Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City stormed to a dominant 3-0 victory over rivals Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, piling more pressure on United manager Ruben Amorim.
The Manchester Derby, played at the Etihad Stadium, saw Phil Foden open the scoring before Haaland struck a second-half brace—despite a glaring miss in between his goals—as City returned to winning ways after back-to-back league defeats.
United had entered the derby ahead of City on the Premier League table for the first time in five years, but their early-season form has flattered to deceive. The Red Devils have now collected just four points from four matches and were already eliminated from the League Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town.
City, meanwhile, remain six points behind league leaders Liverpool, but this statement win provides a huge morale boost ahead of a crucial week where they will face Serie A champions Napoli in the UEFA Champions League and Premier League contenders Arsenal.
“It was a complete performance,” said City manager Pep Guardiola post-match. “We played with intensity and purpose—exactly what you want in a derby.”
New signing Gianluigi Donnarumma had a memorable debut in goal for Manchester City, pulling off a stunning save to deny Bryan Mbeumo and preserve the clean sheet at 2-0.
The match was also marked by an emotional tribute to boxing icon Ricky Hatton, a lifelong City supporter who passed away earlier on Sunday at the age of 46. A minute’s applause was held before kick-off, with Hatton’s image shown on the big screens at the Etihad.
“It meant a lot to us,” said Foden, who is also a boyhood City fan. “We wanted to win it for Ricky.”
The 25-year-old Foden, who had a difficult 2024/25 campaign after winning Premier League Player of the Season in 2023/24, was instrumental in Sunday’s win and looks to be regaining top form.
For Ruben Amorim, the honeymoon is over. After arriving with high expectations, the Manchester United manager is now under scrutiny following a poor run of form, with fans growing frustrated by lack of attacking intent and defensive disarray.
“We didn’t show enough fight,” Amorim admitted post-match. “This is a difficult moment, but we must regroup quickly.”
