Manchester United 1-3 Manchester City: 3 Men who were poor for the Red Devils | Carabao Cup 2019-20

Manchester United welcomed archrivals Manchester City to Old Trafford on Tuesday night for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. Both neighbors were going through turbulent times this season. While City were staring at the possibility of surrendering their Premier League trophy to runaway league leaders Liverpool, United were yet to show any improvements on the pitch after the first half of the season.

However, regardless of their current predicament, the Manchester Derby was still a matter of pride and a hotly contested tie was expected by all.

For United though, the stakes were pretty high. The two-legged semi-final represented their best chance of securing any silverware this season. The Red Devils had already defeated City this season and convincingly too, at the start of last month.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knew that a repeat of a similar performance around the park would most certainly do the job for United. However, the absence of Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay, due to injuries, was a big setback.

The Red Devils were unbeaten at home in the last 13 games but had lost the last two Manchester Derbies at Old Trafford. Solskjaer was aware of the task at hand and named his first eleven accordingly.

Manchester United Starting XI: David De Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Brandon Williams; Fred, Andreas Pereira, Jesse Lingard; Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Daniel James

The visitors took the lead through Bernardo Silva in the 17th minute before Riyad Mahrez made it 2-0 for City in the 33rd minute. In the 39th minute, Pereira put the ball into his own net after some fine work from Kevin De Bruyne and the visitors went into the break with a 3-0 lead.

After the break, United added a little urgency in their game and even got a goal back through Rashford in the 70th minute. However, it was all too little, too late for the home side, and they lost the game 1-3. The whole team failed to step up against CIty but these three men were especially poor on the night.

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#3 Andreas Pereira

Pereira's own goal summed up the night for him

The Brazilian started in a slightly deeper role and looked out of place right from the start. Pereira’s eagerness to join the attack left a big gap in the United midfield that was utilized well by the away side. The Brazilian had his trademark aggression and tenacity, but it was largely ineffective against the technical prowess of the City players. To make matters worse, he ended up scoring an own goal just before half time, which further piled the pressure on the United team.

After the break, with the inclusion of Nemanja Matic in the team, Pereira was reinstated in his preferred position, but he failed to revive the United attack.

#2 Victor Lindelof

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Perhaps the only reason Phil Jones made it into the team was because of the injury to Harry Maguire and Axel Tuanzebe was not fit enough to start or even make the bench. However, it was Lindelof who looked the odd man out at the back every time City knocked on United’s door. The Swedish International appeared nervous and his lack of confidence was there for everyone to see.

Pep Guardiola opted to start the game without a traditional No. 9 and it was a plan that got to the head of the United defence. Lindelof, in particular, was affected the most. The former Benfica man was powerless at times to stop the City midfielders to make those runs from the deep. He was completely at fault for City’s second goal, gifting possession to the away side and then allowing Mahrez to run free behind him. Lindelof’s sliding tackle to stop Bernardo Silva’s through ball was feeble and substandard.

It was the story of the game in a nutshell. The Swede did play out a few good long balls from the deep, but his defending was questionable on the night.

#1 Jesse Lingard

Lingard's poor run continues

The Englishman has come for some heavy criticism from fans in recent times and had ended 2019 without a single goal. Solskjaer’s decision to put his trust on Lingard had raised a lot of questions, but the Norwegian had recently revealed his expectations from the player. Against City, the United manager wanted to utilize Lingard’s speed and movement to unsettle the opposition backline. However, the Englishman had a forgettable day on the pitch.

Starting in his usual No. 10 position in the United team, Lingard was largely ineffective and failed to contribute to the team’s cause. His first touch was poor and he could not create too many chances in the final third. Many of United’s counter-attacking moves were nipped in the bud because the player was too casual with the ball at his feet. Around the box too, Lingard’s touch, passing and movement left a lot to be desired.

In addition, the Englishman also failed to keep tabs on Rodri at the base of the City midfield. The Spaniard, as a result, had a field day on the night and the City midfield was hardly bothered. Lingard was ultimately replaced by Matic at halftime, but by then, the damage had been done.