New Delhi: Manchester is Red, as they like to call it when the Red Devils of Manchester United beat their neighbours in one of the biggest rivalry of England. That’s exactly what happened last night as Ruben Amorim became the first manager to win his debut Manchester Derby since Sir Alex Ferguson in 1992/93 campaign. It was a game that had a rather slow start when there were no shots on target by wither of the sides in the opening 20 minutes, but the way Manchester United turned the game around was truly astonishing.
The final whistle blew and the blue moon started to turn red in Manchester, as Amad Diallo’s late goal ensured the visitors take all three points and produce a massive hit to their neighbour’s title defence hopes. After the match ended, there was a real buzz generated around England as this might just be only the second time that Manchester City fail to win the league in the last eight campaigns.
Man City’s title retention hopes take a massive hit
A brutal self assessment from Pep Guardiola after Man City’s eighth loss in 11 matches 💬
Read the full interview: https://t.co/rVlfpPPwlC pic.twitter.com/DJ2bdfZAZ7
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 15, 2024
Fair to say that Pep Guardiola’s City side have looked nowhere close to their best this season. After a strong start to the campaign, many were convinced that it will be yet another year of dominance by the sky blues, as Pep Guardiola’s side went on to remain undefeated in their opening nine Premier League matches. However, during that time, City took a massive blow when their dependable midfield general Rodri suffered an on-field injury against Arsenal that ruled him out for remainder of the season. His importance to Pep’s side is quite evident with the way City dominated games when he was starting for City.
However, after a run of 13 games undefeated in all competitions, City were witnessed their first loss of the season against Spurs in the EFL Cup. Many believed that it was just one of those games where the result would leave the team unphased, but that was the part where City’s downfall began. Four consecutive losses against Bournemouth, Brighton, Spurs and Liverpool put the Noisy Neighbours in a position where they were feeling down and out.
After a run of poor form that saw them win just once in 1o matches in all competitions, City were up against their main rivals United. Despite dominating the possession and the majority of the game, Pep Guardiola’s side showed their defensive casualties late as United managed to score twice and make it one win in 11 games for their neighbours. This loss proved to be a costly one for Pep and Manchester City as currently they are nine points off the top spot which is clinched by Liverpool who also have a game in hand.
It is almost hard to believe, but the way City have performed on the pitch this season, even a top four finish would feel like a big achievement for Pep’s side. The only way that City can still keep their hopes alive is by hoping for any sort of slip-ups for the teams who are ahead of them, while also grinding out good results in their own fixtures to recover the gap. However, it will be a big of an ask, although we know that this City side is very much capable of doing that.
United may have won, but they have a mountain to climb
Ruben Amorim will always remember his first Manchester derby win 🔴#MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/qx2raR5pos
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 15, 2024
Manchester was indeed Red last night as the players celebrated Ruben Amorim’s first ever derby win over the Noisy Neighbours, but it only helped them close the gap between themselves and 12th placed Newcastle. Over the years, United have been set the standards that they are nowhere close to currently, and despite their win ast night, they need to keep this momentum up and avoid any sort of slip-ups in their remaining fixtures. The main question arises is that what next for Manchester United?, and what should be their target for the remainder of the season?
It is pretty obvious that Ruben Amorim’s side will be looking to get into the top half first and then look for their foundations to improve on their position. It is fair to say that they will be aiming for the European spot, since title contention seems easier said that done for the Red Devils. However, this win against City will give them the confidence to hunt for further crucial wins as the season progresses. Ruben Amorim will be looking to improve on certain areas of United’s game play, one of which has to be their defensive casualties during corners.
It is concerning for Amorim’s side as 42% of Manchester United’s goals conceded in the league have come from corner, situations this season (8/19), the highest share in the division. So far in 2024, they’ve conceded 16 goals from corners, including last night’s headed goal by Gvardiol. The defensive casualties are clearly evident in the squad, and despite the fact that the players did their job well at the back last night, it has turned out to be alarming for Ruben Amorim and his side.
Man City players need to regain their confidence
Pep Guardiola tries to console Matheus Nunes after the game (via reuters)
Currently, Man City players look down and out due to obvious reasons. It is time that these players buckle up and Pep needs to have a major impact in the dressing room. During the last phases of the game, the lack of confidence was clearly visible in the way the players were performing on the pitch. Matheus Nunes had a horror show of a night when he turned out to be the culprit behind City conceding the first penalty.
His weak back pass was a clear example of how casually City took the game, at a time when they needed to stay composed and confident with every move that they make. Adding to that blunder of a pass, Nunes’ challenge on Amad was unnecessary, which resulted in Anthony Taylor pointing to the spot which was converted by Bruno Fernandes. The winner by Diallo caused a sense of panic amongst the City defenders and Gvardiols decision of clearing the ball with his backheel was a sign of how clueless City defence have looked this season.
It seems like the team that once had a smooth style of play even in the latter stages of a game have suddenly forgotten their roots and get look extremely timid during the pressure situations.Things are going horribly wrong for the Cityzens and they need to take this issue into consideration. An active transfer window can turn out to be a massive boost for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Manchester United managed to turn things around late against their neighbours, Manchester City to win the derby. So what did this thrilling encounter teach us? Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
