Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United: 5 players who were brilliant for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side

2. Scott McTominay

Manchester City v Manchester United - Premier League

The Scottish midfielder's return to the first team instantly turned their performance and fortunes around. McTominay’s dominance in the middle of the park was vital against Tottenham and the young man was fit enough to start against City too. With the home side keeping the majority of the ball, United had to be alert and decisive on the field. The Scottish midfielder led the charge for his team, running around like a man possessed, refusing to surrender.

McTominay provided an effective screen ahead of the United backline, protecting them and cutting out space for the City midfielders to operate. He pressed the ball relentlessly and played close attention to David Silva, ensuring that the Spaniard had a quiet night. When he had the ball at his feet, he wasted little time to send his forwards free, countering City’s tactics. His awareness of his teammates helped United break at speed and take advantage of the spaces left behind by the City team.

After United took the lead, the Scottish midfielder continued to work his socks off, even putting his body on the line to protect the lead on a couple of occasions. He also won free-kicks at important junctures of the game to stop City from gaining momentum.