Manchester United beat Manchester City in controversial and dramatic derby

William
William
January 15, 2023
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Manchester United again controversially beat Manchester City in a dramatic Manchester derby.

It is clear that Manchester United are unexpectedly in the running for the Premier League title.

FULL REPLAY OF THE MATCH

Jack Grealish put City ahead after coming off the bench, but late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford secured United’s victory. Fernandes’ equalizer was highly controversial as Rashford was in an offside position and although he did not touch the ball, he clearly appeared to be influencing play.

The Red Devils now have nine straight wins in all competitions and five straight in the Premier League. They have 38 points and are just one point behind second-placed Manchester City and six points behind leaders Arsenal.

Erik ten Hag’s side are in this race for the title, while Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions have lost two consecutive games to be knocked out of the League Cup and now beaten in the Manchester Derby. They just don’t look like themselves.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

Offside drama as Red Devils stick to game plan and come back

You see, by the letter of the law, Marcus Rashford may technically have been on the line, but there’s no way he couldn’t have affected the positioning of Manuel Akanji and City goalkeeper Ederson. The fact that Rashford runs towards goal with the ball basically under his feet certainly interferes with the game and affects the positions of others. Still, United’s game plan was excellent against City and utterly fooled the defending champions. Fred was excellent as the extra man in midfield as he and Casemiro closed De Bruyne and Bruno cut long balls over the top for Rashford to run to him. The entire United squad stuck to plan and Erik ten Hag nailed his substitutions with Antony and Garnacho adding extra tricks on the second-half counterattack. United are solid defensively and are in incredible form. Certainly they are in this title race right now.

Erik ten Hag hails Manchester United’s ‘huge’ spirit

Speaking to BT Sport, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag praised his team’s spirit in their comeback victory.

“In the first half we played very well. We defended very well and took advantage of good opportunities. We were very happy at the break. After the break we had to substitute Martial, he had some complaints, and the game changed. City came in, we weren’t proactive. They scored. The team’s spirit is so great that they believe the game is 90 minutes and we can fight back. I am very happy with the performance of the team… Belief is back and we are in a good direction. You have to work out of possession [against teams like City]. They have qualities in partial moments to score goals. We saw it today. One mistake and they scored.

Bruno Fernandes: ‘In the past we were individuals… but now we are a team’

United’s Portuguese star also spoke to BT Sport and praised their collective unity, saying they are now a ‘proper team’ working together. This feels a little different from even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s big wins and showings. United still have a lot in the tank and Erik ten Hag has set them all in the right direction.

stars of the show

Marcus Rashford: He was behind so many times and scored once more. Such a threat and in the form of your life.

casemiro: Dominant in midfield as he and Fred eliminated Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. He is the heart of this team. Great block on Haaland in the first half.

Rodri: Did very well to help City control the game early in the second half. Somehow he is still underrated.

Manchester United vs Manchester City live
Graphic via FotMob.com

What’s next?

Manchester United travel to Crystal Palace on Wednesday 18th January while Manchester City host Tottenham on Thursday 19th January.

Manchester United vs Manchester City live analysis! – By Joe Prince-Wright

Start: 7:30 am ET, Saturday
TV channel: USA Network
Online: Broadcast via NBCSports.com

TOTAL TIME – Big win for Manchester United as they battle to beat Manchester City 2–1. But everyone will be talking about that equalizer. Here is the official FA decision.

In the end United are holding their own and with some brilliant saves from Lisandro Martinez and others.

GOLL! Marcus Rashford hits home after excellent work by Garnacho on the left.

GOLL! And a big controversy. Marcus Rashford was flagged for offside and Bruno Fernandes’ goal did not hold, but VAR was used and he is now up. This is controversial. Rashford was clearly offside and impacted play but did not touch the ball.

United haven’t really responded to falling behind. City clicking gears now and playing ball. They are in their element.

Simply sublime from Kevin de Bruyne and see Grealish’s hunger to rise higher and come home. Can United respond?

Phil Foden is off and Jack Grealish is on. A frustrating ride for the first. He felt impeded most of the time and tried to engage in attacks.

Chance! Varane is found at the back post but nudges his shot wide. Great opportunity for United. At the other end, Phil Foden falls into the area under pressure from Casemiro, but it’s not a penalty.

Antony is on the break, but for Anthony Martial, not Rashford. The latter got rid of that hip problem. Antony is playing up front centrally.

Half an hour: Man United 0-0 Man City – United did well on the counterattack and City didn’t have many clear chances. A tense but intriguing first half in the Manchester Derby.

Rashford is back for now, but Antony is warming up and having a quiet chat with Erik ten Hag. He wouldn’t be surprised to see him come into range.

Chance! Rashford comes in again but Ederson comes out and smothers his shot. United are lagging far behind Walker.

Chance! A ball over the top sends Ederson running, but Rashford beats him and rounds him. His cross is blocked and then a cross is swung in, but Ederson heads it away. United’s direct and incisive attack.

Plenty of ball for City but they are not doing much with it. It looks like De Bruyne and Haaland switched positions a bit.

Chance! After a patient game of preparation, City found Haaland in the penalty area, but Casemiro broke through with a fine block. Best in the City. Much more like them.

Cancelo clear after United play a long ball over and cross into the box. Their plan is working.

Wide! Bruno Fernandes shot wide of the far post after a deft pass. United settling into the game.

There are still no big chances but City are dominating possession with United happy to sit back and play straight. Intriguing tactical battle. Both Pep and ETH have their eyes wide open and look worried behind the scenes. It will be a tight and tense game.

Start! We are on the move and City can have a lot of possession from the start.

For United Luke Shaw starts in central defense with Tyrell Malacia on the left flank, while Fred starts alongside Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in midfield.

As for City, they make eight changes to the squad they lost at Southampton midweek as Haaland and De Bruyne are tasked with unlocking this suddenly stingy United defence. Akanji and Ake at halfback have a big task to stop Rashford and Martial.

hello and welcome! It’s Manchester Derby day and Old Trafford is killing it. The team news is intriguing, so let’s break it down.

top stories

United are gaining momentum and Marcus Rashford is leading the charge. He has scored seven goals in his last six games for the Red Devils and looks unstoppable at this point. Elsewhere, Casemiro is dominating the midfield and Lisandro Martinez is back in defense after winning the World Cup. Across the field, the Untied are bursting with confidence and looking hard to beat.

Pep Guardiola and Man City just didn’t look alike before and after the World Cup break and will be a little worried in this clash. They have struggled against United in derby games in recent years, but that was not the case earlier this season when they won 6-3. Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne split United in October and City will be hoping the pair can connect and control the pace of this game, especially in midfield.

In-form players to watch

Marcus Rashford is the obvious choice for United, while Casemiro and Luke Shaw have also been outstanding. Antony is also getting back to his best after a small dip in form. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been superb after returning to the right wing, while Bruno Fernandes is also in fine form.

Man City’s Rodri is an important player, while Riyad Mahrez has also been excellent in recent games and should be in the starting line-up.

Manchester United team news, injuries, lineup options

Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek remain sidelined as the latter revealed he is out for the season with a knee injury. This game comes too early for Diogo Dalot, while Luke Shaw starts in central defense and Christian Eriksen, Fred and Casemiro start in midfield with a slightly more defensive look. Wout Weghorst has joined on loan but is unavailable for this game.

Manchester City team news, injuries, line-up options

Defenders Ruben Dias and John Stones are out. Kevin de Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Erling Haaland, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Ederson, Rodri and Bernardo Silva started after being benched in the defeat to Southampton.

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