Watched with as much interest from title-chasing Liverpool fans as either set of supporters from the city itself, the second Manchester Derby of the season carried with it the added weight of being a potential title decider. Couldn’t be anywhere else but Old Trafford for the 136th instalment in our ‘Framed’ series.
Both City and United came into the Manchester Derby with a certain degree of pressure. City, recently eliminated from the Champions League at the hand of Spurs, had already exacted a league-based revenge on the Kane-less Tottenham. But they could not relent, with this huge derby following a mere three days later. With the title race being tighter than it’s been in a long time, City could not afford to drop points to their bitter rivals.
United, on the other hand, came into the match on the back of a frankly embarrassing 4-0 loss to Everton. But it was an awkward situation for Red Devils fans: do you want a win that could derail City’s title push, potentially handing the trophy to the one team that you despise more than your noisy neighbours? Or do you want to lose. Again. This was a Manchester Derby after all.
Any fears that Scousers may have had about United’s performance or lack thereof were quickly allayed, with Marcus Rashford leading a hungry looking United, roared on by a rocking Old Trafford. City failed to get any type of rhythm or control early on, but as the game progressed their class began to shine through. David Silva started running the game, while Fernandinho was a beast at the other end, shutting everything United had down.
But early in the second half, it was the other Silva, Bernardo, who found the break through, cutting in from the right before slotting low into the bottom corner. United weren’t done, however, and soon after Rashford capitalised on a loose ball to put it on a plate for Jesse Lingard at the back post. Whether Kompany just did enough, or whether Lingard couldn’t bare the thought of Liverpool lifting the trophy, the United man completely missed the ball. Sterling then drove forward through the heart of United, laying the ball off for substitute Sane, who drilled through De Gea at the Spaniard's near post. 2-0. Game Over.
Cue collective groans from Merseyside. City in the ascendency.
Photography by Ross Cooke for SoccerBible.
