Manchester City’s hopes of winning the Premier League title for a record-equalling third time in succession had felt slim at kick-off but does anybody truly think they can overhaul Liverpool after this?
It was hard enough for the City support to see their team dismantled by their crosstown rivals, Manchester United, during what amounted to a first-half counter-attacking masterclass – led by Marcus Rashford, who was close to unplayable. But a glance at the table at the end of it all shows that City now lag 14 points behind Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola and his players have shown themselves capable of piecing together a lengthy winning streak. Remember the 14-game surge that took them to the title last season? They fought here until the end, through five dramatic minutes of stoppage-time, yet a headed goal from the substitute, Nicolás Otamendi, was their only reward.
In terms of the broader picture City have surely left themselves with too much to do. In the history of English top-flight football no team has ever won the title after being 14 points behind the league leaders. Liverpool, who won yet again at Bournemouth, have come to resemble a dot on the horizon.
For United the emotions were rather different. This was a triumph on many levels, particularly on a tactical front for Ole Gunnar Solskjær, whose fast-breaking approach brought a 2-0 half-time lead, which could, in truth, have been greater.
Solskjær had talked after the encouraging home win over Tottenham on Wednesday about the need for his players to enjoy and express themselves – it is a prerequisite for those in United shirts, he said – and how they did so in that opening period, when the lead they built up proved unassailable. The pace and incision of some of their football recalled the club’s glory days and Sir Alex Ferguson took it in from the stands with a wide smile.
Never mind City’s push for back-to-back-to-back titles, United had merely wanted back-to-back league wins for the first time since March. They got that and, with Chelsea slipping up at Everton, they could reflect on having closed to within five points of the Champions League places.
It was another occasion when United looked good against a high-flying rival, a continuation of the trend that has seen them beat Chelsea, Leicester and Spurs, and draw against Liverpool. Once again they did not have too much possession – the statistics showed their share to be only 28% – but it was what they did with it that counted – how they cut through City in the first half with what Solskjær described as “quick, attacking, flowing football”.
Guardiola said his team had conceded four or five counter-attacks – no more – as he sought to play down what had happened. He was also entitled to point out that City had mustered 22 shots to United’s 11, although only five were on target compared with United’s six. City bristled with attacking menace, as they always do, only to routinely lack an end product.
But they had no answers in defence to United for much of the first half and, as Guardiola ran the gamut of emotions in his technical area, Solskjær’s team threatened with every forward thrust. “We look like a Man United team,” Solskjær said. “That’s a big thing.”
United created a fistful of chances in the opening 15 minutes, on the back of slick passing and movement in behind the City defence, and Guardiola could be happy that Ederson’s reflexes were on point. He saved from the excellent Dan James, stuck out a boot to deny Jesse Lingard in a one-on-one and plunged low to keep out an Anthony Martial shot.
City had a few flickers in the early running, although United got bodies in the way, and a goal for the visitors came to feel increasingly likely. Rashford, inevitably, was at the heart of it, sparking panic inside the City area. City had few answers to his speed and directness and, on this occasion, Bernardo Silva simply crashed into him. There was no action in real time but, when the VAR checks began, it was apparent that it was a penalty. Rashford’s composure from the spot was pronounced.
The breakthrough was the prompt for City to wobble and United to tighten their grip. Rashford fluffed a glorious chance after yet another rapid counter; he hit the crossbar following another and, when Martial added the second, it was too easy. Together with James, he played through City before beating Ederson at the near post.
City rallied. Gabriel Jesus missed a gilt-edged diving header, David Silva could not convert a Kevin De Bruyne cross at the far post and Kyle Walker howled for a penalty when his low cross hit Fred’s hand as the United midfielder jumped in to block. “Next season it [VAR] will be better or we’ll be luckier,” Guardiola said.
City pushed hard in the second half. Victor Lindelof blocked to deny De Bruyne, Aaron Wan-Bissaka got back to tackle Raheem Sterling and Rodri was denied by a David De Gea tip over. Although United retained a threat on the counter, it was City who came to look the likelier scorers of the next goal. Otamendi – on for the injured John Stones – got it to set up the grandstand finish and another substitute, Riyad Mahrez, extended De Gea. But United clung on.
