MANCHESTER CITY’S EARLY brilliance allowed them to ride out a shambolic debut from goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and claim a breathless 2-1 derby win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Pep Guardiola looked set to dish out a comprehensive beating to his old adversary Jose Mourinho in the United dugout as Kevin De Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho – in for suspended top scorer Sergio Aguero – put City into a two-goal lead.
But Bravo, starting after his move from Barcelona hastened crowd favourite Joe Hart through the Etihad Stadium exit door, erred as Zlatan Ibrahimovic reduced the arrears with his fourth Premier League goal of the season.
Further bizarre decision making from the 33-year-old looked United’s easiest route to a draw and he prompted more last-ditch defending in stoppage time before City were able to take the local bragging rights and look down on their neighbours from the top of the table.
Paul Pogba flashed a 25-yard strike over in the seventh minute following neat interplay from Wayne Rooney and full debutant Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but United’s forward talents were forced to feed off scraps as City’s sharp passing pinned the hosts back.
Guardiola’s men were good value for their 15th-minute opener, although it arrived in unexpectedly direct circumstances.
Bravo, making his City bow in goal, stroked a pass out to left-back Aleksandar Kolarov, who pumped a long ball towards Iheanacho as United held their ground.
The Nigeria international won the flick on and De Bruyne streamed clear, away from a switched-off Daley Blind to slot past David de Gea.
City continued to mercilessly hog possession and Blind’s game went from bad to worse nine minutes before half-time, inadvertently playing Iheanacho onside to convert when De Bruyne’s left-footed shot thudded back off the base of the post.
But United were offered a lifeline when Bravo horribly fumbled a free-kick from deep and Ibrahimovic rifled home.
More haphazard decision making from Bravo meant John Stones was forced to clear off the line in stoppage time, giving further encouragement to Mourinho at the end of what proved an often chastening half for United.
The United boss sent on Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera for Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard at the break, and his revamped attack began the second half on the front foot, with Ibrahimovic blazing over under pressure from Kolarov.
Guardiola responded by adding steel to his midfield in the form of Fernando as Iheanacho made way.
City’s earlier fluency was providing elusive, with Bravo’s continually erratic showing doing little for their collective composure.
Chile’s number one crafted an old-fashioned derby day 50-50 challenge in his own area following a dreadful touch, crunching into Rooney and playing the ball via equal means of luck and judgement.
Bravo allowed a shot from the menacing Rashford to slip past him, but Ibrahimovic being stationed in an offside position spared him.
There was more pleasing goalkeeping at the other end when De Gea got down sharply to thwart Fernandinho from a De Bruyne corner in the 71st minute.
In De Bruyne, City had one man whose first-half level had not waned and the Belgium star collected a pass from substitute Leroy Sane to spin a shot off the inside of De Gea’s near post and agonisingly across the goal-line.
The breathing space Guardiola’s team appeared to need was never close to arriving, but they hung on to retain their 100 per cent record at the expense of United’s to land a first telling blow in what promises to be a pulsating title race.
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Great game. City were extremely impressive. Not overly disappointed from a United perspective as they won’t play a team that good too often. Agree Herrera was great when he came on, Pogba was disappointing, Lingard not up to this standard and Rooney was poor. Why is treated as this sacred cow where he seems to be undroppable no matter how bad he plays and wasn’t even substituted today. His corners were dreadful, floated in high every time instead of being whipped in under the crossbar to put Bravo under more pressure. Leaving my red tinted glasses aside I have to say well done City.
Well said. Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Yep spot on. City were fantastic. Utd need a few tweeks but it’s night and day from last season.
Liverpool fan here but that was one fantastic game of football. Man Utd crap in first half but much better in second half. Man City impressive the whole game. Already this srsson looking like it could be the best yet..roll on Liverpool v Leicester.
City look class. Can’t see many teams beating them to be fair. Negative set up by Jose. Lingard is like an ashtray on a motorbike. Him over Rasher was a joke that backfired.
De brune is class. Think if him and Kun were missing they’ll struggle. Bravo is going to cost them under the high ball. Need to get kompany back.
Ya. Rooney should be dropped. Him, fallani and lingard were poor today.
Lingard was awful mistake by Jose.. City were class in the first half and deserved to win
Thought Fellani was actually quite good today, did his job as opposed to Pogba, Rooney and to lesser extent even Ibra was wasteful today… Smalling needs to come back instead of Blind soon too… If Smalling plays like he did last year and Valencia keeps up his form, United could have the best defence in the league but if Pogba is going to go missing and leave holes front of the defence like he did today then it won’t stand a chance!
I thought blind done well today with exception of the goal. Although I agree smalling has to come back
Don’t get me wrong, Blind was decent today but with a better marshalled defence both goals were avoidable…
Every goal is avoidable with proper defence ya dope
Troll over Beethoven!
City were excellent in that first half but it baffles me how Herrera is constantly left out of the starting team. United are a far better team with him in the middle of the park and a bit of pace up front from the likes of Rashford or Martial.
De bruyne comes back to haunt Jose!!! I hear there’s been a missing person report at old Trafford some young lad called Paul Pigba
*Pogba
That was one of the most self indulgent, whiney, whingey performances from Rooney, absolute disgrace, how many times did he lose the ball
Not sure what game you watched but Pogba had a decent game
Said it before the season even started with all the fuss and hullabaloo about United that city were going about their business quietly Manchester is blue!!!
Clown
As is Mersyside Alan
Baffles me how he keeps his place. United must be afraid of his strop if he’s dropped. He has no pace and today constantly lost possession or played the wrong pass
Eh no he didn’t
Very quiet here this evening the MUFC phone network must be down and it was going so well
*Pigba
Pogba had a good game. I never heard his name mentioned once.
