Donnarumma delivers ‘superb’ performance vs Man Utd, he was the only Man City star to come out with any credit | OneFootball

Manchester City suffered a demoralising 3-0 loss to rivals Manchester United, as the Cityzens fell further adrift in the Premier League title race.

Pep Guardiola’s side huffed and puffed but ultimately failed to lay a glove on the hosts, delivering a tepid performance.

Man City failed to create clear chances and struggled to handle United’s transitions. They could drop to third depending on results elsewhere.

Despite Man City’s generally uninspiring performance, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma delivered a stellar display.

Donnarumma made several saves, including one jaw-dropping stop on Casemiro’s efforts to try to keep his side in the tie.

The 26-year-old deserved to leave the game with something, but unfortunately, his teammates were not on the same wavelength.

The Daily Mail gave him an 8/10 rating, saying, ‘Superb and the only City man to come out with any credit. Stunning second-half saves and acted as a sweeper to bail out defenders.’

That performance was a reminder of exactly why Man City were prepared to move on from Ederson and place their trust in Donnarumma.

On an afternoon where the collective failed, the Italian produced the kind of logic-defying saves that keep scorelines respectable and win points over a season.

His reflex stop from Casemiro was elite-level goalkeeping, the sort that changes momentum even when the game is slipping away.

Yes, Donnarumma will never match Ederson’s metronomic passing or his role as an extra playmaker, but that trade-off was always understood.

The Cityzens wanted a pure shot-stopper for the biggest moments, and that is precisely what they have.

When the structure breaks down and transitions are conceded, Donnarumma gives them a fighting chance. Now, the responsibility shifts elsewhere.

City’s outfield players must raise their intensity, sharpness, and decision-making to match the standard their goalkeeper continues to set.

This performance versus United was too flat, too dispirited, and the Cityzens risk drifting away in the title race if they do not raise their levels.