Manchester City delivered a dominant performance in the Manchester derby, sweeping aside Manchester United with Erling Haaland scoring twice. The final score was 3-0, a comfortable victory for the home side.
The match began on a somewhat sombre note, with tributes paid to the late Ricky Hatton. City seemed determined to honor Hatton with a victory, and their performance reflected that.
City controlled the early stages of the game. United's Harry Maguire had to react quickly to clear the ball off the line to deny Haaland an early goal. City's pressure eventually paid off in the 26th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Rasmus Hojlund was adjudged to have fouled Rodri. Haaland stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty past Andre Onana, giving City a deserved lead. It was remarkably City's first penalty awarded at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Both goalkeepers were called into action before halftime, with Ederson denying Scott McTominay and Onana saving a Haaland header.
Four minutes after the restart, Haaland doubled City's advantage, heading in from a brilliant cross by Bernardo Silva. It was Haaland's league-leading 11th goal of the season.
United had a chance to pull a goal back, but Marcus Rashford missed the opportunity. Haaland was later denied a second hat-trick against United by another save from Onana.
City added a third goal with ten minutes remaining. After a remarkable 53-pass sequence, Rodri's shot was parried by Onana, and Haaland unselfishly squared the ball for Phil Foden to finish.
The victory gives City six points from four league games. For United, it was another disappointing result in a season that continues to raise questions. Twelve years after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, the question remains when United might turn a corner.
Haaland's performance was a key factor in City's victory. His two goals and an assist showcased his importance to Pep Guardiola's side. City's win closes the gap on league leaders Tottenham Hotspur to two points. After ten games, City sits third in the standings with 24 points. United, meanwhile, are eighth with 15 points after their first defeat in four games across all competitions.
