MANCHESTER UNITED’S run of three consecutive wins at the Etihad ended in miserable fashion at the hands of cross-town rivals Manchester City.
The Red Devils were toothless in attack without talisman Cristiano Ronaldo and weren’t much better in defence either as they slumped to a 4-1 defeat.
Jadon Sancho gave Ralf Rangnick’s side hope when he cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne’s opener with a lovely curling strike.
But the visitors were outplayed in every area of the pitch and were utterly dominated by the league leaders.
The loss leaves the Red Devils a point off fourth-placed Arsenal, but having played THREE games more.
Here’s how SunSport’s Giacomo Pisa rated and slated Rangnick’s men in the demoralising defeat.
David De Gea – 5
Beaten by De Bruyne from close range for the opener, and again for the second, but there wasn’t much he could have done about both.
Initially denied Foden before the Belgian slammed home the second, but the ball just fell to someone in the wrong colour shirt.
Brilliant save to deny Riyad Mahrez at 2-1, but couldn’t do the same when the same player scored from range to make it three.
And the less said about the fourth the better as Mahrez’s effort came off De Gea’s face en route to the back of the net.
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Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 4
Didn’t stop the cross for the first goal which set the tone for the remainder of the game.
A day to forget for the right-back, who was often caught napping high up the pitch as City focused the majority of their play on his side of the park.
Bullied off the ball by the much smaller Phil Foden on the edge of the box but luckily for him the Man City man fired wide.
Victor Lindelof – 4
Drawn out of position for De Bruyne’s opener in what was a nightmare day at the office for the United defender.
Was then caught out for the second when Phil Foden flicked it over his head, but instead of getting back into the box he was left ball-watching as De Bruyne ghosted in to score again.
Harry Maguire – 4
The skipper’s frustration was summed up when he went into the book just after the hour mark for a cynical lunge on De Bruyne.
He struggled throughout, failing to recognise the danger of De Bruyne in the box for City’s first, and then didn’t clear United’s lines for the second.
His misery was compounded when Mahrez’s shot from range took a deflection off him, wrong-footing De Gea completely and sneaking into the back of the net.
Alex Telles – 4
Caught on his heels for the first goal, not recognising De Bruyne on his own in the six yard box.
Tried to get across to make the block but by the time he got there it was too late.
City’s focus down Wan-Bissaka’s side left Telles off the hook for most of the game, but it was still a far from convincing performance.
Tried and failed to play Mahrez offside for the fourth instead of tracking his run, in a miserable end to the day for the Red Devils.
Fred – 4
Fred has enjoyed somewhat of a revival in recent weeks, although that can’t be said for today’s performance.
The midfielder was left chasing shadows in the middle of the park throughout the game.
Scott McTominay – 5
Like Fred he was out of his depth against the likes of Rodri and Bernardo Silva in midfield, and struggled to get near either of them throughout the game.
Tried to bring the ball forward through the middle a couple of times but was suffocated by a scrum of hardworking City bodies every time he tried to do so.
Jadon Sancho – 6
A livewire whenever he picked up the ball, although with City’s incessant possession that wasn’t very often.
Cut inside from the left and curled delightfully into the corner to get United back on level terms.
He should have made it 2-2 after being teed up by Fernandes but blazed over from close range, although was still United’s best player on the day.
Paul Pogba – 5
Played in a more advanced role in the absence of Ronaldo and played a delicious pass into Sancho for Man Utd’s first goal.
But apart from that he was largely a passenger throughout the game, and for spells it was easy to forget he was on the pitch at all.
Although in Pogba’s defence playing up front in a 4-2-2-2 is far from his natural position.
Anthony Elanga – 4
Not able to showcase his talent after being largely restricted to tracking the marauding Joao Cancelo.
Also at fault for the second goal when trying to play out from the back instead of clearing his lines, playing his team into trouble as De Bruyne slammed home from close range.
Subbed off just after the hour mark after effectively spending the majority of the game playing right-back.
Bruno Fernandes – 4
Tasked with leading the line alongside Pogba in Ronaldo’s absence, but it was evident he wasn’t comfortable doing so.
Playing up front restricted his ability to drop deep and pick up the ball, and despite playing further back after Marcus Rashford was introduced, it was too little too late.
SUBS
Jesse Lingard (on for Elanga, 64 mins) – 4
Didn’t get a sniff after coming on, and may have been left wishing he’d stayed on the bench.
Marcus Rashford (on for Pogba, 64 mins) – 4
Subbed on to be an outlet up front, he was anything but.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
