Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United: 3 things we learned from the game 

Manchester was painted red as Manchester United secured a 2-1 victory at the home of their city rivals, Manchester City, in what was an intriguing game of football. After consecutive draws against Sheffield United and Aston Villa, the Red Devils gathered much-needed confidence going into the game with an impressive victory over Tottenham Hotspur in midweek.

On the other hand, Pep Guardiola’s men also bounced back after their disappointing draw at St. James' Park last weekend and secured a 4-1 victory away from home in midweek against Burnley.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men started the game surprisingly well and deservedly went into the half-time with a 2-goal cushion, courtesy of goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. The Cityzens dominated proceedings in the second-half and forced the opposition deep into their own half.

However, they lacked quality in the final third and failed to test David de Gea for major proportions of the game. They did manage to cut United’s lead by half, courtesy of Nicolas Otamendi’s brilliant header, however, the goal came too late to inspire a comeback.

The defeat has left the Cityzens 14 points behind league leaders Liverpool and could be the end of their title hopes this year. On the other hand, the Red Devils have jumped to 5th in the table with the victory at the Etihad Stadium, 5 points behind 4th-placed Chelsea. Here are three things we learned from the game.

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3. Aaron Wan Bissaka passes his biggest test with flying colours

Manchester City v Manchester United - Premier League

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been an excellent signing for Manchester United this season and has been delivering consistently. However, he was about to face the biggest test of his United career as he was pitted against Raheem Sterling, who is regarded as one of the best wingers in world football, and the young full-back passed it with flying colours.

The 21-year-old was a brick wall in United's backline and didn't let anything go through him. The full-back nullified the threat of Sterling and frustrated him to the point where the winger had to switch wings. Solskjaer’s men have surrendered leads against Sheffield United and Aston Villa in the past couple of weeks, and United fans must have been on the edge of their seats despite their two-goal advantage given the firepower the opposition had at their disposal. However, Wan Bissaka's astute defensive display helped the Reds see out their lead for the second time in a week.

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2. Fred and Mctominay come out on top against the best midfield in the country

Manchester City v Manchester United - Premier League

Manchester City's midfield is regarded as the best midfield in the country by a mile, and with the trio of David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne and Rodrigo on the pitch, you wouldn't give the opposition midfield a chance. However, Scott Mctominay and Fred once again stepped up for Manchester United, this time against their arch-rival and relished the challenge that was in front of them.

The midfield duo stole the show with their performance against Tottenham during the midweek and continued their excellent form against Manchester City. Mctominay was the orchestrator of United’s counter-attacks in the first-half, winning possession in dangerous areas and driving forward with the ball.

On the other hand, Fred did all the dirty work of closing down the opposition and helped his side in defence. They also nullified the threat of De Bruyne and Silva by marking them out of the game. The duo have created a formidable partnership in the middle of the park and their qualities complement each other on the pitch.

Both of them have massively stepped up during Paul Pogba’s absence and it will be interesting to see how Solskjaer sets up his side when the Frenchman returns to full fitness.

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1. Manchester United might be the best counter-attacking side in the country

Manchester City v Manchester United - Premier League

Manchester United showcased one of the best counter-attacking displays we’ve seen in a while at the Etihad Stadium. The Red Devils soaked up the pressure from the opposition and as soon as they won the ball back, they transitioned it into the final third with brilliant one-touch passes through the midfield.

The frightening pace of the front-four made life difficult for the Cityzens and their movement behind the City defence made them impossible to mark. Solskjaer’s men created a huge number of chances and could have lead by 4-5 goals in the first half alone. The Red Devils are one of the best, if not the best, counter-attacking sides in the country and their record against the top-six this season reflects that.