“,”elementId”:”8cdad96e-c8d4-4e7b-8306-62436a5c937a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”text”:”Pep Guardiola left to rue dropped points as Manchester derby ends in a draw”,”elementId”:”982a53b6-ab20-43b6-8e6f-15f22144350c”,”role”:”thumbnail”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/apr/06/manchester-united-manchester-city-premier-league-match-report”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1743962966000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”14.09 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1743963532000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”14.18 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1743963533000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”14.18 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”14.18″,”title”:”Match report”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 6 Apr 2025 14.18 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 6 Apr 2025 10.15 EDT”},{“id”:”67f2b7618f08f7ab2f00ee72″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The Manchester derby ends in a goalless draw that was a struggle for all concerned. United had the greater impetus and carved out the better chances, but sorely lacked a killer edge. City struggled to create anything but at least held on for a point in what was a deeply underwhelming contest.
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Here we go again …
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So, who’s looking forward to the Club World Cup?
“,”elementId”:”c4e99749-a2ce-4531-a0be-4cfa4c1a39be”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1743956211000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”12.16 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1743956258000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”12.17 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1743956258000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”12.17 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”12.17″,”title”:”Half time: Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 6 Apr 2025 14.18 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 6 Apr 2025 10.15 EDT”},{“id”:”67f29e448f0843b305e4c17a”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
We’re under way, and United are straight on the attack …
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Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Mazraoui; Dalot, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Højlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Lindelöf, Mount, Zirkzee, Eriksen, Shaw, Amass, Obi, Kukonki.
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Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gündogan, Kovacic; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Foden; Marmoush.
Subs: Ortega, Grealish, Doku, Nico González, Vitor Reis, Savio, Khusanov,
n Lewis, McAtee.
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Welcome to a derby day to dread, coming at the tail end of seasons for both sides that have been disappointing at best, existential crises at their worst. Of the many psyche-shattering defeats that Manchester City suffered as their imperial armour dramatically fell away, the derby loss in December ranked among the most brutal, as they nursed a fragile lead before imploding to concede twice at the death.
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If that felt like a gift to a generationally bad United team, it was one they three away, going on to lose their next three league games as Ruben Amorim talked openly of a relegation battle. Both teams have, relatively speaking, improved since the depths of midwinter but their fragile rebuilding efforts risk being reset today.
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The FA Cup aside, City’s remaining target is to steer themselves to a top-five finish; their title defence has long been over, but defeat here would officially end their reign. Uncertainty lies ahead with Pep Guardiola’s stamina waning, a squad in mid-overhaul and Premier League charges still hanging in the air. Still, their cross-town might happily trade places.
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Manchester United are currently 14th in the table; they’ve won a third of their league games so far, and are yet to win two consecutively this season. These are statistics which would have seemed impossible even as the sun set on the Alex Ferguson era, yet they barely begin to tell the story. With more protests expected today and fear of irreversible decline, the actual football feels secondary.
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Old Trafford is a deeply broken place these days, but it’s still the ground where City fans most want to see their team win. Victory for either side today may be a plaster over festering wounds, but it’s still a win on derby day. Kick-off: 4.30pm BST.
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Match report
Here’s Jamie Jackson’s verdict. Thanks for joining me. It was a game. Enjoy the rest of your Sundays.
And here’s Pep Guardiola: “We have control, we’re not in the right spots to hurt them. United are an incredible transitional team, so we take a point.” What more could they done? “The players know it, you should know it. It’s what we’ve been doing for nine years.”
He denies Marmoush wasn’t playing as a striker – “he moved around because it was so congested in the middle” – but accepts City did not “punish” United when they had chances. “The back four was excellent, our process was not there, we lost the ball in key positions.”
More from Amorim on a dour derby: “If teams are fighting for big things, for the title – where you can’t drop even two points at home – that completely changes the game. That feeling is not here, and it’s hard for me as the coach to say that. You don’t feel it today because both teams have a lot of doubts.”
Ruben Amorim: “We had some chances to win the game … we tried to use pace in transitions, we had some moments with the ball, we pushed City. We were near the goal, but if you look at the game, we have to accept the draw. They had more possession, that is normal.”
“We still need to improve everywhere, in every aspect – buildup, transitions, decisions in the final third. The players are here because they showed something at other clubs, they can do more. I can see the connections are a little better, players are more comfortable in their position, we are calmer with the ball. But a lot to improve.”
Here’s a very minor positive for City – after getting a point here, they’re 21 points behind Liverpool with 21 to play for. City would also need a 25-goal swing, but at least mathematically, their title defence hasn’t ended today. Grab the champagne!
There is a sit-in protest against the United ownership ongoing in the Stretford End – it was pre-planned, but credit is still due to any fans prepared to stay in their seats any longer after watching that game.
Here’s the player of the match, Bruno Fernandes: “Happy with the performance, not the result, we want to win games. I think we were a little bit more dangerous, we just needed the killer instinct. City want to have the ball, and you have to be patient. We did that well and we were very well organised. The manager tells us, if we’re not suffering we’re not doing enough.”
“My responsibility is doing everything for the team. I know I’ll get more attention than some others, being the captain. The effort is always there from me, that has to be what I show to others. If we want to be a big club again, we need to do what we did every game, and score goals. If we think this is enough, we go back again.”
“I think the Key Events bar at the top of the page sums up the game succinctly,” notes Graham Moger.
“They could be playing till tomorrow morning and still no one would have scored,” says Karen Asad. “You know what would be better? Playing this dross under United’s proposed giant stadium blanket.”
