Manchester United vs Manchester City Review
Manchester United and Manchester City ended their Premier League match in a goalless draw, marking the first scoreless derby since December 2020. City managed to withstand an early surge from the Red Devils, during which Rúben Dias received a yellow card for fouling Alejandro Garnacho, and Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick hit the wall. After weathering that initial pressure, the visitors found their rhythm, with Phil Foden hitting the side netting. Nico O’Reilly then set up Omar Marmoush, but Harry Maguire swiftly intervened to block the Egyptian’s shot.
At the opposite end, Diogo Dalot delivered an excellent cross to Garnacho, but the winger hesitated between heading and volleying, ultimately doing neither. Patrick Dorgu failed to convert a cutback from the Argentine into a goal and shot off-target, resulting in a disappointing finish to a well-executed play by Bruno Fernandes. The United captain then saw his delicate pass go wide thanks to Manuel Ugarte, while İlkay Gündoğan’s speculative shot went off target at one end, and Casemiro’s effort was saved by Ederson at the other.
Just three minutes into the second half, Foden appeared to have a great opportunity after O’Reilly passed to Marmoush, but Noussair Mazraoui intervened effectively to prevent a clear shot. This showed some attacking intent from Pep Guardiola’s team, as did a shot from Kevin De Bruyne that rolled harmlessly into the hands of André Onana. They faced a moment of concern when Dias slipped while trying to intercept Dorgu’s cross, but he managed to avoid a handball. Marmoush then had a free-kick and a powerful shot that Onana saved, followed by Ugarte’s equally strong attempt that just missed the target.
Amorim’s substitutes nearly scored the first goal when Ederson deflected Joshua Zirkzee’s shot to Mason Mount, whose rebound was stopped by Rico Lewis. Zirkzee then had another shot blocked by Dias as City withstood late pressure, maintaining an unbeaten streak of four matches across all competitions, despite missing the chance to surpass fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League standings. The draw keeps United in 13th place in the league, having won only two of their last six matches in all competitions, as they prepare for their UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Lyon on Thursday.
