Manchester City once again asserted their dominance over Manchester United as they eased to victory in Sunday’s derby.
While the first half at the Etihad might have been well-contested between the two sides, the second half was anything but. City well and truly controlled proceedings as their neighbours failed to lay a glove on them.
Having taken a 2-1 lead into the break thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s first-half brace either side of a Jadon Sancho strike, Riyad Mahrez made sure of the points with his own double after the break to secure a 4-1 win. In truth, it could have been much more for a rampant City side.
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Here’s what the national media made of the Blues’ emphatic victory, with De Bruyne coming in for special praise for his performance.
‘City cast shadow over United’ – Daily Mail
"City, increasingly sure of what they do under Pep Guardiola, were not even at their best here. Yet they remained far better than Ralf Rangnick’s United.
"City – just 2-1 up at half-time – worked tirelessly throughout the second period to stretch that lead. But at the same time, metaphorically speaking, this was a stroll for them. United did not lay a glove on City in the second period. It is hard to recall City goalkeeper Ederson doing a single thing of note during that time and by the end the shot count stood at 24 against five.
"This was not a particularly embarrassing performance by United. Not by their modern standards. That says something in itself. The guys on the TV had their say but we have seen much worse.
"United were actually a little better than they were when losing 2-0 at home to City in November. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s were desperately meek that day and they were not quite that here.
"Nevertheless, this was an afternoon to remind us of what we know. Namely that City continue to cast a shadow so vast across Manchester that United will not be free of it for some time."
‘City on another level’ – The Guardian
"With a few minutes to go and the victory secure, thousands of Manchester City fans momentarily turned their backs to jig up and down in a joyous Poznan celebration. It was an occasion when they had once again laid bare the chasm that has opened up between themselves and United and they were going to enjoy it.
"United were better than they had been in that hideous loss to their neighbours at Old Trafford last November – the one that was pretty much the final straw for Ole Gunnar Solskjær. They had a few flickers in the first half here and scored a nice goal to equalise at 1-1 through Jadon Sancho.
"But City are simply on another level. In what was Ralf Rangnick’s first Premier League game against opposition from the so-called big six, City led 2-1 at half-time – both goals coming from the superlative Kevin De Bruyne – and the hard truth was that it could have been more.
"City had needed to respond to Liverpool’s win over West Ham and also their own home loss to Spurs and the sense that they were a little fortunate to win at Everton. How they did so. With 16 wins and one draw in 18 league matches, it has to be a frustration for Pep Guardiola that his team is not already clear of Liverpool. It is a testament to the form of the chasers."
‘De Bruyne a shining star in City galaxy’ – BBC
"Manchester City felt Liverpool at their back after Jurgen Klopp's side moved to within three points following their win against West Ham United but the champions could not have responded more impressively.
"From the first whistle, City imposed themselves on Manchester United and Sancho's fine equaliser proved to be only a minor inconvenience as the gap between Guardiola's team and their arch-rivals was brutally exposed.
"De Bruyne was the mastermind, scoring twice and creating City's third, the shining star in a galaxy on display at Etihad Stadium as they showed they are in no mood to relinquish their crown, no matter how hard Liverpool push them.
"City's first-half performance was excellent but after the break they were simply magnificent as they over-ran United, who were not given a second on the ball and were unable to resist wave after wave of attacks.
"Mahrez could have scored more than his two goals but for De Gea, while Joao Cancelo was also thwarted by the United keeper following an acrobatic volley.
"City's dominance of possession and ability to carve open an admittedly vulnerable United defence at will delighted their supporters, who revelled in a show of superiority that left United a beaten and bedraggled side long before the end."
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