Pep Guardiola’s Man City humiliated Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd 6-3 in the first derby of the season at the Etihad Stadium.
Even though the visitors improved in the second half, Pep Guardiola’s team had a 4-0 halftime lead, and the visitors were humiliated.
While Antony opened the scoring for United with a beautiful goal early in the second half, City’s Phil Foden and Erling Haaland both scored hat-tricks.
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Near the end, substitute Anthony Martial added a pair of goals, but the damage had already been done.
Going into the game, Ten Hag’s team had found some form, and many believed that their defensive issues from earlier in the season had been resolved.
However, they were defeated by a superior City team, leaving them humiliated as they exited the Etihad Stadium.
However, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden each received the player of the game award, and in a joint interview with Sky Sports following the contest, they stated the following:
Erling Haaland: “Yeah, not bad! We scored six goals! What can I say. It’s amazing. To win at home, score six goals, it’s nice.
“You can feel it all the time. You can see the passes we give each other. We always want to go forward and to attack. It’s what I love about the team. In the end, it’s amazing. There is nothing more to say.”
Phil Foden: “It’s a dream come true playing in a derby being a City fan as well. It’s been a pleasure to be a part of this team.
“Our determination was from kick-off and we finished our chances.”
Man City’s boss Guardiola singled out both players for appreciation when asked about the impact of Haaland, as he stated to Viaplay: “Not just him. Look at Jack Grealish today, how good he played.”
“Kevin, and Gundogan – come back in his position as holding midfielder that he started years ago.”
“They’re humble and they follow us, said ‘okay let’s try to go and do it again after four or five years of success’. I’m very pleased.
“It’s not about winning or losing, of course we want to win all the time. The way in the two or three days how they train, how they focus. It’s good.”
Ten Hag, who informed the players what he told the press, charged the United players with being “undisciplined at following rules.”
“I also told the players,” he stressed. “Lack of belief. I have seen some highlights, it was obvious we are defending not on the front foot, we let them play, in possession we were not brave enough, made tactical mistakes and then you get hammered.
“They have to (accept criticism). They showed against Liverpool, Arsenal, when they perform as a team, when they bring the belief on the pitch, starting individual, we will show them and you cannot deny.
“In the last five games, we bring that attitude on the pitch, a strong belief, convincement, we bring opponents problems. Today, it was the other way around.
United will be hoping they can bounce back with a win away at Everton next weekend but have a Europa League trip to Omonia to get through first.
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