Manchester Derby Analysis: The game yesterday — or better put, the derby — was honestly one of the most boring I’ve seen in a while. And it was unexpected too. I genuinely thought United were going to come out and play City with real dominance. But as always, our flaws as a team were there for all to see.
We created chances — at least five in the first half — and still couldn’t finish even one. According to Opta, our xG was 0.91 compared to City’s 0.49, yet we didn’t convert. Our first real shot on target didn’t come until Casemiro took one. That says a lot.
Garnacho’s decision-making really needs work. His choices keep killing our attacking momentum. There was even that moment where Zirkzee laid off a solid pass to him and he just… lost the ball so easily. And speaking of decisions, Dorgu’s weren’t great either — although I’ll cut him some slack since it’s his first season.
Besides that though, I actually think we played a solid game. We dominated City from the first half into the second. Onana barely had anything to do all game except that shot from Marmoush, which went straight at him. Defensively, we were solid. Offensively? We’re just not there yet.
Hopefully, heading into the Europa League match against Lyon, we can fix this finishing issue. Because if we’re creating chances and not converting, we’re only setting ourselves up for disappointment.
Manchester Derby Analysis: Match Summary
The result does little for either side’s season ambitions — City now sit 5th on 52 points, just behind Chelsea, while United remain in 13th with 38 points.
Both teams lacked edge, especially in a first half that saw few real threats. City’s Omar Marmoush came closest with a long-range strike, while United’s Joshua Zirkzee forced a good save from Ederson after a sharp turn and volley.
Here’s how the United players performed from my Manchester Derby Analysis:
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Andre Onana: 7.5 — Confident and composed, made six saves.
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Mazraoui: 7.5 — Physically dominant, held his ground.
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Maguire: 7 — Key in long-ball distribution before being subbed.
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Yoro: 5.5 — Started well but faded.
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Dalot: 6.5 — Reliable, solid defending.
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Ugarte: 6 — Sloppy first half, improved in second.
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Casemiro: 8 — Beast-mode derby performance.
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Dorgu: 6 — Good positioning, but unsure in the final third.
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Bruno Fernandes: 8 — Captain energy, created chances.
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Garnacho: 5 — Energetic but wasteful.
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Hojlund: 5 — Barely involved. Needs service or impact off the ball.
Subs:
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Lindelof: 6.5 — Solid shift.
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Mount: 7.5 — Showed sharpness in his cameo.
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Zirkzee: 7 — A real threat, more involved than Hojlund.
Let’s see how we bounce back in Europe. Lyon’s next — let’s hope we find the net this time.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments and reaction to the derby and the Manchester derby analysis.