There were incredibly important points at stake at the top of the Premier League as Manchester United and Manchester City today clashed in the red section of the city. Both teams came into the match with ugly defeats that needed to be revenge, so there was set up for a bang of a match at Old Trafford.
The first goal of the match should have already fallen after five minutes, as Harry Maguire stood quite free in the middle of the visitors' field after a free kick. However, the Manchester United captain did not get his header timed very well and he passed his attempt.
Instead, it was Manchester City who took the lead 1-0 just two minutes later. Joao Cancelo sent a cross into the home team's box, and Eric Bailly got a completely wrong hit. He actually hit it so badly that he kicked the ball in behind his own goalkeeper.
It was not much, the home team was on the ball in the beginning of the match, but with Cristiano Ronaldo on the field, it does not take much to create chances. The Portuguese was just about to equalize after 25 minutes when he sent an excellent volley away towards goal, but Ederson was saved on the line and Mason Greenwood could not react to the return.
A few minutes later it was instead close to becoming 2-0 when Gabriel Jesus got a return close to goal, but David de Gea delivered a phenomenal save on the line and got the Brazilian rejected. Shortly after, the Spanish goalkeeper again had to deliver a fantastic reflex save on the line, as Victor Lindelöf was about to kick the ball into his own net.
The home team's goal was under heavy fire, but de Gea continued to deliver. First he saved an excellent attempt from Kevin De Bruyne, and subsequently he took care of a long shot from Cancelo.
One minute before the break, however, it no longer went for the home team. Luke Shaw snorted on a post from Cancelo as he had not seen Bernardo Silva get in the back of him. and from a sharp angle, the Portuguese got the ball pricked in the net to 2-0, which was also the position at the break.
The pressure was on Manchester United from the start of the second half, and Ole Gunnar Solskjær took the consequence of this. He walked away from his 3-man back line and put Jadon Sancho on the field. However, the offensive bet threw nothing of itself, and after 25 minutes of the second half, the home team had not come closer to a reduction than before.
Ten minutes before time, the visitors were just about to close the match definitively. De Bruyne sent Phil Foden alone in the depths, but the young Englishman had to watch his finish towards the long corner be rejected by the post. John Stones got the opportunity a few minutes later, but the English midfielder sent his finish from close range past goal.
The home team never managed to put pressure on Manchester City, so Pep Guardiola's team could safely drive the 2-0 victory home.
With the victory, Manchester City goes past Liverpool in second place, but they will only play tomorrow, while Manchester United will be further distanced compared to the other top teams in the Premier League.