Manchester City only needed one derby to make a statement. Their 3-0 win over Manchester United made it clear that even with a shaky start to the season, Guardiola’s side hasn’t lost its edge. Haaland scored twice, Foden grabbed the opener, and Donnarumma, on his debut, got a standing ovation. United, on the other hand, was second best from the very first whistle and never really looked in the game.
Haaland decisive and Foden smiling
From the opening seconds it felt like City’s night. Haaland had a chance after just 18 seconds and missed, but instead of nerves it looked more like a warning sign. He kept moving, pulling defenders out of shape and creating space. The breakthrough came when Foden met Doku’s cross with a header to make it 1-0. That was his seventh goal in Manchester derbies in the Premier League, leaving him behind only Aguero and Rooney on the list.
After halftime, City turned up the tempo again. A neat sequence involving O’Reilly, Foden and Doku ended with Haaland in the box, and this time he didn’t miss. Moments later he somehow failed to score with the net wide open, but it barely seemed to bother him. Maguire then coughed up possession, Bernardo Silva pounced and slipped the ball to the Norwegian forward, who slotted in for 3-0. The Etihad erupted as Haaland hit 50 goals in 50 Premier League home games, a record only Alan Shearer reached quicker. The hat trick never came, but it felt like he was just saving it for the next match.
Donnarumma’s debut and United’s silence
Haaland may have dominated the headlines, but Donnarumma left his mark too. Making his first start for City, the Italian keeper looked calm on the ball and hit his passes cleanly. What really got the fans on their feet, though, was a brilliant reflex stop to deny Mbeumo in the second half. It was the kind of debut that instantly wins trust, exactly what you want when you arrive with so much expectation.
United hardly offered a response. Sesko got the nod up front but was isolated all evening. Casemiro blew their best chance when he fired wide at an open goal. Fernandes and Ugarte couldn’t handle the midfield battle, and Bayindir walked off after conceding three and showing a few shaky moments with the ball at his feet. Amorim looked short of answers, watching his team slump to another loss that only increases the pressure early in his tenure.