transfer market late in the window to secure reinforcements between the posts, raising intrigue ahead of the clash. For United, Senne Lammens had to settle for a place on the bench, while Erik ten Hag opted to continue with Altay Bayindir. On the opposite side, Pep Guardiola wasted no time in handing Gianluigi Donnarumma his long-awaited Premier League debut.
The Italian international didn’t have to wait long for his first taste of derby pressure. Barely four minutes into the contest, Benjamin Sesko managed to wriggle free of his marker and carve out an early chance. Donnarumma, however, was equal to the task. Launching himself full stretch across goal, he produced a superb diving stop to claw the ball away from the corner. It was an early statement, not only to the home fans but also to critics wondering if he could immediately adapt to English football. The save set the tone for a commanding performance from the new number one.
City soon found their rhythm, and after just over fifteen minutes they struck the opening blow. The scorer was Phil Foden, a player whose form had been the subject of debate over the past year. Struggling for consistency last season and seeing limited minutes at the start of this campaign, the “Stockport Iniesta” was under pressure to remind Guardiola of his worth. He responded in emphatic fashion. After a dazzling solo run from Jérémy Doku, who slalomed through United’s defensive line with ease, Foden was perfectly positioned to meet the cross. His header was precise, firm, and beyond Bayindir’s reach 1–0 City, and the Etihad erupted.
That goal seemed to lift the hosts further, while United struggled to string passes together in midfield. Casemiro and Mason Mount were often outnumbered, with City’s trio of Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Kevin De Bruyne dictating the tempo. Guardiola’s men pressed high and moved the ball with fluidity, forcing United deeper into their own half. Rashford, isolated up front, barely had a touch in the opening half-hour.
United, however, emerged with more intent after the break. They pressed higher, and for a short spell they had City penned back. Fernandes and Garnacho both probed from the right flank, looking to find a route past the towering Donnarumma, but the breakthrough never came. Instead, City weathered the storm and then struck with devastating efficiency.
A slick passage of play involving Foden and Doku once again cut United apart. The Belgian winger’s pace and trickery left defenders scrambling, and his final ball found Erling Haaland lurking in space. The Norwegian, with his trademark composure, executed a clever chipped finish over Bayindir to double City’s advantage. At 2–0, the mood in the stadium shifted from nervous anticipation to celebration. The gulf between the two Manchester clubs was laid bare.
But City weren’t done. Minutes later, Haaland almost killed the contest once and for all after a mistake from Matthijs de Ligt left him one-on-one with Bayindir again. This time, the striker rounded the Turkish keeper but could only watch in disbelief as his effort struck the post. United were spared — for the moment. The visitors nearly made them pay immediately, when Bryan Mbeumo unleashed a curling strike from distance that looked destined for the top corner. Yet Donnarumma once again produced heroics, stretching across goal to claw the ball away. It was a save that underlined why City moved to bring him in: world-class presence, reflexes, and authority.
Still, the inevitable came midway through the second half. Bernardo Silva, orchestrating play from midfield, spotted Haaland’s run from deep inside his own half. Timing it to perfection, Haaland sprinted clear of the back line, beating the offside trap. One-on-one with Bayindir again, he remained ice-cool and slotted home with a controlled low finish 3–0, and this time there was no reprieve for United. The Etihad exploded in celebration, the home fans reveling in a statement victory over their fiercest rivals.
For United, the collapse was evident. Their defensive shape disintegrated, gaps widened, and City looked capable of scoring more. Tijjani Reijnders came close to adding a fourth with a delicate chipped attempt, but his effort drifted narrowly wide. In truth, the scoreline could have been heavier.
As the final minutes ticked away, Guardiola instructed his team to ease off, mindful of the packed fixture list ahead. With Napoli visiting in the Champions League midweek and a top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal looming in London next weekend, City conserved energy without ever losing control. United, meanwhile, created a couple of half-chances in the dying moments, but the outcome was long decided.
When the whistle blew, the scoreboard read Manchester City 3–0 Manchester United a result that reflected the gulf in class. For City, it was a return to dominance after two consecutive defeats, restoring confidence and reasserting their authority in the title race. For United, the defeat deepened the sense of crisis, raising questions about Ten Hag’s tactics, the balance of his squad, and whether reinforcements in the transfer window were enough to bridge the gap with their cross-town rivals.
In the end, the derby showcased two contrasting realities: Manchester City, stacked with world-class talent at both ends of the pitch, and Manchester United, still searching for stability, identity, and consistency.
Updated: 09:24, 14 Sep 2025
