How Man City punished new and familiar Man Utd flaws

Football writer Alex Keble analyses Manchester City's 3-0 victory over Manchester United.

As Manchester City supporters did the Poznan in glorious sunshine, the three points secure with over 20 minutes left to play, it felt as though the 3-0 scoreline in the derby was about to get a lot worse for Manchester United.

Big misses from Erling Haaland and Tijjani Reijnders saved Ruben Amorim from that, although in both cases, the sight of the United defence being sliced open at will was, regardless of the finish, an ominous one.

The gulf between the two teams remains wide. Haaland’s ruthless double was clear evidence of that, as was the ease with which Jeremy Doku danced through the Man Utd defence, assisting the first two goals, and as was a mercurial midfield display from Phil Foden.

Man City will feel this was the moment their season took off. Man Utd are left with familiar problems.

Foden dazzles to help City dominate midfield

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Foden play like that.

There was once a time when Foden was seen as the heir to David Silva, destined to play as an all-action No 10. Perhaps the departure of Silva’s partner, Kevin De Bruyne, will see that plan finally come to fruition.

Foden was sensational in the first half especially, scoring the opener and dominating the midfield battle with a swagger that’s been missing from his game for too long. A first Premier League goal since January seemed to be the spark.

Guardiola deserves credit for playing Foden in the No 8 position, clearly spotting the advantages of playing Reijnders and Foden together on the outside of Amorim’s two-man midfield; a tactical manoeuvre that almost every Premier League club now enacts against United’s 3-4-2-1.

Foden v Doku comparison

Only Sergio Aguero, Wayne Rooney and now Haaland (all with eight) have scored more goals in Premier League Manchester derbies than Foden (seven). In that sense, seeing Foden hit the back of the net in this fixture was a familiar sight.

Watch all of Haaland's goals v Man Utd

But as Guardiola embraced Foden at the final whistle, congratulating him on a phenomenal Silva-esque display, this felt more like a comeback story.

“He played incredible,” Guardiola told BBC Match of the Day. “He is a guy who loves to arrive at the box. Our last Premier League title he was the best player in the Premier League.”

In the press conference with reporters, Guardiola went further, beaming when asked about Foden’s performance.

“We missed him so much last season! We need him so much.”

Guardiola goes direct to punish Amorim’s high line – and feed Haaland

Another player who loves scoring against Man Utd is Haaland, who bagged a brace today and somehow hit a post from three yards out with the goalkeeper beaten.

He has been directly involved in 11 goals in six Premier League appearances for City against United (eight goals and three assists) and, incredibly, 15 of the last 17 goals scored by Man City in the Manchester derby have been netted by Foden (seven) or Haaland (eight).

Haaland revelled in the spaces at the Etihad, and again it’s the manager he has to thank.

One of Man Utd’s main differences between this season and last is a much higher defensive line, and after City’s players made lots of runs beyond in the first half, only for their team-mates to refuse the pass, clearly Guardiola told his players at half-time to stick to the pre-match plan.

That’s why, in the second period, the United high line was split again and again.

Haaland, of course, loves playing a direct game; loves to stretch his legs and move in the style of his Borussia Dortmund days.

That kind of verticality is the intention of Guardiola’s rebuild. Nobody is benefiting from the shift more than Haaland, who has already scored five Premier League goals this season.

Most through-balls attempted 25/26

Donnarumma shows the value of a confident shot-stopper

At the other end, Man City looked more defensively secure for having such an experienced goalkeeper in Gianluigi Donnarumma, who shone on his Premier League debut.

The highlight was a spectacular save from a Bryan Mbeumo volley with the score at 2-0, although Donnarumma was just as valuable clearing out difficult situations to send a wave of calm through the City defence.

See Donnarumma's save from Mbeumo

How Man Utd would have loved to say the same of their goalkeeper Altay Bayindir. He didn’t make any major errors, although he arguably should have been off his line sharper for Haaland’s first goal.

Ederson leaves a big hole in the Man City team, and it could be argued that the 2024/25 incarnation lacked leaders. Donnarumma, a UEFA Champions League winner in May, certainly offers that.

United’s historic poor start a worry, while City blow cobwebs away

Before the game cracked open in the second half, Man Utd might have felt they were worth a point, but given some of City’s later misses, it would be fair to say United were lucky the scoreline was not more damaging, despite a late flurry of shots of their own.

United have four points from their first four games, their worst start since 1992/93. Meanwhile, Amorim’s win rate of 26 per cent is the third-lowest in Man Utd’s history among managers to have taken charge of at least 20 matches.

The high line being caught so often is a new issue, the open and understocked midfield an old one. It leaves Man Utd in a tricky situation, especially with Chelsea at Old Trafford up next.

“I understand everything,” Amorim told reporters after the game, accepting some tough questions about the formation he uses and the team’s performances. “It is normal. The result, I accept that. I don't see it that way, we are doing better than the results.

"But I'm not going to change. When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man."

With matches against Chelsea and Liverpool to come, Amorim's philosophy will be tested. 

Man City, on the other hand, can celebrate their best performance of the season so far.

The Reijnders-Foden partnership, and the brightness of Doku and Haaland, is evidence enough for Guardiola to believe City have blown away the cobwebs – and will be going toe-to-toe with Liverpool and Arsenal from hereon in.

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