Haaland And Foden Shine As Manchester City Defeats Manchester United

‎Erling Haaland delivered yet another reminder of his ruthless brilliance, scoring twice in the second half to guide Manchester City to a commanding 3-0 victory over Manchester United in the Premier League.

‎The result gave Pep Guardiola’s side their first win in 90 minutes in five consecutive Manchester derbies across all competitions and offered a resounding response to their recent dip in form.

‎A Fierce Start in a High-Stakes Derby

‎The 197th edition of the Manchester derby began with both sides keen to stamp their authority early. City’s striker Haaland almost opened the scoring inside the first few minutes, only for his header to drift narrowly wide.

‎At the other end, United’s summer recruit Benjamin Šeško forced Gianluigi Donnarumma making his derby debut into a smart save.

‎The breakthrough, however, came in the 18th minute courtesy of Jérémy Doku. The Belgian winger danced his way to the byline, showing his trademark trickery, before delivering a second attempt at a cross.

‎Phil Foden met it with precision, rising highest to nod home his seventh career goal against Manchester United an opponent he seems to relish tormenting. Remarkably, only Brighton has been on the receiving end of more Foden strikes.

‎City Control but United Look

‎Doku’s dazzling performance continued as he set up Tijjani Reijnders for a chance that the Dutchman could only strike straight at Altay Bayındır. Haaland, unusually wasteful, miscued a golden opportunity after fine build-up play involving Bernardo Silva.

‎United tried to respond with long balls behind City’s high line, and one such move won them a dangerous free-kick just before halftime. Bruno Fernandes attempted an audacious strike, but Donnarumma gathered comfortably, ensuring City carried their slender lead into the break.

‎Haaland Turns On In Style

‎United came out with greater urgency after the halftime, but City’s defence, marshalled by Haaland himself heading away crosses in his own box, stood firm.

‎Moments later, the Norwegian reminded everyone of his primary role. Doku threaded a perfectly weighted pass through United’s defence, and Haaland brushed off Luke Shaw before delicately dinking the ball over Bayındır to double City’s advantage.

‎Barely minutes later, he nearly had a second, clipping the post after rounding the goalkeeper.

‎Donnarumma was then called into action at the opposite end, producing a world-class save to deny Bryan Mbeumo’s fierce volley. But United’s brief flicker of hope was soon extinguished.

‎Bernardo Silva pounced on sloppy United possession and slipped the ball through for Haaland, who clinically rolled it into the far corner for his second of the night.

‎City Purring, United Struggling

‎With the game effectively sealed, City began to express themselves. Haaland even turned provider, setting up Reijnders for a chance that was wasted, but the Norwegian could afford a smile as City maintained control.

‎United pushed forward sporadically, with Mbeumo their liveliest flak, yet Donnarumma’s presence between the posts kept the clean sheet intact.

‎For City, this win was about more than bragging rights it was a much-needed statement of intent after back-to-back league defeats.

‎For Manchester United, however, this was another sobering afternoon. Ruben Amorim’s men have now won just once in five league outings this season, their defensive frailties and lack of cutting edge leaving them far adrift of their city rivals.