Manchester City needed to win Sunday's derby to keep the pressure on Liverpool and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. For Manchester United, it was more about local pride, especially after the 6-3 defeat in this game last season.
We know what to expect from these games these days. City will have a lot of possession and a lot of shots, while United will look to hit their neighbors on the counterattack. The first half was exactly that. Marcus Rashford scored one of the goals of the season (0.03 xG), Erling Haaland then produced one of the misses of the season (0.89). Pep Guardiola's team had 18 shots before the break. United only had two.
City finally scored in the 56th minute thanks to a strike from Phil Foden that was just as impressive as Rashford's. That was his 17th of the season. His 18th came with ten minutes to play, capping a great-scoring derby that is perhaps even more significant given the tight situation at the top of the table. Haaland then added some sparkle to the result with a third goal in stoppage time (making up for his first-half miss).
Here, our writers break down the key moments from today's game.
How much did the injury affect Marcus Rashford's performance?
Rashford's wonder strike was all the more remarkable considering he had been struggling with injuries since the game against Nottingham Forest. As Rashford ran into the penalty area during Wednesday's FA Cup game, he was caught between two Forest defenders and took a knock in the ribs, then jammed his hip as he fell.
Rashford was able to train every session before the derby but required the attention of club doctor Gary O'Driscoll. Before the game at the Etihad, Rashford urged fans to understand his commitment to United in his column for Players Tribune and his incredible strike eight minutes later was an explosive confirmation of that statement. His passionate celebration before the crazy away game showed his passion even more.
Rashford was a real threat on the counter-attack but he wasn't perfect as he failed to control the ball in the first half as Kyle Walker chased him down and then missed his shot into the box from a cross from Bruno Fernandes.
However, Rashford didn't seem quite right. About 25 minutes later, he waved to the bench for support and seemed a little uncomfortable. O'Driscoll came out and waited on the sideline for the rest of the half but Rashford needed no treatment.
He was overtaken in terms of speed in a number of races with Walker in the second half, including the duel in which Erik ten Hag was adamant that a United free-kick should have been awarded. City went up the other end and scored through Foden.
A sign that Rashford was not fully fit came when he was substituted for Antony in the 75th minute.
Rashford opens the score (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Laurie Whitwell
Is Phil Foden a real goalscorer now?
Three years ago, Guardiola was asked how many goals Foden could score if he improved his composure. “A lot,” he replied. “Sometimes the last part of the last action is a bit… But that's normal at his age. He'll get it, no doubt. I know we can trust and rely on him at all times.”
And you know what, that serenity hasn't quite arrived yet. Think about his performance in the first half or the one-on-one against Brentford at the Etihad a few weeks ago and even the poor finish after a brilliant goal. When he runs in the Champions League final you realize that he can still reach levels.
That means: imagine when he gets there. The development over the last three years has been exactly as Guardiola had hoped and expected and this season he is emerging as City's main man. His second goal on Sunday, especially so soon after a superb hat-trick at Brentford, shows he is really getting there on the composure front. Over the years he has missed some opportunities from that perspective, but his team needed him to get that chance and he did it. Add that to the earlier shout and you get a “world class” player, as Guardiola called him last weekend.
Eighteen goals this season show the direction he is heading.
Sam Lee
In praise of the screamers
At a time when some football fans fear that the emphasis on 'expected goals' is taking the long-distance lightning out of the game, here we were treated to two spectacular tries that contradicted the statistics.
Both goals from local academy players were exceptional strikes – Rashford's opener hit the crossbar and bounced into the goal, and Foden's equalizer landed straight into the top corner.
Of the 30 shots in the game, these attempts were effectively the two with the lowest xG value. A shot from the position where Rashford hit the ball had a three percent chance of hitting the net, and Foden's attempt had just a two percent chance. Only Kyle Walker's long-range attempt, which hit Andre Onana directly with 20 minutes left, was equally speculative – another three percent shot.
On the other hand, Haaland managed to convert a 90 percent chance over the bar and Rashford's other attempt was a 0.18xG chance that he couldn't reach at all and fell over after his aerial blast. Sometimes football can be wonderfully unpredictable.
Michael Cox
How did Jonny Evans fare in his first away derby since 2012?
The last time Evans appeared in a game for United at the Etihad was the game in which Robin van Persie scored the injury-time winner under Sir Alex Ferguson in December 2012. More than 12 years later and at the age of 36, Evans returned to the starting lineup. He had only returned to United in the summer after leaving Leicester to stay fit with the under-21s, but here he was asked to cap Haaland, a player 13 years his junior. Although Evans is an accomplished player, his selection says a lot about United's injuries and squad construction.
Last summer, Ten Hag realized Evans could provide United with a reliable option in defense this season and pushed for a one-year deal, but he would not have expected to use the centre-back in such a situation. Evans also started in the derby at Old Trafford in October.
Evans did a lot of good work as City dominated possession. At some point he lived up to his nickname “Belfast Beckenbauer”, intercepted the ball, weaved past his man and then stormed upfield with a menacing move.
(Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
At the other end of the spectrum was Kobbie Mainoo, who played his first Manchester derby at the age of 18. He was only seven years old when he played against Van Persie.
Mainoo also showed impressive moments, notably diving to intercept during a pass from City pressure and getting past Kevin De Bruyne so he was pulled back and won a free kick. Mainoo also made a great pass for Alejandro Garnacho, with Ederson timing his intervention just right. But ultimately United were beaten by the better team.
Laurie Whitwell
How important was this win for City?
City had to win this game. As if the pre-derby jitters weren't bad enough for most fans who cared little for pre-match predictions of a win, Liverpool's last-minute winner on Saturday made victory even more important.
Liverpool's win in Nottingham gave the feeling that something had changed and while City have even closer title fights behind them, you know it all depends on what Guardiola's men do. However, an energizing victory for Jurgen Klopp's men is never welcome.
And for those who didn't know, City travel to Anfield next Sunday. So, yeah, that was pretty important and the comeback nature of the proceedings makes it all the sweeter for Guardiola's champions/challengers.
Sam Lee
Manchester City vs Manchester United match dashboard shows threat timeline, territory, match statistics, shot maps and passing networks
What was the reaction?
Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag defended his safety-first tactics and stressed his side were unlucky not to get a foul on Marcus Rashford in the build-up to City's equalizer.
“I looked back and asked Rashy (Rashford) if there was contact, maybe gentle, but there was contact,” he told the BBC. “I think it was a good performance overall. We took a 1-0 lead and then had the chance to score the second goal.
“We defended very well and there were two crucial moments where we almost made the breakthrough and conceded the first goal. Then you are disappointed, we have to accept that. We closed the middle very well and the box very well. We stuck to the plan.”
“We call Phil 'the sniper' because he likes to shoot,” Walker told British broadcaster Sky Sports. “When he comes into the game with his left foot, you know he has the quality and composure to find his place. He recorded his goals fantastically.
“This season Phil was simply first class. That is the demand he places on himself. That is the demand that the manager places on him. He has to keep it that way now.
“We rely on him and need important players. He practices and puts in a lot of work. His goals come and he reaps the rewards.”
What's next for Manchester City?
Wednesday March 6th: Copenhagen (H), UEFA Champions League, 8:00 p.m. GMT, 3:00 p.m. ET
Sunday March 10th: Liverpool (A), Premier League, 3:45 p.m. GMT, 10:45 a.m. ET
What's next for Manchester United?
Saturday March 9th: Everton (H), Premier League, 12:30 p.m. GMT, 7:30 a.m. ET
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(Top photo: Getty Images)
