Pep Guardiola got the better of Jose Mourinho in the first Manchester derby as Manchester City defeated their nearest rivals 2-1 at Old Trafford.
The Sky Blues started on the front foot, dominating possession in the opening half-hour. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring after 15 minutes when he beat Daley Blind to a loose ball and calmly slotted past David De Gea with ease.
The visitors doubled their lead 10 minutes before half-time when Kelechi Iheancho was in the right place at the right time to score from close range, after De Bruyne’s shot came back off the post.
The Red Devils looked down and out, only for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to peg a goal back with a fine volley, following a Claudio Bravo error but it proved to be no more than a consolation.
No Aguero, no problem
Many expected City to struggle in the absence of Sergio Aguero, who is serving a three-match ban but the Citizens proved they are more than capable of adapting without the Argentine.
Guardiola chose to start with 19-year-old Iheanacho and the youngster ensured Aguero was not missed. He flicked on the header that set up De Bruyne, while getting on the scoresheet himself moments later.
The Nigerian international has proven himself whenever the opportunity was presented and will want to continue his fine form until Aguero is back. With the Argentine virtually guaranteed a starting spot when available, Iheanacho’s chances will come few and far but there is no doubting City have high hopes for the talented striker.
United lacked cutting edge
After going down a couple of goals early on, the Red Devils seemed all but out of the game. An error gave them something to take into half-time after a disappointing first half. Although credit must be given to them as they came out a very different side in the second half.
United dominated possession right from the start of the second 45 as City started to sit deeper. Marcus Rashford’s introduction sparked life into United’s attack and despite having majority of the ball, Jose Mourinho’s team could not conjure up a meaningful chance to test City’s goal. A few decent chances they did have went begging as they suffered their first loss of the campaign.
Bailly and Fernandinho shine
The Manchester derby has not failed to produce some memorable performances over the years. While the goalscorers grab all the headlines, this derby saw some outstanding defensive performances from both teams.
Fernandinho has been City’s most underrated player for quite a while now. The Brazilian plays a key part in Guardiola’s attacking-minded formation, sitting deep in midfield to provide a cover for the defence. The 31-year-old frustrated United’s counter-attacks on numerous occasions with some excellent interceptions. Coming up against the likes of Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini was never going to be an easy task but Fernandinho dominated the middle of the park quite comfortably.
Eric Bailly on the other end also put in an outstanding shift for Mourinho’s side in his first ever Manchester derby. The Ivorian was caught out a few times in the first half but was rock solid in the second half as United pressed forward for an equaliser, with a couple of well-timed last ditch challenges to prevent City grabbing a third on the counter.
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