THE VERDICT: CITY 3 UNITED 1
CITY gave further notice that they are a more mature, more dangerous team than last season with a crucial derby win.
They did not lay United to waste, as they have threatened to in most recent derbies, but they won with something to spare – it was smart rather than devastating.
And while it did not feature the delirious abandon which marked the first half of last season’s affair, it had just the right degree of pragmatism.
And if they can stop Ederson from suffering the kind of madness which seems to be induced by boredom, they will be a better team – both in Premier League and Europe – for it.
Last season they led 2-0 at half-time, continued to attack and were picked off in a game that saw United strike back and delay the title celebrations by a week.
This time they were two goals up through David Silva and Sergio Aguero when the Brazilian keeper dashed out to try to win an unwinnable ball and brought down Romelu Lukaku.
Anthony Martial’s penalty gave United hope and had City fans dreading another discarded opportunity.
This time the lead was just 1-0 at half-time, and the dominance of the ball, and ease with which City moved it through bewildered Red ranks, was nowhere near as pronounced. And those memories of what happened in April, when a jubilant first half turned into a rare moment of lost control and recrimination, were lingering in the minds of City fans as they reflected at the break.
City had cranked up their Formula One steamroller early in the game, Fernandinho’s passes slicing through the United defence, with Bernardo Silva and David Silva both unable to capitalise.
But even against a formation that was as deep and unadventurous as any Huddersfield or Southampton team, City looked like scoring.
They did so after 12 minutes as Raheem Sterling carved a path down the left and whipped a cross which reached Bernardo beyond the far post.
He quickly delivered it back across and when Sergio Aguero failed to convert, Silva did exactly that.
Silva has now scored four in his last five games, and seven in total this season – already more than halfway towards his career-best total of 12 in a campaign.
Even at 1-0 down, United hardly threw caution to the wind – they continued to defend in numbers and look for a break.
And that is where Guardiola’s new pragmatism clicked in.
Last season the Blues went for the kill at 1-0, scoring again before half-time and committing numbers forward.
This time they were happy for United to have a purple patch or two – and the D Silva (12), Aguero (48), Gundogan (86) Martial (58, pen) 65% 35% 17 6 54,316 5 1 Bernardo Shaw Anthony Taylor fact Ederson had no saves to make speaks of the effectiveness with which they did it.
They also ripped into United from the start of the second half, Fernandinho pouncing on a Jesse Lingard mistake and feeding Aguero.
He made a bee-line for goal, played a one-two with Riyad Mahrez and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from an angle.
Ederson’s rashness handed United a lifeline, but this time City defended with resolve and resilience.
They attacked with greater conservatism, but to no less effect – and killed the game late on when Bernardo Silva beautifully picked out Ilkay Gundogan, whose perfect touch left him with a simple chance to secure derby victory – and he made no mistake in taking it.