Toothless City have lost their mojo too, it appears
THE struggles of Manchester United this season have been annotated meticulously and their manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has been subjected to much mockery. But the struggles of the club that once wore the crown have also acted as camouflage for another truth: if they are not the team they once were, neither are their rivals from across the city.
Manchester City, too, appear to have fallen from grace. The team that fought out this dull, attritional goalless draw was not the vibrant side that won back-to-back championships and delighted us with scintillating, mesmerising attacking football. This was a City team that looks as if it has lost its confidence. United lost their mojo a long time ago. For City, it all feels new.
Their uncertainty was exemplified in the closing seconds when Gabriel Jesus was clean through on goal and advancing on David de Gea. Instead of shooting, though, he inexplicably chose to check his run and look for the support of a team-mate. There was no one there. The chance was gone. It was the story of a dank Manchester evening.
On this drab, dispiriting evidence, Manchester is neither red nor blue. Rather, it is a soporific shade of grey. United did little to impress in a dull, uninspired game but neither did City. United were marginally the better team in the first half, City were the better team in the second half. But this was a stalemate neither deserved to win. There was some justice in that at least.
Solskjaer felt it was the best display United had put in against City during his time in charge, if just lacking the end product.
‘(It was) not the best result, but the best performance (since being United manager),’ said Solskjaer.
‘It was a tight game. I know we beat them a few times last season but those were different games and had a few big moments.
‘They probably had the bigger moments in open play but everyone should be happy with a draw.’
Without Sergio Aguero, City look shorn of threat. And instead of being first among equals in this City side, Kevin De Bruyne is starting to look a little marooned in it, as if he does not quite know where his supporting cast has gone. Rumours still abound that Lionel Messi will arrive at the Etihad next month. Let’s hope so. If anyone can give this City team a jump-start, it’s him.
Maybe United, knocked out of the Champions League in midweek, will be more pleased with the result.
They burst into life, briefly, ten minutes into the game when Paul Pogba played a delightful, delicate chip into the path of Bruno Fernandes. His shot was blocked but when Luke Shaw swung in the resulting corner, Victor Lindelof flicked it on at the near post and Scott McTominay was within an inch of turning it over the line as he slid in at the back post. At the other end, Raheem Sterling and De Bruyne worked some magic with a one-two that freed Sterling in the box. He dummied and swerved his way past two United defenders, leaving a trail of flailing bodies in his wake but, when he found space to shoot, the ball was blocked by Harry Maguire and hacked away to safety.
A patient City build-up midway through the half quickened when Riyad Mahrez took possession and floated a clever pass over the top of the United defence into the path of Jesus. The Brazilian got to it ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and De Gea but scooped his shot over the bar. It is his curse for observers to see chances like that and think that Aguero would have scored.
Ten minutes before the interval, City came close again. They broke at speed from deep in their own half and, when Jesus played the ball square to De Bruyne, the Belgian swept it instantly onwards to Mahrez. He checked inside on to his left foot with only De Gea to beat but the goalkeeper blocked the shot with his legs and, when the rebound fell to De Bruyne, he drove the ball over the crossbar.
City manager Pep Guardiola felt his side had created enough chances but, like their opponents, were let down by their final touch.
‘The important thing is we didn’t concede,’ he said.
‘We had enough chances to win but the game was tight, so respect to both sides.
‘But we have to be a little bit sharper up front.’
Guardiola revealed Aguero had missed out because of a ‘stomach problem’. As for when his star striker will likely return, the City boss said: ‘It is step by step.’
United thought they had won a penalty two minutes into the second half when Kyle Walker brought down Marcus Rashford in the box after a brilliant crossfield ball by Fernandes but, after Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot, VAR showed that Rashford had strayed offside in the build-up.
Rashford had another half-chance ten minutes later when he found space down the middle as United broke. Pogba tried to play him in but overhit his pass and the weight of it drove Rashford wide. The England striker decided to shoot before the angle got any tighter but he slipped as he drew back his foot and the ball flew harmlessly wide.
The rest of the half slid into attrition. There was no conviction from either side and no inspiration. Fernandes had a late chance and blew it. Jesus wasted his opportunity, too. Unless they find improvements from somewhere, they better start concentrating on Europe.
MAN UTD (4-1-2-1-2): De Gea; Wan Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Fred; McTominay, Pogba; Bruno Fernandes; Rashford, Greenwood (Martial 74).
Subs (not used): Bailly, Mata, Henderson, Alex Telles, Matic, Van de Beek. Booked: Maguire.
MAN CITY (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Joao Cancelo; Rodri, Fernandinho; Mahrez (Torres 67), De Bruyne, Sterling; Gabriel Jesus.
Subs (not used): Gundogan, Steffen, Laporte, Bernardo Silva, Mendy, Foden. Booked: Fernandinho.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh.