Man Utd 1 – Man City 2: City open up 11 point gap after Nicolas Otamendi winner
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The Oasis star is one of City’s biggest fans and he turned TV pundit as Pep Guardiola’s team tightened their grip on the Premier League title with a comprehensive destruction of their neighbours and nearest rivals.
The fact they set a new top-flight record of 14 consecutive wins in a single season will not please boss Guardiola half as much as a performance from his team that left no one in any doubt they are already champions-elect.
With 66 points to play for it would be foolish to say it’s over. But if they can do this to the team most people thought would be their biggest threat, it is difficult to see City throwing away an 11-point lead.
Two scruffy goals from set-pieces – with Romelu Lukaku providing unintended assists for both – did not do justice to City’s dominance as they ended United’s hopes of setting a new club record of 41 matches unbeaten at home.
David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi were the grateful recipients of Lukaku’s misfortunes, and it could have been more but for three outstanding saves by David de Gea.
That finally prompted an attacking response from United. They had their first shot and won their first corner in the closing moments of the half and equalised in added time. Both Otamendi and Fabian Delph failed to cut out Marcos Rojo’s cross and Rashford fired home a first-time angled shot.
Both teams had to make a change at half-time. United sent on Victor Lindelof to replace Marcos Rojo, who had suffered a gash in a clash of heads with Silva, and Ilkay Gundogan came on for Vincent Kompany.
The addition of an extra midfielder only increased City’s control, and they regained the lead nine minutes into the second half.
Again the provider was the unfortunate Lukaku. His attempted clearance from Silva’s free-kick hit Chris Smalling on the back and rebounded to Otamendi, who like Silva for the first goal, was unmarked to smash the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.
De Gea made a fine save from De Bruyne to prevent City from taking a 3-1 lead, while Lukaku was so starved of service that he had to wait until the 65th minute for his first attempt to atone for his earlier blunders – and then lifted his shot over.
The introduction of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mata at last gave United some attacking momentum but Ederson’s double save denied them an equaliser.
That would have been hard on City. They were the last team to win at Old Trafford and now they have ended their neighbours’ long unbeaten home run.
It is going to take a remarkable collapse if Guardiola does now not go on to add the English title to the Spanish and German versions he has already acquired.
MAN UTD (4-2-3–1): De Gea 7; Valencia 6, Smalling 6, Rojo 5 (Lindelof 46, 6), Young 7; Herrera 5 (Mata 81, 5), Matic 5; Rashford 7, Lingard 6 (Ibrahimovic 75, 5) Martial 6; Lukaku 5. Booked: Rojo, Rashford, Herrera, Young. Goal: Rashford 45. NEXT UP: Bournemouth (h) Wed, PL.
MAN CITY (4-3-3): Ederson 7; Walker 6, Kompany 6 (Gundogan 46, 6), Otamendi 7, Delph 6; De Bruyne 9, D Silva 8, Sterling 7, Jesus 6 (Mangala 58, 6), Sane 7 (B Silva 88). Booked: Walker, Silva. Goals: Silva 42, Otamendi 54. NEXT UP: Southampton (a) Wed, PL.
Referee: M. Oliver (Northumberland).
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