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Manchester United completed a second-half comeback to defeat cross-town rivals Manchester City 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday, January 14.
The Red Devils entered this contest on the back of a good run of form as manager Erik ten Hag finally seems to have found his core group of players and has understood their strengths. With six wins in as many games across competitions prior to this fixture, United were the slight favorites to edge this contest.
The Cityzens, on the other hand, are expected to challenge for silverware right until the very end. But this time around, they seem to be faltering in key moments. With three wins, one defeat and one draw in their last five, Pep Guardiola's men were eager to find consistency.
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The first half saw Manchester City dominate possession of the ball as they kept it for two-thirds of the period. Despite this, they managed just two shots but failed to hit the target. United, on the other hand, attempted four shots and hit the target twice.
The main theme for the first half, however, was the discipline and organization shown by Manchester United's midfielders and defenders. They seemed to be playing according to a plan and each player knew their role to perfection.
Despite an entertaining first period, the deadlock was not broken as the teams were tied 0-0 at the interval.
The second half was where most of the action and drama took place.
Manchester City showed great intent and raced into the lead just 15 minutes after play was resumed. Substitute Jack Grealish came off the bench after 57 minutes and put his side ahead just three minutes after coming on as he was assisted by Kevin De Bruyne. However, their jubilation was short-lived.
Bruno Fernandes equalized for Manchester United after 78 minutes, following a passage of play in which Marcus Rashford seems to be interefering with play from an offside position. However, since he did not touch the ball or even impede a defender, the goal was awarded.
The hosts built on that momentum and snatched a winner just four minutes later. Another substitute, Alejandro Garnacho, provided the assist for the goal as he squared the ball to an unmarked Rashford who was waiting to pounce inside the six-yard box.
Manchester United held on to secure an incredible 2-1 win over Manchester City. On that note, here are the five major talking points from the game.
#5. Erik ten Hag wins his first Manchester Derby
With this victory, ten Hag and his men avoided becoming the first team since David Moyes' side in 2014 to lose two consecutive Manchester derbies under a new manager. Achieving this result was not an easy task by any means.
However, as he has shown in the past, the Dutchman is not afraid to make big decisions and changes in order to achieve set goals. He handed starts to Tyrell Malacia and Fred and both performed their roles exceptionally well, playing key roles in the win.
#4. Manchester United are just one point behind City
Going into the World Cup break, many believed Manchester United would need a miracle to bounce back and be in contention for the top four. However, seven wins from as many games has completely changed the complexion of their season.
United are now just one point behind Manchester City after 18 games in the Premier League. Not only are they back in the race for the top four with a bang, the Red Devils could even contend for the title should they maintain their winning run.
With the signing of centre-forward Wout Weghorst, the club can aim for a strong finish to the season.
#3. Manchester City's weaknesses were exposed
As shown by Erik ten Hag's tactical masterclass, this Manchester City side are far from being invincible. Despite Pep Guardiola's team being one of the best in the country since his arrival in 2016, they have shown visible chinks in their armor in recent history.
City are a team that depend on their creative players in De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Joao Cancelo to create space and progress the ball forward. They are also responsible for playing linebreaking passes and final balls for the most part. However, ten Hag chose a tactic which would stop the problem at the source, deploying players to man-mark the creative outlets.
This prevented Manchester City from shifting gears as they fell to a defeat.
#2. Marcus Rashford is the real deal
Following on from an encouraging outing at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, United's main man has taken the responsibility of leading the line in some style. With eight goals and two assists in seven games since the World Cup ended, Rashford has risen to the occasion.
He played a key role in the equalizer in this game and then scored the winner just four minutes later as Manchester United secured the win.
#1. Ten Hag is living up to his words
Back when he joined the club, Erik ten Hag's cheeky claim that "eras come to an end" was seen as premature and arrogant by several fans and pundits. However, some six months down the line, Manchester United have already shown signs of his words ringing true.
This season is just the first time since 2014-15 that Manchester United have beaten both Liverpool and Manchester City at Old Trafford. So maybe the Dutchman was really onto something.
