Match Report & Player Ratings: Manchester City 3-0 Manchester United (Premier League) | OneFootball

The first derby of the season ended in an emphatic victory for Manchester City, as they brushed Manchester United aside to breath life back into their start to the season.

There wasn’t a huge amount between the teams in the first-half, but Jeremy Doku’s inventiveness and Phil Foden’s accurate headed finish split the sides.

And City rubberstamped their position as the continued authority in Manchester in the second period, as Erling Haaland’s brace secured a 3-0 win which will taste oh so sweet for Blues after a rough few weeks in the Premier League.

Haaland almost lit the blue touchpaper inside 20 seconds, connecting with a snapshot that Ricky Hatton, the champion boxer and City fan so sadly taken from us today at just 46, would have been proud of, flashing across the face of Altay Bayindir’s goal.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was making his debut in between the City sticks at the other end and was quickly called into action, first batting away a Benjamin Sesko drive and then punching to clear a cross in what was a settling step into the action for the Italian.

Some City slackness had given United encouragement in the opening 15 minutes, but it was the Blues who drew first blood; Doku sidestepped Luke Shaw on the right and had two attempts at a cross, with the second landing on the head of Foden, whose header nestled in the side netting and triggered pandemonium in the Etihad.

The goal appeared to brush the cobwebs from the City display, and they began cranking up the pressure – Doku went from the left this time and picked out Tijjani Reijnders, but the derby debutant could only shoot into the chest of the unsuspecting Bayindir.

United’s threat was through runs in behind, and after Bryan Mbeumo had gone too early and been caught offside in one such situation, Sesko timed his run right, getting away from Josko Gvardiol but firing into Donnarumma and seeing it come back off him for a goal kick.

City fans will have been wary that a 1-0 half-time lead wasn’t enough to avert disaster in this fixture last year – so it will have been a great relief when Haaland doubled the advantage shortly after the break, running onto Doku’s pass after terrific work from Foden and Nico O’Reilly and dinking deliciously over Bayindir.

And they should have finished it before the hour mark, Doku again slipping his Norwegian frontman in behind, but on the stretch the 25-year-old could only find the post – and up the other end, Donnarumma kept the margin of the lead at two, stretching fabulously to tip away an acrobatic Mbeumo effort.

But there was no stopping Haaland for long – a United mess presented Bernardo Silva with the ball and all the time in the world to pick out his galloping striker, who was onside having run from inside his own half and who easily picked out the bottom corner for 3-0 and to end the game as a contest.

There could have been further goals for either side, not least when Haaland turned provider and measured a through-ball for Tijjani Reijnders to run onto and lift just past the post or with a few Mbeumo efforts, but City’s superiority was clear by the end and the party in the Etihad was started long before the full-time whistle.

Here’s how we rated the players in Manchester City’s joyous derby victory over Manchester United!

Starting XI

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 8

Thrown straight in for the biggest baptism of fire you can get as a Manchester City player, but if he felt the heat, he didn’t show it. Dealt with anything United were able to muster at his goal, most impressively stretching to keep out Mbeumo’s volley.

Abdukodir Khusanov – 8

The fiery passion of the derby clearly wasn’t lost on him, as he didn’t shirk a tackle. Kept things simple on the ball and showed signs of real promise in that problem right-back role.

Ruben Dias – 7.5

Engaged in the physical tussle with Sesko and, after one or two warnings, shut the United frontman down without too much difficulty.

Josko Gvardiol – 7

Typically better suited to covering in behind than Dias, but did lose his man on a few occasions as he tried to get up to speed in his first appearance since the Club World Cup. Found his feet and was a good defensive presence in the second-half.

Nico O’Reilly – 8

Wasn’t daunted by facing a canny and experienced Premier League operator in Mbeumo, shackling him effectively. Especially noteworthy for a full-back who’s really a midfielder.

Rodri – 6.5

Didn’t look like himself with a series of cheap giveaways in the first-half, but grew into it nicely and was beginning to look more sharp latching onto those second balls which are his bread and butter.

Tijjani Reijnders – 7

Looked to have a few jangling nerves early doors with wayward passing, but sharpened up to play his part without too many of the fireworks we know he can produce.

Phil Foden – 8.5

He LOVES this fixture. Didn’t quite keep it up throughout but, especially in the first-half, tormented United with his quality and with his finish to kick off the scoring.

Bernardo Silva – 6.5

Was afforded tight and tough attention by Patrick Dorgu, which he struggled with. Did free himself to provide a nice assist for the third goal.

Erling Haaland – 9 (POTM)

Another who often revels in the heat of derby day, and he showed his willingness to fight on all fronts, doing some great work linking play and as a ‘meat shield’ in repelling United set-pieces. That’s without mentioning what he does best – scoring goals to win games of football for Manchester City.

Jeremy Doku – 8.5

Enjoyed license to flit between the two wings and did damage from both sides, picking out Foden for the opener then even more impressively Haaland for the second. Exactly the kind of decisiveness City fans have always wanted to see from him.

Substitutes

Nico Gonzalez – 6

Not much presence in midfield, not that it mattered by the time he was on.

Savinho – 6

Couldn’t make much influence on his first appearance of the campaign.

Nathan Ake – N/A

Oscar Bobb – N/A