Erik ten Hag is rebuilding United faster than anyone could have imagined. Manchester United have pulled off their most incredible victory to date as they got their revenge against city-rivals Man City with a 2-1 comeback victory.
What an incredible game that may alter the very fate of the Premier League season.
If you asked someone prior to the World Cup break if Manchester United could beat Manchester City in a Premier League game with both teams at relative full strength (Man City was without Ruben Dias today), they would have laughed in your face and said it was more likely Fred and McTominay would win the Ballon d’Or.
That’s how far apart these two teams were before the break…which was evident in the first Manchester Derby of the season.
It pains me to look back at that horrible 6-3 thrashing now, but it really was a great measure of where the two clubs were at that moment. Manchester United was just getting its barrings under Erik ten Hag and his new system of discipline and responsibility, while Man City was getting into their best stretch of the season with Erling Haaland’s unprecedented goal scoring streak to start a Premier League season.
Walking into the Etihad in the best of circumstances is difficult for Man United, so going there that game must have felt like walking into hell itself. And it certainly felt like hell for all United fans as the 6-3 scoreline would suggest.
Back then, Man United still looked and acted like a group of 11-16 individuals playing football, rather than a team of 11-16 members playing football. That may just sound like a semantic difference, but it really isn’t as this game showed today.
Manchester United easily played their best football of the past three seasons today as they not only overcame a great City side, but they also did so in such a composed, disciplined, and diligent manner.
Realizing that playing the possession game with Pep Guardiola and his Man City side is akin to digging your own grave, Erik ten Hag abandoned his classic possession-based football and solely relied on his team’s pace and speed on the counterattack to get at City’s somewhat weakened backline.
This game really was a textbook example of “winning without the ball” as although City finished with 71% possession, 737 passes, and an 89% passing accuracy, United had more shots (8 vs. 5), more shots on target (4 vs. 1), and more corners (6 vs. 2).
In truth, aside from Jack Grealish’s goal, City didn’t have a single A+ chance all game, while United really should have scored two more goals from Rashford chances in the first half alone.
And that kind of defensive nous is a testament to the improvement the backline of Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, David de Gea, Victor Lindelof, Diogo Dalot, and Harry Maguire have made since that humiliating defeat. For the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson left Man United, the United backline, regardless of who’s playing, is physical, aggressive, smart, and plays like a Top-3-caliber unit.
Anyway, the hero of the day was none other than the most in-form attacker in all of English football…Marcus Rashford.
He was immense today as he was running all up and down the City right flank, undoubtably giving Kyle Walker and Manuel Akanji nightmares tonight of his runs. He played a huge part in Bruno Fernandes’ equalizing goal in the 78th minute (no, he was not offsides as City fans would have you believe because he didn’t touch the ball) and his go-ahead goal in the 82nd minute was obviously the goal that won the game and closed the gap to just 1 point between the two sides.
Easily, he was the best offensive player on the field and was my man of the match.
Moreover, some other players I’d like to highlight were Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, Fred, and Alejandro Garnacho. The midfield trio/quadruple of Bruno, Eriksen, Fred, and Casemrio was fantastic as they dominated how City could attack by expertly blocking off dangerous passing lanes and closed down all shooting opportunities.
And Alejandro Garnacho is continuing to prove that he is a superstar at this level as he provided the assist on Rashford’s goal, despite having numerous City players in his face throughout the play.
I think it’s a little too early to say that United (3rd, 38 PTS) is in the title race, but if they can beat Arsenal later this month, then how can I say they aren’t as they’d only be 3 points behind the league leaders? Whatever happens between now and then, I’m just happy with the fact that Erik ten Hag has been able to turn this club around.
As for City (2nd, 39 PTS), what has happened to them? They have been horrible since the World Cup resume as they were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Southampton a few days ago, they just sneaked past Leeds in the league, they somehow drew to Everton in the league as well, and now they have lost to United.
I say that Man United are not in the title race, but how can I justify putting Man City in it when they are only 1 point ahead of their archrivals?
I guess we’ll have to find out who the contenders and pretenders are come the officially midway point of the season.
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