Manchester United on Sunday ended neighbours, Manchester City’s 21-game winning streak, beating them 0-2 at the Etihad Stadium.
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A landmark win for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men has almost certainly come too late to reignite the Premier League title race.
But just a third win in nine league games takes United back above Leicester and opens up an eight-point cushion in the battle to secure a top-four finish.
City had not even trailed in a Premier League match for 20 games stretching back to their last defeat to Tottenham in November.
However, the visitors were gifted the lead after just 34 seconds when Gabriel Jesus’s clumsy challenge on Anthony Martial saw referee Anthony Taylor point to the spot.
Fernandes has failed to match the extremely high standards he has set as United’s key man in recent weeks, but the Portuguese midfielder has maintained his dead eye from the penalty spot and his strike had too much power for Ederson.
Shaw then stung Ederson’s palms with City still shell-shocked by their slow start.
Pep Guardiola’s men began to take control as the first-half wore on, but Dean Henderson was only forced into a couple of routine saves by Ilkay Gundogan.
The hosts came much closer at the start of the second period when Rodrigo side-footed against the post after a patient build-up involved Riyad Mahrez and Jesus.
Seconds later, City were caught out by a brilliant United counter-attack as Shaw ran from inside his own half, exchanged passes with Marcus Rashford, and then fired into the far corner for the Red Devils’ first goal from open play against a traditional top six opponent in eight league games this season.
Solskjaer’s men beat City in both meetings at the Etihad last season by picking their neighbours off on the break and used the same tactic to great effect for another fine win.
Martial should have ensured a much greater margin of victory as he twice fired too close to Ederson with just the goalkeeper to beat.
However, United’s afternoon was slightly spoiled by an injury that forced Rashford off injured.
City had the chances to at least avoid defeat in the closing stages as substitute Phil Foden sliced wide from point-blank range before Raheem Sterling completely missed a tantalising cross from Kyle Walker with the chance to score his first goal against United.
But after plenty of criticism for a string of 0-0 draws against stronger opponents, United delivered a result to back up executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward’s message this week that the progress being made under Solskjaer is “clear” and he remains the man to lead them back into title contention next season.
Player ratings
Man City: Ederson (6), Joao Cancelo (5), Dias (5), Stones (6), Zinchenko (6), Gundogan (6), Rodri (6), De Bruyne (5), Mahrez (7), Gabriel Jesus (5), Sterling (5).
Subs: Walker (6), Foden (6)
Man Utd: Henderson (7), Wan Bissaka (7), Lindelof (7), Maguire (7), Shaw (8), McTominay (7), Fred (7), James (6), Bruno Fernandes (8), Rashford (7), Martial (8).
Subs: Greenwood (6), Matic (N/A), Williams (N/A)
Man of the match: Anthony Martial
Opta stats
Manchester City were beaten for the first time since November 2020 (0-2 v Spurs), ending a run of 28 games without defeat across all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side.
Manchester United have won three consecutive away games in all competitions against Manchester City for the first time since a run of four between November 1993 and November 2000.
Amongst managers Manchester City's Pep Guardiola has faced more than three times across all competitions as a top-flight boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the only one to have beaten the Spaniard (4) more often than he has lost to Guardiola (3).
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the first manager in Manchester United's history to win each of his first three away meetings in all competitions with Manchester City.
Since the start of the 2019-20 season, 60% of Manchester City's home defeats in all competitions have come against Ole Gunnar Solskjær's Manchester United (3/5). The Norwegian is now the only manager to have won three away games against sides managed by Pep Guardiola.
Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 103 Premier League games when leading at half time (W91 D12), with their last such defeat coming in September 2014 under Louis van Gaal (3-5 v Leicester).
Marcus Rashford's assist for Manchester United's second goal was his 10th across all competitions this season - the first time he has reached double figures for assists in a single season in his club career.
Since his Premier League debut in February 2020, Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes has scored 12 of the 13 penalties he has taken in the competition. Indeed, his 12 penalty goals are more than any team besides Man Utd in the Premier League in this period.
After just 101 seconds, Bruno Fernandes' penalty was the earliest goal that Manchester City have ever conceded in a Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, and the first they have conceded within two minutes at home in the competition since Steed Malbranque's strike for Fulham at Maine Road in January 2003.
What the managers said...
Man City boss Pep Guardiola:
"It was a fantastic game. United make incredibly high pressing and they are so fast on the counter. We played good. Unfortunately we couldn't be clinical up front so we congratulate United.
"We will be the news because we lost. But the news is 21 victories in a row. There are still 30 points to play and we have to start to win again. That's football. Sometimes it happens. We played much better than the game against West Ham which we won."
Pep Guardiola says that Manchester City will be focused on winning the next game after Manchester Utd ended their 21 game winning streak at the Etihad.
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer:
"When you come away with a 2-0 win, another clean sheet, and a performance like this, we're delighted, of course. We knew it was a challenge, the first goal dictated a lot of what happened out there. We came in at half-time having played too much on the result that we were winning, but in the second half we got on the ball more and what a second goal, fantastic.
"Every game is different, but we went back to more of the kind of team we want to be. We were more direct, more straightforward, attacking play was positive and we got at them."
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