What????
Rooney has to be dropped on current form. I thought Mourinho would be the man to do the right thing but for the life of me I can’t understand why he constantly gets the nod ahead of others.
I’m not saying get rid of him but at least drop him when out of form. He was awful today.
Rooney has generally been awful for a couple of years now.Jose has to appease him for a few games as he’s captain/club top scorer/300kpw earner. He’ll soon drop him and have him gone in January. Zlatan owns the ego stakes there now.
Mourino has his favorites don’t expect him to do the right thing and drop Rooney that is not going to happen
It is sad to see United morph into the old Stoke. Only looked dangerous under the long ball.
Er City’s first goal came from a long ball….
When United decided to actually start playing football after 40 minutes it was a good close game. Why Rashford was on the bench again is beyond me. He belongs in the first time and he proved that yet again today
Only caught bits from the first half and the last 30 mins , rooney looks like a sunday league player I hate to say it because I like him but his time is up . City will be hard to beat , bravo looked dodgy
Could have been a slaughter if Aguero was playing
“If” dinosaur? If my Auntie had balls she’d be my uncle :-)
Can’t have many complaints as a utd fan, slow start cost us massively but we were lucky to be only a goal down at ht, City deserved the win but I wouldn’t be too downbeat after 4 games, in the words of a wise man “City are what we aspire to” lol…joke!!
Agree 100% @Now or Never. I’m not downbeat at all. United are so much better than last year, City are seriously good and, as everybody has said, it’s only the 4th game of the season. It’s not like United have been beaten by someone like Burnley now, is it?
the hype surrounding United’s overspending on former traitors, from uninformed fans who spout ‘attack,attack,attack’ the minute they see a sideways pass, is so much better now*
fixed it for you.
Of course the elephant in the room that the sycophantic press and twitter generation fans won’t dare mention, is that the previous manager, who they teamed up on to get fired, had City in his pocket for 2 seasons. Always outpassed, outplayed and outdefended them. With Aguero out and a dodgy keeper, LVG would have laughed his way to 3 points today, especially considering the extra firepower Utd now have available (pogbanonymous, Bailly, Mik, Zlatan, and uninjured players like Shaw, Schweinsteiger, Valencia). Mourinho circus was shown to be fraudulent today, by the most objective, like-for-like comparisons.
Jose made a costly mistake starting Lingaard
Delighted City won and I’m a Chelsea fan…De Bruyne back to haunt Morinho good enough for him…looks like the league is between us and City then
After 4 games!!!??;) oh Dannyboy, the pipe and weed ur smokin, is duly affecting what’s left of ur brain cells!!
Well I’m not sure about the weed….but we all said the same about Leicester last season and fair play they won it fair and square…and we haven’t started too badly…so who knows…as long as red team from Manchester and red team from London don’t win…all is good ha ha…
Duche
As a life long city fan that’s the best I’ve ever seen us play.
Fair play to you United fans for acknowledging that were legit
As a lifelong Utd fan, it was a joy to see the spoiled plastics who bayed for LVG’s blood all season, have to gulp down their own acrid bile, and endure the fraudulent one’s lump it forward football. LVG had that City team in his pocket for two seasons, and now his protege came along and embarrassed Utd on their home turf with the exact same sophisticated possession-based football. Despite Utd adding the most expensive player in history.
I’m a lifelong United fan too Terence but I can’t believe you’re wishing LVG was still there and that you are dismissing Mourinho after just 4 league games. Have you forgotten how dire United were to watch last season? Yeah they kept possession of the ball a lot but that was from sideways and backwards passing. How, as a lifetime fab, can you wish that on them again?
Facts are Utd dominated City in 4 encounters, with a complete reversal Saturday. Utd also won 4/4 against Liverpool, 2/4 plus a draw against Tottenham, 2/4 plus a draw against Arsenal, 3 draws aganist Chelsea,etc during LVG’s reign. His sophisticated blueprint allowed Utd to control the games against top opposition, and even Fergie hadn’t a record as strong as that against top sides over 2 years. Utd fans and players lack the foresight to understand that backwards passing was a ruse to draw opposition out of formation, and lull them to sleep. Players’ disobedience and refusal to listen to VG’s instructions, aswell as crippling injuries, is the reason that fans didn’t see more goals, and now their careers are in jeopardy under a new manager, who has departed from Utd’s tradition (not promoting from within [Giggs], and not prioritising youth involvement).
Mourinho can’t be dismissed, as his record is excellent, but he has no excuses – no injuries, 2x 30m defenders in the squad that VG didn’t have (Bailly and Shaw), 89m player (controversial purchase), and a fine striker and winger/creator… all added to an already decent squad. So he’s failed the 1st major test miserably in front of 80k, and the jury is out big time on the man who nearly got Chelsea relegated last year, yet weaselled his way into the Utd job with a very underhanded media campaign led by his agent.
The reason I wish LVG and his passing football was still in place is firstly, I enjoyed watching Utd have the ball for most of the 90mins (something like 80% in stamford bridge, for example), and, this is only opinion, but I think it would have all come together this season – himself, Giggs and the other coaches would have made adjustments, and theoretically not had the injuries which played a huge part in their dropping points to bottom-tier teams. Not losing those games alone would would have put them in contention for the title. Plus VG was a more stately gent than Jose
Have you been typing this comment for 2 days Terence as this is old news now. Of course you’re entitled to your opinion but I’m also entitled to mine and I hold the complete opposite view to you. Keep the faith.
Rooney finished, Blind a disaster, not ever good enough for its,utd , city better team
United will have to spend a few hundred million more to catch City. In the old days this United team would win the league easy but City and maybe Chelsea looking so good the winner this year will have to be exceptional.
Get in!
Nice one