A significant result for all teams in the Premier League's top
The days when Manchester United were favorites in the derby against City are gone. However, the team is doing a lot this season with ten Hague. After four wins in four rounds, Manchester United would look decent. And so it happened. In the first half, it needed to be made clear who the champion was here.
Manchester United changed a little, sending Fernandes to the right flank (a common position for Bruno in the national team but non-standard for the club). The main thing that distinguishes this Manchester United from last year is discipline. Fred, who was at the base, worked to the end on De Bruyne and scratched the ball. ManCity still created some chances, but, firstly, not as many as usual, and secondly, if the ball in the penalty area flew off to Haaland, then two opponents covered his shot at once. Shaw finally settled into the position of a central defender, but he looked good there in the previous three rounds.
Problems with discipline, instead, arose from the City goalkeeper. Toward the end of the first half, Ederson ran out of the box when he definitely shouldn't have. The goalkeeper had no chance of being first on the ball. ManCity was lucky that Walker managed to block Rashford's shot. But after a couple of minutes, Ederson stopped the ball when Rashford went one-on-one with him.
Rashford has become a key player in the team in recent years. The more offensive his injury looked right before the break. He would finish the half and be replaced. The forward remained on the field, ran back without jerks, and Anthony appeared in the area at the beginning of the second half. Only not instead of Rashford (he just stayed on the field), but instead of Martial.
As for City, the team began to turn on and remember how to play football. If in the first half possession did not give anything, then in the second, it was already converted into more obvious moments. And in the 60th minute Grealish scored, who had just appeared on the field. He scored, of course, with the transfer of De Bruyne. This is already the Belgian's tenth assist in the league (the best result in the Premier League this season).
What happened next will be debated for a long time to come. Manchester United turned the game around (although, instead, it was the result because the game was relatively even) and, instead of 0:1, made 2:1 in their favor. At the same time, Manchester United's first ball turned out to be very controversial. Rashford was offside. The question is whether he took an active part in the episode. He was still blocking the ball from the City defenders. The judge thought otherwise. As a result, Rashford did not touch the ball, and Fernandes struck accurately.
Four minutes later, Rashford himself scored. There were also doubts about offside, but the replay made it clear that there should be no questions about the second goal. Thus, Manchester United moved to third place, just one point behind City. Well, Arsenal may tomorrow, following the results of another derby (with Tottenham), break away by eight points from ManCity.
Immediately after the match, City players Canselu, Ederson, Grealish, and others ran to the referee with questions. Of course, the score hasn't changed.
14.01.2023