Man Utd 2
Man City 0
I do not think the club was buzzing with the usual derby intensity – let’s face it, recent happening have all made us feel a bit deflated. Carrick had a baptism of fire on his hands after being appointed interim manager till the end of the season. This wasn’t just any game, it was the Manchester derby, and we all knew City would be a stern test. From kick‑off, United were physical but we had seen this before, so I remained cautious despite our positive start. As the match progressed, we kept the intensity and the aggressiveness – and we were literally dominating our noisy neighbours!
Bruno had a well‑worked goal ruled out for offside before half‑time, and even Amad had a strike chalked off early in the second half after a VAR check. It was frustrating at times as I was expecting the usual sucker punch – but at the same time, we were playing well and going forward with intent – so there was a belief that the breakthrough would come.
As the second half unfolded, United continued to look the sharper of the teams and in the 65th minute, the breakthrough we’d been waiting for arrived. A quick transition from defence to attack saw Bruno slip a perfectly weighted pass into Mbeumo’s path and he made no mistake, coolly finishing beyond Donnarumma. The club erupted: now we were truly buzzing as we were witnessing something I had not seen for years – United dominating Citeh.
And it was pure elation about ten minutes later. Cunha who had come on a bit earlier, took on the defender and sent in a dangerous cross which found Dorgu who slotted home to make it 2–0. City looked shell‑shocked, and we were literally bouncing!
City piled on possession late but simply couldn’t produce clear chances. United’s defence — led by Lisandro Martínez and Harry Maguire — did superbly to see out the remaining minutes. We thought it was 3-0 when Mount slotted in the 3rd in another majestic counter but for the 3rd time in the afternoon, the goal was ruled out! I think this one should have stood but it mattered little in the end.
When the final whistle blew, it felt like more than three points. This felt surreal – how can we beat the second placed team comfortably and fail miserably against lower teams! For any United supporter, this was a derby to savour, reminiscent of the good old days. 2-0 win, 3 goals disallowed and hitting the woodwork twice – this was pure domination, make no mistake!
There was an intensity and sharpness that I had not seen for a long time and it is too early to say of this is the Carrick effect. The big question – can we carry this forward into next weekend when we go to the league leaders? Let us hope so…Numquam Moribimur.