Manchester City bounced back in style with a commanding derby win at the Etihad, brushing aside a struggling Manchester United thanks to a brace from Erling Haaland and a header from Phil Foden.
Coming into the clash on the back of two straight defeats, Pep Guardiola’s men needed a response — and they got one. City looked sharp from the start, with Jeremy Doku at the heart of their best attacking moves. The Belgian winger’s trickery carved open United’s defence in the 18th minute, his cut-back perfectly finding Phil Foden, who nodded City into the lead.
After the break, Doku was at it again, slipping Haaland through in the 53rd minute. The Norwegian shrugged off Luke Shaw before delicately chipping over Altay Bayindir to double the advantage. Moments later, Haaland somehow hit the post with the goal at his mercy, but he soon made amends. On 68 minutes, he powered away from the halfway line and coolly slotted home his second — and City’s third — to seal the victory.
There was also a debut to remember for Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian shot-stopper, freshly arrived from PSG, pulled off a stunning full-stretch save to deny Bryan Mbeumo, showcasing exactly why City moved for him late in the transfer window.
For United, it was another limp display in attack, leaving them languishing in 14th with just one league win all season. City, meanwhile, climb to eighth, with their title push reignited.
