Man City’s De Bruyne and Mahrez double up in derby to spell trouble for United

Manchester City 4 Manchester United 1

With a few minutes to go and the victory secure, thousands of Manchester City fans momentarily turned their backs on this derby to jig up and down in a joyous Poznan. It was an occasion when they had once again laid bare the chasm that has opened up between themselves and United and they were going to enjoy it.

United were better than they had been in that hideous loss to their neighbours at Old Trafford last November – the one that was pretty much the final straw for Ole Gunnar Solskjær. They had a few flickers in the first half and scored a nice goal to equalise at 1-1 through Jadon Sancho.

But City are simply on another level. In what was Ralf Rangnick’s first Premier League game against opposition from the so-called big six, City led 2-1 at the break – both goals coming from the superlative Kevin De Bruyne – and the hard truth was that it could have been more. With Harry Maguire suffering more than anybody in a United defence that was loose and open for most of the game, City did make it worse in the second half.

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Riyad Mahrez fired home a wonderful half-volley from a De Bruyne corner for 3-1 – the ball flicking in off the hapless Maguire – and, with the City fans in carnival mood, there would be a late bonus. The substitute Ilkay Gündogan played in Mahrez, who looked offside but nevertheless blasted past David De Gea. When the VAR lines came out, it turned out that Mahrez was level.

City had needed to respond to Liverpool’s home win over West Ham from Saturday and how they did. United, meanwhile, slip to fifth below Arsenal.

There were five minutes on the stadium clock when City went ahead with their first forward thrust and it was a dreadfully soft way for United to cede the initiative.

Bernardo Silva swapped passes with Jack Grealish, who had started ahead of Raheem Sterling, and the danger on the left was not pronounced. But Silva was allowed to pull back a low ball towards the penalty spot and De Bruyne, who had timed his arrival under an apparent cloak of darkness, slotted past De Gea. There was no pressure and no awareness from United.

Rangnick was without Cristiano Ronaldo – the manager said it was because of a hip flexor problem – while Luke Shaw and Rafael Varanë were Covid positive. His response was to start Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes as false nines and ask the wingers, Anthony Elanga and Sancho, to push up.

Rangnick wanted United to engage City high up the pitch but their equaliser was the classic counterattack. It was sparked when Aaron Wan-Bissaka got the better of Grealish and his lofted ball forward was cushioned inside by Elanga for Fernandes, who found Pogba and he released Sancho. The former City winger stepped inside and curled a lovely shot into the far corner.

United were in the game in the first half, in that they looked as though they could make something happen in the final third. And yet City were much more threatening, winning the ball in dangerous areas time and again to spark quick transitions. De Bruyne was a menace, revelling in the spaces between the lines and so was Phil Foden at the tip of the formation.

City’s second goal came after they forced a high turnover and Foden lifted the ball over Victor Lindelöf, who had gone for the header and missed it. Foden’s shot was saved by De Gea and, when Silva’s rebound effort broke off two United players, De Bruyne lashed home from close range.

City could look back upon a fistful of chances before the interval, arguably the best being for Mahrez just before it. He jinked inside from the right and drew an excellent save out of De Gea. De Bruyne had one shot blocked by Maguire and another saved by De Gea while Foden had three moments. He was denied by Maguire following a bit of wrestling – Foden cried in vain for a penalty – while he looped a header off the top of the crossbar and also dragged wide after a De Bruyne break.

For United, Fred almost tricked through on nine minutes while Sancho blazed high just before De Gea’s stop from Mahrez after a slick move that ended in Fernandes teeing him up.

It was fast and furious, with City stepping up in the second half, applying even more pressure, forcing United further on to their heels. Elanga almost stole in on the hour only for João Cancelo to track back and clear over his own crossbar; Pep Guardiola had thrown himself to the ground in frustration when Foden was robbed by Scott McTominay in the build-up.

But the moment that summed things up came when Maguire was booked for a lunge at the breaking De Bruyne. It shone a harsh light on the difference between the captains – one all fleet of foot; the other seemingly playing in a different time zone.

Guardiola was all smiles on 68 minutes when Mahrez scored his 20th goal of the season in all competitions and there was a crushing inevitability about how the shot deflected off Maguire. Mahrez’s technique from the edge of the area was beautiful and City poured on the pain thereafter. Mahrez shot too close to De Gea, Cancelo went close with a scissors kick and both Mahrez and Gündogan could not finish in the same move. Mahrez would have the final word. – Guardian