Martial and Shaw sparkle as Red Devils bring City’s run to a halt
AFTER Bruno Fernandes scored, he slid on his knees in celebration, covering his ears with his hands. Was it a pointed response to the loud criticism that he has been ineffective against the so-called ‘Big Six’ or was it a gesture to silence those noisy neighbours?
Maybe it was both. Maybe it was neither, with Fernandes later saying it was in tribute to his children, although possibly that was more in reference to him going on to suck his thumb.
Whatever the reason something had to give in this Manchester derby and, in the end, it was Manchester City’s hopes of extending their record of 21 successive victories.
There will surely be another Premier League title this season for Pep Guardiola but there will not be a new world record compounded by the irritation of it being United who not just stopped them but beat them. Welsh side The New Saints (with 27 wins) can sleep easy.
United claimed a famous, surprising but deserved victory and continued their run away from home to a formidable 22 league games unbeaten.
More importantly, they returned to second in the table, bolstering their hopes of securing Champions League qualification and also set a standard they have to maintain if they are going to properly challenge next season. For them this has to be the marker; not the one-off.
They were aggressive, positive, defensively sound and threatening and chose their moments brilliantly in front of a watching Alex Ferguson.
United may not be truly closing the gap on City just yet – even if it is now down to 11 points – but taking four points this season from the best team and claiming two clean sheets should be some encouragement with several outstanding performances led by Anthony Martial, at centre-forward, where he wants to play, and Luke Shaw who scored their second goal in front of England manager Gareth Southgate.
Limped
United’s only concern was an injury to Marcus Rashford who limped off having run himself into the ground.
Credit then to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Tactically, he got this spot-on.
United claimed just 34pc possession – their lowest of the season – but the difference this time was that they used the ball well.
Perhaps stung by the criticism Solskjaer ordered his side to press high and be brave and reaped the reward as he used the rapid Daniel James as a willing runner up and down the right.
City were off-key as Solskjaer became the first manager to beat a Guardiola side three times away from home. Both goals were testament to their approach. Fernandes’ early strike came from the penalty spot after Gabriel Jesus’ rash challenge on Martial as the forward ran across the face of the area.
Just 34 seconds had elapsed and City had been lax, with Jesus losing possession from a throw-in as United pressed.
Referee Anthony Taylor was wellplaced, the spot-kick was rightly awarded and Fernandes drove the ball to Ederson’s right.
The goalkeeper got a hand to it but could not keep it out and Fernandes had his second goal of the season – and his second penalty – in ‘Big Six’ encounters. It also meant it was the first time that City had been behind in a Premier League game since November, 20 matches ago.
The second goal was better as, early in the second half, City were carved apart. Dean Henderson staked his claim in goal – it surely cannot be a given that David De Gea will return as number one after his absence following the birth of his child – and there was a clever throw-out to Shaw.
Joao Cancelo was distracted by Rashford and Shaw smartly chested the ball infield and sprinted goalwards, leaving the full-back trailing.
Shaw exchanged passes with Rashford before steering a precise low shot that beat Ederson, who stood rooted, and found the corner of the net. City were stunned.
In fact, it took the champions-elect until midway through the first half to consistently force United back. After Henderson beat out a powerful drive from Oleksandr Zinchenko, City demanded a penalty when Raheem
Sterling ran into Fred. Soon after and Ilkay Gundogan nimbly worked his way through only to shoot weakly at Henderson while United were furious with Taylor for blowing for half-time instead of awarding them a free-kick on the edge of the City penalty area when it appeared James had been fouled.
For City, it may have been different when, soon after the re-start, Jesus laid Riyad Mahrez’s pass into the path of Rodri whose side-footed shot from 18 yards clipped the top of the crossbar.
That was just before Shaw scored but against that United could have struck again when Martial reached Fernandes’ looping cross only to fail to get enough power in his diving header and then the ball broke to him after Scott McTominay was fouled.
With only Ederson to beat he shot
straight at the goalkeeper, although the failure to take those chances were the only marks against Martial in a shrewd, skilful performance.
“Today he rediscovered himself,” Solskjaer said.
It was only when substitute Phil Foden arrived that City livened up. Why did he not start?
Foden swivelled and shot narrowly wide and suddenly Kevin De Bruyne, who had struggled, came alive.
Sterling somehow failed to convert De Bruyne’s cross, then misdirected a header before John Stones just could not reach a flick on. City desperately searched for a way back but failed to find it.
“We’ve played worse and won,” Guardiola later lamented. But it did not feel like that. United were well worth the victory. (© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2021)