Onana’s miracles were not enough, the gap between the two teams was evident throughout the match. The Norwegian scores a brace, then a goal from Foden. City catches Arsenal again behind Tottenham, for United’s fifth defeat in 10 games
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dchinellato
– manchester (eng)
Manchester is blue, like the color of City’s shirt. And he has blonde hair like Erling Haaland, che scores with a brace and an assist to make it 3-0 Phil Foden’s triumph over United. The champions of everything showed throughout the match that they were superior to the Red Devils, who didn’t need André Onana’s best English game to avoid sinking. Haaland, 11 goals in 10 games, puts City back on par with Arsenal in the standings, two points behind Tottenham at the top. United take another step backwards, suffering their 5th defeat in 10 Premier League games: there hadn’t been so many defeats at this point in the season since 1986-87.
the keys
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The Old Trafford fans booed him mercilessly when he came off in the 72nd minute, but former Atalanta player Rasmus Hojlund is just one of United’s many problems at the moment. The Dane, who has not yet scored in the Premier League, failed again, with the aggravating circumstance of the foul on Rodri which led to City’s lead from a penalty in the 26th minute. Hojlund arrived in Manchester as a rough diamond to be refined, but the 80 million spent on him in the summer had created other expectations. Ten Hag will have to be good at protecting him but he also has the problem of Marcus Rashford, a star a year ago who only scored in the Premier League on 3 September, of an attack that doesn’t produce goals (11 in 10 games so far), of a midfield that doesn’t creates and does not filter (even Casemiro, absent due to injury, no longer makes a difference) and an improvised defense. These are all weak points that City exploited to materialize their superiority. Guardiola’s team is not yet as irresistible as when they are at the top but they are clearly improving with the return of almost all the injured players. At Old Trafford, with only the long-term patient De Bruyne absent as well as the suspended Akanji, Pep fielded the best possible team: Haaland takes the man of the match award, but Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Rodri (City’s two Premier League defeats were arrived in the matches he missed due to disqualification) were equally excellent. And now the champions have a rare opportunity to continue improving: a week of training without matches, given that they are already out of the Carabao Cup which plays the 4th round this week.
the match
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Onana denies City the goal in the 8th minute with a sensational double save, first on Foden and then ahead of Haaland, but can do nothing about the Norwegian’s penalty in the 26th minute which puts City ahead. Referee Tierney had granted it at the suggestion of VAR Oliver, who had sent the match director to the monitor to check a hold by Hojlund on Rodri seen only with the electronic eye. If United went into the break 1-0 down, the credit goes to Onana, who in the 4th minute of injury time denied Haaland a header that seemed to have already been scored. The appointment with the 2-0 is postponed until the beginning of the second half: in the 4th minute it is Haaland who celebrates again, for a header inspired by Bernardo Silva which Onana can do nothing about. United’s reaction lies in yet another mistake from Rashford, and then City also scores the 3rd goal: in the 80th minute Haaland collects a clearance from Onana in the area following a difficult shot from Rodri, but instead of the hat-trick he chooses an assist for Foden , who celebrates in the section of Old Trafford occupied by the very enthusiastic City fans. Yes, Manchester is blue.
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