OLE BOYS ARE DELIGHTED
Blunder keeper hands Solskjaer glory again
MANCHESTER UNITED helped themselves to a treble over Pep Guardiola’s men to leave their neighbours feeling punch drunk at Old Trafford.
Anthony Martial’s first-half goal and a stoppage-time strike from substitute Scott Mctominay secured a win to boost United’s hopes of Champions League qualification – and edge Liverpool a step closer to the Premier League title.
Feeling the most dazed and confused was City goalkeeper Ederson, who produced two horrific blunders and was so bad he might as well have been in the red side not the blue.
United have become Guardiola’s nemesis this season and have now beaten City three times, a feat they last managed a decade ago when Sir Alex Ferguson was boss. That was also the last time United completed a league double over City, who must be sick of the sight of Ole Gunnar’s Solskjaer’s men, who are now 10 games unbeaten.
United made seven changes and were boosted by Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-bissaka being passed fit, while David De Gea, Martial, Daniel James, Brandon Williams and Nemanja Matic returned.
City also rang the changes, six in all from the side that beat Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup in midweek.
Only Joao Cancelo, Nicolas Otamendi, Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Sergio Aguero kept their places and there was a recall for Phil Foden along with Raheem Sterling.
Guardiola’s men arrived in top form, having won five straight games, including crucial wins over Real Madrid, Leicester and Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup Final.
Form often flies out of the window on days like these, though, and the continued doubts about City’s fragile defence were brought into sharp focus in the first half.
First Martial almost pounced on a stray back pass from Oleksandr Zinchenko inside three minutes, while James shot straight at Ederson.
Less than two minutes later the frustrating Frenchman had made amends, though, latching onto Bruno
Fernandes’ quickly-taken free-kick, chipped over City’s two-man wall, to fire an instant volley past the weak hands of Ederson.
It was never a free-kick in the first place, considering Ilkay Gundogan had not fouled Fernandes, who got booked for arguing.
But Mike Dean more than evened things up on the stroke of half-time when he booked Fred for diving, despite him being whacked on the ankle by Otamendi. It should have been a penalty.
Martial almost profited from another blunder from Ederson on 50 minutes, before Foden forced a fingertip save from De Gea at the opposite end.
Guardiola made a double switch on the hour mark, throwing on Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus.
It looked like working, but Sterling failed to convert Mahrez’s cross before De Gea denied Jesus.
City’s and Ederson’s afternoon was complete when, in trying to find Benjamin Mendy on the left, Ederson overthrew the ball and it went straight to Mctominay who hoofed it back into an empty net from 35 yards.
No wonder Ederson pulled his shirt up over his eyes at the final whistle to hide his embarrassment.