Man City 1-2 Man Utd: Post-match reaction

ManchesterWorld

Michael Plant gives his immediate thoughts after the full-time whistle in a crazy Manchester derby.

Transcript

00:00It's Michael Plant coming to you from the Etihad Stadium after this afternoon's Manchester

00:04derby and you can just see over my shoulder behind me there's a little sliver of the fans

00:09still here singing probably about 10-15 minutes after the game has ended. You can probably

00:13guess that is where the Manchester United fans are sectioned here in the ground after

00:17today's 2-1 win. They are absolutely jubilant understandably with that result even if it

00:23was a game that for long spells I think frustrated United. Certainly that was the case probably

00:28for both teams in what was a very underwhelming match for 88 minutes. Certainly in the first

00:33half it took until the 21st minute for a shot of any note. United it took them until the

00:3862nd minute to have a shot on target. I think it sums up where both teams were at for long

00:45spells of this game that both teams, neither of them really played well. City had lots

00:50of the ball but didn't create chances, couldn't get Erling Haaland involved and all their

00:54best moments came from little bright sparks from Kevin O'Brien or Phil Foden. There wasn't

00:59any real coordinated typical City attacks that you associate with the great teams that

01:06we've seen over the last couple of years. They did get a goal via Josco Farleol early

01:10on in the game, midway through the first half I think it was, but that's a header from him

01:14from a corner. Even that sums up, that's where the goal came from, a corner set-piece routine.

01:19Even that deflected off Ahmad and wasn't even the intended target of the cross. For

01:26United another goal from a set-piece. So disappointed from them, they really need to work on that.

01:31But the game went into the second half and really not a huge amount happened as the game

01:34kind of winded to a close. Perhaps there were a couple of signs that there were a few chances

01:38coming for United later on. Kobi Mane went close with a header, the flash just over.

01:42Bruno Fernandes chipped a shot just wide of the post. We went into the 88th minute and

01:47what, it was going to be a pretty, I suppose, relaxed finish. A pretty uneventful end of

01:52the game. But no, City who have got this real Achilles heel at the moment, have just conceded

01:57such soft goals. It came back to bite them again. This time it was Mateus Nunes who filled

02:03in at left back. Sloppy pass back to Ahmad who was bearing down on goal. Ahmad and Nunes

02:09in his kind of panic-stricken state ran back, fouled him in the box, gave United a penalty.

02:13Bruno Fernandes stood up and totally slotted it past Ederson. You thought that was the

02:17drama over. But no, there was one more sting in the tail for City. A really poor bit of

02:24defensive play from them. A lofted ball up from Lisandro Martinez that really didn't

02:29offer a huge amount of threat you thought. But somehow managed to find Ahmad clear in

02:33between the two centre-backs. He lapsed under the ball, Ederson came flying out, rounded

02:37the goalkeeper, slotted it into the back of the net and it meant such a disappointing

02:41end for Manchester City. Look, I think today if they'd have won, they could have perhaps

02:45tried to get themselves back into the title race. Obviously Liverpool dropped points in

02:48the last two Premier League matches, not playing in between then as well. There was a feeling

02:53that maybe could City with a win today against a United team who didn't play well and haven't

02:57played well in general for weeks. Could they get themselves back in the running for the

03:00title race? The answer is no. This City team are so far off their best levels. They really

03:05really need to address problems that are coming back to bite them. Certainly the defensive

03:09errors and the inability to dominate games and control games for 90 minutes. It leaves

03:13Pep Guardiola with a lot of headaches and a lot of things to sort out. For Ruben Almerim,

03:17he'll be delighted with the win, even if I think he'll also know that the performance

03:21wasn't amazing from Manchester United. But I'll give you one last little look at those

03:25fans. They're certainly going to enjoy a night out in Manchester tonight.

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