ALL of a sudden the noisy neighbours appear to have lost their voices.
All of a sudden the biggest club in Manchester, for one night at least, played like the best once again.
Manchester United celebrate Anthony Martial’s strikeCredit: Getty – Contributor
Marcus Rashford won and scored the penalty to set United on their wayCredit: Getty Images – Getty
United, the 20-time champions but supposed no-hopers on a hiding to nothing, have the derby bragging rights.
City, the two time title winners know their hopes of a hat-trick are over.
Fourteen points behind Liverpool, left red-faced by their Red neighbours.
And facing an investigation into some loon chucking a lighter from the terraces and clocking Fred on the back of the head to boot.
Definitely not one of Pep Guardiola’s finest evenings. Yet certainly one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s.
All that after a derby which many people reckoned could be the most one-side in years. To be fair, though, for large chunks it was. Just not for those in blue.
For less than half an hour in and United’s so-called no hopers were suddenly full-of-hopers. Full of belief. Full of a two-goal lead that, in all honesty, could have been double.
Dan James and Jesse Lingard had both gone close. City had done virtually nothing, bar have a penalty for handball against Victor Lindelof KO’d.
It wasn’t going to be the only time Michael Oliver, reviewing at Stockley Park, was called into action.
Back with the actual football, and next to take a pop was Anthony Martial, the Jekyll and Hyde United striker showing his good side here with another warning shot.
A warning which obviously went unheeded, as 20 minutes in United were ahead – thanks to a word in ref Anthony Taylor’s ear from his VAR colleagues.
To be fair, everyone in Red within hailing distance of the official was bellowing for a penalty as Rashford went this way and that into the box, and crashed under Bernardo’s challenge.
Checks proved the City man’s right leg made clear contact with the United striker’s left. Penalty. No question, even if Guardiola’s petulant slump back into his seat said otherwise.
Nicolas Otamendi headed the hosts back into the contest late onCredit: PA:Press Association
Pep Guardiola’s side are now 14-points adrift in the title raceCredit: AFP or licensors
A lengthy delay, the height of a Manchester derby, how are your nerves Marcus?
Well cucumber-cool, actually, as he ambled forward, Ederson dived right, the ball went left and the United fans inside the Etihad went crazy.
A carbon copy of the spot kick he scored against Tottenham on Wednesday and another dream day for Solskjaer suddenly taking shape.
Rashford should have had a second within five minutes when a superb defence splitter from Fred – yes, you read that right – teed him up for a first timer which he sidefooted horribly wide.
If that was careless, the next was simply cruel fortune, as he took deliberate aim from a Martial cross, left Ederson rooted…and spun away in frustration as he struck the crossbar.
Missed chances they would live to regret? After all, you don’t get too many against this City side, whether they’re not the conquer-all machine of a season ago or not.
Well actually, last night United did. Certainly enough to go two up – and on 28 minutes that’s exactly what they did.
Rashford fed, Martial, who then swapped passes with Dan James to his right twice.
From the second of them, the United striker spun on a sixpence, rattled in a low drive and Ederson couldn’t stop it nestling in the net via his near post.
In the press box old boy Pat Crerand was beaming, in the stands old gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson likewise. Never mind top four – the Reds were on cloud nine.
Solskjaer celebrates with De Gea at the end of the contestCredit: PA:Press Association
Manchester United move up to fifth with their winCredit: Getty Images – Getty
City’s first shot on target took 33 minutes, David Silva thumping one into David De Gea’s ribs. Then Gabriel Jesus threw himself to glance a header wide.
Yet there was nothing to really stir the blood, nothing to have the home fans out of their seats. Until the stroke of half-time, when they were cursing VAR for other reasons.
There was no doubt Kyle Walker’s low cross DID go behind off Fred’s arm as he slid back to try and block.
But the only way it could have been avoided was for his arm to be in an unnatural position. A case for both arguments, yes. A penalty last night, definitely not.
Cue City setting up camp in the United half, although in truth it was hardly harem scarem defending for the visitors. Pep’s men didn’t create enough clear chances for that.
From one, Lindelof pulled off a magnificent block to deflect a Kevin De Bruyne strike behind. Another, from Rodri, had De Gea at full stretch to tip over.
United could have bagged one on the break when Lingard was denied at the near post and when Fred took the corner, he was struck by what seemed to be a lighter chucked from the stand.
Fernandinho appealed to the fans, then shoved Scott McTominay in the chest as the United midfielder confronted the fans.
Calm was needed. Instead we got mayhem, in the form of a City lifeline with six minutes left, when Luke Shaw conceded a needless corner.
Nicolas Otamendi, off the bench in place of the struggling John Stones, thundered in a header and suddenly the magnificent, if unlikely, comeback was on.
It never got beyond that, though. The only cloud among the silver linings for United was the fact it did Liverpool a favour. Although, in truth, for once no-one in Red really cared.
United fans had an evening to rememberCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Man United star, Fred, targeted with vile racist slur as fan appears to direct monkey chant in his direction
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
