Erling Haaland scored a clinical double, leading Manchester City to a resounding 3-0 victory over Manchester United in the latest derby clash at the Etihad Stadium. The dominant win not only gave Pep Guardiola’s side bragging rights but also provided a strong response to their recent league defeats. The result means City overtakes their rivals in the table, while United's dismal start to the season continues.
The scoring began in the 18th minute, with Phil Foden marking his first start of the season with a well-placed header. Jeremy Doku provided the assist, skillfully navigating through the United defense before delivering a precise cross. This was Foden’s seventh goal in the derby, a tally now matched by his Norwegian teammate. The goal set the tone for the match, with City’s attacking flair proving too much for United's defense.
Haaland, who has been in sensational form with seven goals this week for club and country, got his first of the match in the 53rd minute. Doku once again was instrumental, sliding a perfect pass to the striker, who chipped the ball over goalkeeper James Trafford. Just 15 minutes later, Haaland capitalized on a United mistake, outsprinting Harry Maguire to a through ball from Bernardo Silva and coolly slotting home his second goal, sealing the comprehensive victory.
For Manchester United, the loss extends their worst start to a league season since 1992-93, with just four points from their opening four games. Under manager Ruben Amorim, the team has secured only eight wins in 31 league games, a record that puts his win ratio among the lowest for any manager with over 20 games at the club. Despite the pressure, Amorim insisted he will not change his philosophy. "I accept it is not a record you should have at Manchester United," he told Sky Sports, but added, "I am not going to change my philosophy. I play my way, and I am going to play my way."
United midfielder Bruno Fernandes echoed his manager's sentiments regarding the preventable nature of the goals conceded. "What we did today was not enough to get a result," Fernandes said. "We kept creating chances, but were not able to score as much as we wanted. We conceded three goals we could have avoided." The pre-match atmosphere was marked by a touching tribute to the late boxer Ricky Hatton, a lifelong City fan, with a moment of unity between both sets of supporters.
