Man United vs Man City Highlights, Premier League 2023: Haaland double and Foden takes MCI to 3-0 win
Man United vs Man City Derby 2023: Haaland’s Brilliance Seals a 3-0 Victory for Manchester City Over United at Old Trafford
In the much-anticipated Manchester Derby of 2023, Man United vs Man City secured a convincing 3-0 win over their arch-rivals, Manchester United, thanks to a stunning double by Erling Haaland. The football world’s attention was firmly fixed on Old Trafford as the 191st Manchester Derby unfolded, with Pep Guardiola’s men aiming to equal their first-ever victory since 1999.
To claim their 3-0 victory, Phil Foden, playing alongside Haaland, made significant contributions. However, City’s dominance extended beyond the scoreline. This marked the third consecutive win for Erik ten Hag’s United in all competitions, as they continue to struggle in the Premier League, losing five of their first ten matches.
While this might have been a spectacular win for City, it has plunged United further into a crisis, raising more questions about Erik ten Hag’s management. It appears that they are battling to find solutions amidst increasingly dire circumstances. Only Fulham had managed to defeat United, but it felt like they put up more of a fight. Similarly, European minnows Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys Bern had given them a hard time. They lost narrowly to the European champions by a score of 3-1.
United’s return to scoring form was crucial here. City was far superior to them, and they didn’t need to be that good. There was a time when Manchester City won at Old Trafford, and it was Johnny Evans’ fault. It wasn’t; in reality, he was far from the reason for their defeat but, more than anything, it was a symptom of Manchester United’s instability. After a decade under Sir Alex Ferguson, and more than £1 billion spent post-Ferguson, and over £400 million spent after Erik ten Hag’s tenure, the man who posed the challenge to Erling Haaland was Evans, a throwback to the last days of the Ferguson era.
Haaland escaped him and got away from him. Evans left him entirely unmarked to head in Bernardo Silva’s cross for his second goal, even though he was shadowing midfielder Rodri, and instead set off to send the Champions League final scorer to the police. When Haaland set up Phil Foden for City’s third, Evans backed off him again, only to dart in to tackle him as the striker bore down on goal, having missed the chance to score.
Nor was Evans near Haaland when Onana thwarted the Norwegian with a superb save from a half-time stroke. When the forward pulled off a back-post header, the goalkeeper turned away the shot. Haaland was rampant. This was only Onana, who had the best game of his Manchester United career, who denied him a derby hat-trick, and still it felt inevitable. Only Onana, who stopped Rodri’s shot, got it in the net in the end.
Man United vs Man City ,United’s defeat in the derby will leave former players Roy Keane and Gary Neville seriously evaluating the club’s current state, as players and the hierarchy alike face criticism. Despite tracking the Premier League campaign closely, manager Erik ten Hag still appears to side with former Old Trafford stars, who have been equally critical of the team and the hierarchy.
No one expected that Manchester United would defeat Manchester City on Sunday, just like no one expected that Rasmus Hojland would make his mark in the Premier League.
However, the one-sided Manchester Derby was the first opportunity to see both players on the pitch at the same time; they each played a crucial role in all three goals of the match, with the latter working hard for 73 minutes before appearing frustrated on the bench.
Certainly, City’s comfortable 3-0 victory over United wasn’t Hojland’s fault; the reigning triple champions are far superior to their neighbors. Comparing any striker in world football to Haaland would be unfair, and no one is suggesting that the Danish forward should aim for such numbers against City’s formidable defense.
However, witnessing this pairing up close in English football for the first time reveals a vast gap between their respective teams, and based on this season’s evidence, bridging that gap seems unlikely anytime soon.
