Erling Haaland was the hero for Manchester City as he struck twice, and Phil Foden added another, securing a dominant derby day victory against neighbors Manchester United. The final score at Old Trafford was 3-0 in favor of the defending champions, a win that elevated them to third place in the Premier League, just two points behind the leaders, Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester City had faced setbacks in their recent away matches in the Premier League, losing their last two. However, they demonstrated their superiority against a Manchester United side struggling with both a series of narrow wins and a string of injuries. The match could have seen an even more lopsided scoreline if not for the impressive performance of United’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana, who made a series of fine saves to prevent further damage.
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Erling Haaland and Phil Foden had history against Manchester United, as both players had scored hat-tricks in a 6-3 victory against the same opponents a year prior. This time, Haaland opened the scoring from the penalty spot. The decision to award the penalty came after Rasmus Hojlund’s foul on Rodri inside the box, a moment that divided opinions. While some pundits on Sky Sports described it as a “soft” decision, former referee Mike Dean was convinced that it was a “clear holding offense.”
Erling Haaland Leds Goalscoring Chart With 11 Goals This Season
Erling Haaland wasn’t finished with just one goal; he added a second with a powerful header after the halftime break, marking his 11th goal of the season. It was a near-repeat of a chance at the end of the first half, which Onana had miraculously stopped. This time, however, Erling Haaland left the goalkeeper with no chance.
Onana continued to deny Haaland a third goal, making a crucial save in a one-on-one situation. Instead of going for goal again, Haaland unselfishly squared the ball for Phil Foden, who tapped it into the net for an easy finish, putting City comfortably out of reach.
This victory marked City’s sixth win in their last eight derbies against Manchester United across all competitions. They were rarely troubled in this encounter, with Manchester United only managing a first-half attempt from Scott McTominay, which forced City’s goalkeeper, Ederson, to make a save, and a second-half chance from Marcus Rashford, which went wide. City’s head coach, Pep Guardiola, who was overseeing his 20th Manchester derby, had mastered this matchup, guiding his team to another impressive win against their cross-town rivals.
