Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City: 5 Talking Points

The 170th edition of the Manchester Derby turned out to be a 0-0 stalemate as neither of the two sides could break the deadlock. It was an intense match but devoid of action in a derby where both the teams cancelled each other out in all departments leading to a dull draw.The result sees Manchester City retain top spot ahead of Arsenal on goal difference whereas United drop to the fourth place behind West Ham United, also on the goal difference. Here are the five major talking points from the game.

#1 Manchester derby flatters to deceive

The blockbuster fixture of the Premier League turned out to be pretty anti-climactic as both the Manchester clubs play out a drab draw. This was the first 0-0 draw in the fixture since February 2012 and the first at Old Trafford in over a decade.

The Manchester derby has been one of the goal-laden fixtures in recent years, but this wasn’t supposed to be a quintessential derby fixture. More than the tactical setup of the both the teams, the dullness of the derby symbolized the lack of risk-taking from both the teams.

Neither of the teams played with flair or a sense of adventure which has been the hallmark of both sides. The lack of imagination was too hard to assimilate, especially in a highly charged derby fixture.

With attacking lineups boasting Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial for the Reds and Raheem Sterling, Yaya Toure and Kevin De Bruyne for the Blues, it was a game which shocked one and all with its monotony. This was indeed a forgettable fixture and one that will scar a few minds who relish an attacking brand of football.

#2 Centre-backs steal the show

In a game where the first shot on target was not registered until the 57th minute of the game, it says a lot about the defensive organization of both teams. Traditionally being a forward-centric tie, the defenders stole the show in this game. Both teams were rock-solid at the back, particularly in the heart of it.

United had a tad better defensive setup in comparison to their neighbours and this was largely attributed to the City’s susceptibility in the full-back area. But both teams were compact in central defence where none of the centre-forwards could make an impression on the game.

The Phil Jones-Chris Smalling axis is certainly blossoming by the day and is somehow justifying Louis van Gaal’s decision to save monies on acquiring an accomplished centre-back. The Englishmen are developing quite an understanding which is evident in their performances.

Vincent Kompany made his return to the starting XI and he proved why he is so important to City’s defence. The Sky Blues captain provided calmness and astute leadership to the flamboyant defence with his presence. No wonder the Citizens have had clean sheets in every game where Kompany has played. Nicolas Otamendi also made a solid derby debut as he played perfect fodder to Kompany.

#3 Is Yaya Toure running out of gas?

There was a time when the mere presence of Yaya Toure in the starting XI would make the opposition tremble with fear. But nowadays it is a different story altogether. It seems that age has finally caught up with the Ivorian powerhouse as he stuttered to make any impact in the Manchester derby.

There are absolutely no doubts over the quality of City’s midfield engine but there are certain doubts regarding his fitness. Yaya Toure of two seasons ago would have bossed the midfield at Old Trafford or at least ruffled a few feathers in the centre of the pitch.

Today, the 32-year-old was out of gas from kickoff as he lumbered around the park to ignite a tattering Manchester City side. It was an uninspiring performance from the no.42 after leading City to two league titles in recent years.

Manuel Pellegrini has to manage him effectively if at all he wishes to retain the intensity which has been trademark of Toure. He isn’t getting any younger and playing three games in eight days is difficult even for the fittest of the players. It was clear from his performance that the Ivorian hadn’t fully recovered from the midweek exertions of Champions League.

By the time he was substituted, the City midfielder was gasping for air. And this doesn’t bode well for both Toure and City.

#4 Wayne Rooney\'s unimpressive run continues

Wayne Rooney is having one of his worst seasons not only as a Manchester United player but also as a professional footballer. The Red Devils captain may inspire his troops in the dressing room, but his displays on the field are contradictory to say the least.

It was a dismal first half for the England striker who did not have a single touch in City’s penalty box, let alone having a shot at Joe Hart’s goal. It is baffling to see someone with Rooney’s class have such shambolic games week in and week out. He clearly looks uneasy as a no.9 where he is more or less an isolated figure.

The United captain is a player who likes to be in the thick of the action and this makes him drop off to get more of the ball. But of late, he has been pretty ordinary with his ball distribution and play in the final third.

55% passing accuracy for Wayne Rooney. No shots on target. No chances created. Lost possession five more times than any other player.

— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) October 25, 2015

There were too many misplaced passes by him today in the final third which led to the breakdown of quite a few impressive moves in the final third. And this has been the case in almost every game of the season till date.

There is a simmering discontent amongst the Old Trafford faithful regarding the form of their captain. There are already calls from the fans and media to drop Rooney and play Martial up front. Only Van Gaal knows what is holding him back from doing so. Is it lack of options or he is backing his favourite in these testing times?

#5 Manchester City missed Sergio Aguero and David Silva

Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling failed to inspire Manchester City

Under Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City have been impressive – at least when it comes to the attacking aspects of the game. But today it was by far the most unconvincing attacking display by a Pellegrini side. Never in the three years under the Chilean have City looked so pale in attack.

City certainly missed the creative spark of David Silva and the liveliness of Sergio Aguero up front, especially against an organized Manchester United defence. Yaya Toure in an advanced midfield role doesn’t cut it anymore like he used to under Roberto Mancini and Wilfred Bony, with all his qualities, is not a world class forward.

Today, Bony’s lack of guile was exposed as Manchester United closed all the channels of supply to him. United’s full-backs made Bony’s presence in the penalty box nothing but impotent by effectively marking Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.

And as a lone forward, he simply didn’t stand a chance against the duo of Smalling and Jones.