Premier League GW27 - Man City vs Man United

Man City vs Man United | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Manchester City and Manchester United faced off in a derby that will live on in the memory of football fans, and it electrified the Etihad Stadium. When the blue and red sides of Manchester squared off in a struggle for supremacy, the stage was set for an exciting match.

Man City:

In a historic run of dominance for the blue side of the city, City has forced United into the shadows of Manchester, winning five of the last six Premier League titles. At the top of the Premier League, Pep Guardiola's team trails Liverpool by four points; nevertheless, a win today would bring their winning streak to 19 games. The defending English and European champions defeated Luton Town 6-2 in the FA Cup on Tuesday, and they had previously defeated Bournemouth 1-0 in league play.

Man United:

Despite all of City's remarkable comebacks in the last few days, weeks, months, and years, United has only lost once in 2024. The Red Devils' chances of qualifying for the Champions League are getting less and less with each passing game. They are currently eleven points behind Aston Villa, who are in sixth place. In their most recent meeting in the top tier at Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag's team lost 2-1 to Fulham after narrowly defeating Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup midweek.

Line ups:

MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake; Rodri, Bernardo Silva; Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland.

SUBSTITUTES: Stefan Ortega, Mateo Kovacic, Julian Alvarez, Sergio Gomez, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Matheus Nunes, Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-3-2-1): Andre Onana; Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof; Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro, Scott McTominay; Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho; Marcus Rashford.

SUBSTITUTES: Altay Bayindir, Sofyan Amrabat, Christian Eriksen, Amad Diallo, Antony, Willy Kambwala, Omari Forson, Toby Collyer, Habeeb Ogunneye.

Etihad Stadium | Picture Credits: The Guardian

First Half: Rashford's Rocket and City's Frustration:

The passion was evident as the whistle blew, and United surprised the home crowd with an early spectacular.

Marcus Rashford was set up by Bruno Fernandes, who displayed incredible skill, thanks to a long pass from Andre Onana. The captain's goal was nothing short of a masterpiece, sending the Etihad resounding with incredulity as it thundered into the net off the underside of the crossbar, leaving City behind.

Even with his outstanding goal, Rashford failed to take advantage of key opportunities, such as an air-kick with the goal approaching, which kept City's hopes alive. In the meantime, Ederson and Rodri had difficult assignments, and Onana had stopped Foden's one-on-one opportunity.

Erling Haaland was gifted with a wonderful opportunity in the last seconds of the first half. A two-yard volley was set up by Foden's flawless header, but Haaland took an unexpected spin and fired the ball over the crossbar, shocking the supporters.

Second Half: Foden's Heroics and Haaland's Redemption:

As the second half wore on, City produced an incredible comeback because they were determined not to let up.

City made their breakthrough with constant pressure. Foden dribbled past Lindelof and struck the top-left corner of the net with a spectacular effort from 25 yards out. When City eventually levelled the score, the Etihad exploded.

The master of the evening, Foden, finished the comeback. With barely ten minutes remaining, Foden's low-angled strike slid under Onana's extended glove to give City the lead. Foden had set up the goal with a lovely one-two with Julian Alvarez.

Erling Haaland made a tremendous comeback in the closing seconds. He gathered up Rodri's pass, sidestepped Amrabat's challenge, and placed the ball past Onana with ease. Haaland's sixth goal in as many Manchester derbies completed the victory for City, extending their winning run to twelve Premier League games.

City's Unstoppable Momentum:

A thrilling derby pleasure was celebrated by Manchester City as the final whistle boomed across the Etihad. After an early stunner from Rashford, City's tenacity—sparked by Foden's genius and Haaland's comeback—was evident, as they demonstrated their unstoppable momentum.

With 12 Premier League games played without a loss, City's current unbeaten streak sets up an exciting matchup with Liverpool the following weekend. The supporters at Etihad enjoyed every second of this unique derby, which had turns, twists and flashes of pure genius that formed a vivid image of Manchester United's football team.

The attention of football fans is now on City's trip to Anfield, which promises to be another exciting chapter in this compelling Premier League season, while they digest this intense match. Up until then, supporters will carry the memories of the Manchester derby with them, commemorating a night when City's lights shone the brightest.

Rashford scored a goal and gave United a 0-1 lead | Picture Credits: myKhel

Foden scored a goal and broke the deadlock for City which levelled the score to 1-1 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Foden scored one more goal and gave City a 2-1 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Haaland scored a late goal and sealed a strong victory over United | Picture Credits: Premier League Website