42 passes create City’s third goal as they clinch Manchester derby with style, class and panache

Manchester City 3 : 1 Manchester United

Manchester City faced some rockier moments but eventually delivered a strong lesson to United and the rest of the league that it is going to be very difficult to unset them at the top of the mountain.

David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan scored the goals that overcame an unnecessarily conceded Anthony Martial penalty. Although Liverpool beat the bottom side Fulham at home, Chelsea dropped points against Everton, so City consolidated their place at the top of the table.

The match may be best remembered for City’s third which was preceded by an astonishing 42 passes, the ultimate team goal. It will be watched and rewatched, and doubtless appear in training videos for many years to come.

There was harsh news before kick off for visiting fans when Paul Pogba did not make the United squad having picked up an injury against Juventus. Worse news followed shortly after the kick off.

Just 75 seconds in, Bernardo Silva fired wide and that was a harbinger of the next ten minutes of play. City had scored 19 goals in their last four home games so it was no surprise that they started quickly and even less so when the United defence succumbed just 11 minutes into the match. From inside the six yard area, David Silva finished a move he also began, with Bernardo Silva providing the assist.

United have had some success this season when conceding the first goal, but their first task was to dispossess and subdue their rampant hosts who continued to pass with ease. Gradually that began to happen in a rare tactical victory for Jose Mourinho on the day.

Ander Herrera took a nasty blow from Raheem Sterling and needed treatment for a head wound. He recovered and United slowly grew back into the game by defending higher up. Thereafter, a surprising number of turnovers punctuated the flow of the game, perhaps evidence that Mourinho’s tactics were succeeding. City created less and United found more opportunities to start moves.

Referee Anthony Taylor produced the first yellow card to Bernardo Silva for a late lunge on Marcus Rashford. Luke Shaw also received a yellow suspending him for United’s next game just before the interval but United reached half time having successfully steadied a rocky ship.

It was to no avail.

City started the second half as they did the first and it soon bore dividends when Aguero hammered in from an angle after a beautiful 1-2 with Riyad Mahrez.

The move started in City’s half and cut United wide open. There was better to come.

It has been over 13 hours since Romelu Lukakau scored for United in any competition but it took him just seconds after he came on to win a penalty when Ederson foolishly brought him down as he ran away from goal. This was a very poor decision by the keeper and the concession of his second penalty in successive games. having gifted one to Southampton last week.

Anthony Martial converts United’s penalty
Photo: EPL

Martial slotted home the spot kick to bring it back to 2-1.

Leory Sane came on to steady the City players looking slightly miffed by the concession of a needless goal while Pep Guardiola took out his frustration vocally at Mikael Arteta on the City touchline, although City’s Basque goalkeeping coach Xabier Mancisidor may bear the brunt of his fury later.

Sane fired over when City had many other options just before the normal swathe of substitutions created the landscape for the final 15 minutes. Gundgogan replaced Aguero for City, while Herrera and Rashford left for Juan Mata and Alexis Sanchez for Mourinho’s men.

The midweek exertions began to tell as the game faded. United had played Juventus in Turin and fought back from 1-0 own to win, while City had smashed Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 at home. Still the game entered its last ten minutes with just one goal between the teams, and City’s nerves looking slightly frayed. Then the magic happened.

You will not see a better team goal than City’s third.

Gundogan scored it but it came after 42 passes where every it seemed that City outfielder touched the ball. They initially seemed to be passing just to deprive United of possession but nothing could be further from reality. City were patiently plotting and waiting for the final pass which came from the excellent Bernardo Silva.

Chris Smalling should have conceded a penalty shortly after when he blocked Sane. It was irrelevant as City will regard a 3-1 win over United on a day Chelsea dropped home points as a good day at the office.

United received a stern reminder just how far they have to travel to equate their near neighbours in a footballing sense.