[ad_1]
When Ole Gunnar Solskjær declared his intention to bounce back from Manchester United’s Champions League elimination, he had a derby win in mind. He had won three of five previously as the club’s manager against City. Another would begin the healing process after the damaging defeat at RB Leipzig.
Solskjaer had to settle for less, but it was still something, and a result that served to ease a hot week. He would have been happy with a point at halftime after City created some good opportunities, the best being a one-on-one for Riyad Mahrez against David de Gea. The United goalkeeper had been one of Leipzig’s villains, but here was a redemption for him when he made an instinctive block.
City knew United have struggled here this season, winning one of their five previous Premier League games and enduring three nasty setbacks. Could you follow the example of Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Arsenal? They could reflect on another solid performance. Goals don’t flow for them, which remains a concern and something that needs to be rectified if they want to sustain a title challenge.
City have not conceded a goal for 565 minutes. The closest they came to conceding was in the 47th minute, only for the VAR to revoke the award of a penalty to Marcus Rashford after seeing him drift offside for the first time.
How would United start? That was the first question of the game, given how badly they’ve done the last few times. The numbers showed that they had fallen behind in each of their previous four matches in the first half.
They almost bucked the trend because the first clear opportunity was theirs. He followed a corner from Luke Shaw and saw Victor Lindelöf climb higher to continue. Scott McTominay stretched all his tendons to reach the ball at the far post and applied what could have been a decisive touch. He couldn’t get there.
United had a couple more blinks from the corners before half-time and a couple of shots around the City area, with Bruno Fernandes making a difficult half volley and Paul Pogba displaced after a fumble from Ederson.
It was hotly contested – flying tackles – and he was cautious at first, so United probably would have signed. City squeezed high, wanting to pinch the ball as United came forward from behind and everyone knew a mistake could shape the game.
City probed, creating the best chances before half-time, none better than Mahrez’s at 35 minutes. It was a lovely move from box to box, Gabriel Jesus led it but inevitably it was Kevin De Bruyne who turned it on. There was an audible gasp inside the ground as he took Jesus’ pass outside the box and instantly played Mahrez in the overlay, setting it up one-on-one with De Gea. The United goalkeeper made a vital block. De Bruyne raised the rebound high.
Raheem Sterling had looked dangerous before, although his touch was strong after a pass from De Bruyne in the seventh minute. De Bruyne came out of his role as an advanced midfielder, leading the press and shining with threat. Sterling’s best moment of the first half came when he swapped passes with De Bruyne and slashed inside Aaron Wan-Bissaka before skating away from Lindelöf. Harry Maguire blocked his shot.
City were also able to target the opening when Mahrez dropped a ball over the top for Jesus, who caught it on the half volley ahead of Wan-Bissaka, only to blaze high. It was a difficult skill and Wan-Bissaka had applied pressure. Jesus will feel that he should have done better.
Pep Guardiola values control – he has felt as if Solskjær is addicted to chaos – and the City manager sought him out starting with Fernandinho and Rodri at the forefront of his defense. Solskjær had returned to a back room, having started in a 3-4-1-2 system against Leipzig. His big move was bringing Pogba back to the starting lineup, placing him to the left of a midfield diamond.
Pogba prevailed, but it was a flash of Fernandes’ signature skill that appeared to have put United on the first goal early in the second half. His whipped cross found Rashford, who touched the ball away from Kyle Walker before being caught by him. The punishment would be reversed when the VAR detected an offside against Rashford.
The Fiver – Sign up and receive our daily soccer email.
United picked up the pace. Pogba fed Rashford, who fired uselessly, but it was the hosts who looked the most determined in the early part of the second half. Solskjær, who remained in his seat as usual, wondered if his team could put together a decisive counterattack; if Fernandes or Pogba could make something happen. The fans missed a lot, but nonetheless, there was an intensity to the show.
City came back and De Bruyne looked ready to score after Jesus attacked him, who had appeared offside earlier on the play. Maguire made a major block.