The Manchester derby ends in a goalless draw that was a struggle for all concerned. United had the greater impetus and carved out the better chances, but sorely lacked a killer edge. City struggled to create anything but at least held on for a point in what was a deeply underwhelming contest.
93 mins: Dorgu gets forward again but his cross is headed clear, and while United retain the ball, they’ve run out of time.
91 mins: Doku tries to find Grealish but the move breaks down and Zirkzee leads a charge upfield which is eventually dealt with by the City defence. Marmoush then does a decent job of holding the ball up to run a few seconds off the clock.
90 mins: There will be four added minutes. PGMOL, you spoil us!
89 mins: Nunes gets tangled up with Dorgu, with the United man going down after an awkward fall.
“Throw Cantona on,” pleads Justin Kavanagh. “It’d give us something to remember at least.”
88 mins: Fernandes whips in another dangerous deep ball which Gvardiol has to head behind awkwardly. United looking the more likely to break through late on … but the corner is cleared to Dorgu, whose snap-shot is sliced well wide.
87 mins: Mount gallops into space and finds Zirkzee, who takes a fraction too long to line up his shot on the turn, and sees it blocked.
86 mins: Casemiro nicks the ball off Grealish and looks for Garnacho down the right. Only Bernardo Silva’s covering run prevents a dangerous opening for United.
85 mins: Dorgu, one of the better performers out there, sweeps in a cross which is headed clear. Lewis is fouled, and City can regroup.
83 mins: Marmoush does attack with purpose, and is hauled down by Yoro, who is booked. The City free-kick leads, unsurprisingly, to a United break, but Garnacho doesn’t have any support down the left.
82 mins: This second half has felt like watching United’s youth team – lots of energy and effort, little end product – against a City “legends” side who quite fancy hearing the final whistle.
81 mins: A long ball over the top tests Mazraoui’s hamstrings, with Doku in hot pursuit. “This could be a one-moment game,” roars Peter Drury. Well, that would be nice.
80 mins: There was a deflection so United have a corner – and from it, Casemiro goes down theatrically under Kovacic’s challenge. Big shouts for a penalty, but that doesn’t make it so. Casemiro really made a meal out of nothing.
78 mins: The corner is cleared out to Mazraoui, who sends a first-time volley a mile wide. City stroll upfield but again give the ball away cheaply, and Fernandes sets Garnacho away in pinpoint fashion. Garnacho cuts inside – but pulls his shot well wide of the post.
77 mins: Big save! From Dorgu’s cut-back, Zirkzee gets the jump on Dias and steers a first-time shot on target – but Ederson reacts to paw it away! Mount is under the rebound, but Lewis blocks his volley.
76 mins: The camera picks out Eric Cantona in the crowd, who looks visibly pained at what he’s been forced to endure.
75 mins: Mount goes into the book for bustling into Bernardo Silva, preventing a City counter that was already lacking direction.
74 mins: Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis come on, replacing O’Reilly and Gundogan. Lewis will slot in at left-back, so it’s a bit of an attacking change from Guardiola.
“Is this the worst Premier League of all time, or the most competitive?” asks Gavin White. “Seems only competitive by the poor quality of the teams.” Can’t imagine what inspired your email, Gavin.
72 mins: Fernandes pops up on the left and finds Garnacho, whose cross is snaffled by Ederson at the near post. City are readying two more changes.
71 mins: Changes for United, with Ugarte replaced by Mount seconds after almost scoring. Zirkzee replaces Hojlund, who has, if we’re being generous, at least tried.
70 mins: Ooooof! Fernandes’ cross from deep is towards Hojlund, but Gvardiol clears only as far as Ugarte, whose effort from 25 yards out flies just wide. Ederson was on his heels there.
68 mins: The ball is muddled out for a corner. De Bruyne will whip it in … it’s half cleared, and from 30 yards, Marmoush absolutely belts it, forcing Onana to react quickly and beat his shot away. It falls to O’Reilly, but he’s offside. What a hit, though.
66 mins: Doku does well to hold up the ball on halfway and draw a foul. He repeats the trick a few moments later, forcing Dalot to pull him back and get a booking for his trouble.
Thanks Paul Peppiate, first to inform me that the song adapted for the Ruben Amorim chant is “It’s a Heartache” by Bonnie Tyler. “Catchy innit?” says Paul. Yes, infuriatingly so.
64 mins: No, it’s Marmoush who takes it. Has he no respect for narrative? It’s a fine effort, dipping over the wall and forcing Onana to spring to his left and parry away.
62 mins: Marmoush does a number on Lindelof, backing in and then rolling left and going down. City free kick, a little over 25 yards out. De Bruyne will surely fancy a crack …
61 mins: O’Reilly gives it away – City just can’t seem to keep the ball at the minute – and Garnacho finds the dangerous Dorgu. His low cross hits the sliding Dias, and there’s big appeals for handball – but replays show that the ball hit Dias in his, er, midriff.
60 mins: De Bruyne looks for Gundogan, who traps it with his shin, and United half clear only to get the ball back again.
58 mins: Bruno Fernandes links up with Dalot and whips in a cross to the far post, where Nunes has to head clear with Dorgu waiting. The corner is cleared.
57 mins: City change, and it’s Phil Foden coming off – he’s had far better derby days, and didn’t look quite right after that early injury. He’s replaced by Jeremy Doku. For United, Maguire – who’s done well – completes his expected hour, and is replaced by Victor Lindelof.
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