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Manchester City’s remarkable run of 21 successive wins was brought to a halt by local rivals Manchester United, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men secured a 2-0 win over the Premier League leaders at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday evening.
Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw struck either side of the break to condemn Manchester City to their first loss in 22 games in all competitions.
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The game got off to a breathless start. Manchester United were awarded a penalty with barely 30 seconds played after Gabriel Jesus brought down Anthony Martial in the box; Bruno Fernandes stepped up to convert the resultant spot-kick.
Manchester City rallied from the early shock and pressed for an equaliser but were far from their usual clinical selves in front of goal. However, they went in at the half-time interval trailing for the first time in a long while.
It got worse for Manchester City five minutes into the second half, as Manchester United doubled their lead through Luke Shaw, who galloped down the left flank and exchanged passes with Marcus Rashford before placing a left-footed strike into the bottom corner.
The Manchester United defence then backed up their attackers’ efforts by standing firm in the face of sustained Manchester City pressure. The league leaders, though, lacked penetration and failed to force a way back into the contest.
The result sees Manchester United reclaim second place in the 2020-21 Premier League table from Leicester City and reduce the deficit to Pep Guardiola’s men to 11 points. Manchester City, meanwhile, will look to return to winning ways when they face Southampton in midweek.
On that note, let's have a look at the five hits and flops from either team in the game.
#1 Hit: Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
Luke Shaw’s impressive form has been one of the real highlights of Manchester United’s season. The Englishman has made the left-back role more or less his own since the arrival of Alex Telles.
After managing to stay injury free for the majority of the season, Shaw has been extremely solid defensively while also adding an attacking dimension to his game. In the process, the Manchester United left-back has transformed himself into one of the league’s most potent threats in the full-back position.
Both aspects of Shaw's game were on display against Manchester City. Shaw not only kept Riyad Mahrez in check with some attentive, if at times desperate defending, he also chipped in with his side’s second goal.
The strike came at the end of one of Shaw’s now-trademark lung-bursting forward runs. The Manchester United left-back carried the ball almost the full length of the pitch before slotting home to double his side’s advantage on the night.
If the Englishman maintain this level of performance throughout the season and stays injury-free, it could boost his chances of making a late entry into the England squad for the Euros.
#2 Flop: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
While he has firmly established himself as one of Manchester City's premier goal-scoring threats over the past few seasons, Raheem Sterling’s inability to find the net against Manchester United has been a small but noticeable anomaly in his trophy-laden career.
The Englishman has now gone 23 games without scoring against Manchester United.
Sterling took up a place on the left wing for this game but was extremely well-marshalled by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has enjoyed the upper hand whenever he has come up against the Manchester City forward.
While Manchester City collective weren't at their ruthless best going forward, Wan-Bissaka’s close attentions meant Sterling, in particular, was unable to showcase his trademark pace and dribbling, as he was barely allowed any time on the ball.
Even after moving into a central role late on in the game, Sterling was unable to influence proceedings and was left increasingly frustrated by the Manchester United defence.
#3 Hit: Dean Henderson (Manchester United)
After returning to Manchester United after two extremely successful loan spells at Sheffield United, Dean Henderson has had to bide his time in his quest to become his team's number one goalkeeper.
However, Henderson has impressed in the few chances he has at goal this season. He has recently been handed an extended run in the first team, as David de Gea has taken a break for personal reasons.
With four consecutive clean sheets under his belt going into this crunch tie against Manchester City, the youngster produced a confident outing. Henderson especially impressed with his handling and positioning, which were top-class.
Henderson even found the time to show off his excellent vision and distribution. He set Shaw off on the run that eventually resulted in Manchester United’s second goal, courtesy Henderson's pinpoint throw out from the box.
If he is able to maintain this level going forward, he might be able to challenge for the number one keeper's spot for England at the upcoming Euros.
#4 Flop: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
It was billed as a clash of the midfield maestros, as Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes went up against each other. But it was Manchester United’s Portuguese talisman who came up trumps, as Manchester City’s Belgian playmaker endured an off night.
So often, the provider for Manchester City going forward, De Bruyne looked off the pace from the start. He gave the ball away cheaply on a number of occasions and failed to make the most of Manchester City’s advantage in possession.
Even though the Belgian slowly got into the game, it was too little too late for Manchester City, as the visitors sat back and comfortably soaked up all the pressure the home side created.
#5 Hit: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Few players have had a transformative effect on a team quite like Bruno Fernandes has had at Manchester United since his move to the club in January 2020. The Portuguese playmaker wasted no time in making an impact against Manchester City, as he dispatched a penalty in just the second minute.
After Manchester United sat back after taking the lead, it was Fernandes who seemed to be at the heart of every United counter-attack as the Portuguese showcased his excellent passing skills to set his fellow attackers off on runs at the Manchester City goal.
However, it wasn’t just in attack that Fernandes made a difference, as he also showed great desire and determination in defence. He tracked back to thwart many a Manchester City attack with well-timed interceptions in a complete display that would endear himself to the club faithful.
