By Lori Ewing
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Manchester City’s goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland struck twice in a 3-0 Premier League thrashing of Manchester United on Sunday, giving Pep Guardiola’s side bragging rights in the latest edition of the derby.
Phil Foden also scored for City in his first start of the season, heading in Jeremy Doku’s cross in the 18th minute. Doku squeezed brilliantly through United’s defence and had his first cross blocked but dug out a second that Foden leapt to guide in.
Haaland, who has a remarkable seven goals this week for club and country, scored his first of the afternoon in the 53rd minute when Doku muscled past Lenny Yoro before sliding a pass to the big Norwegian who chipped the ball over goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
The 25-year-old, who ran at United’s defence like a bulldozer all day, completed his double in the 68th when the visitors lost the ball. Haaland, lining up at the centre circle, easily outsprinted Harry Maguire to Bernardo Silva’s ball forward for another one-on-one with Bayindir.
“You could feel it from the fans, we needed this,” Haaland said. “You always want to win the derby but you could feel it extra today. I’m so relieved, so happy we managed to do it all together. We have to keep going. Today we’re super happy.”
The match lacked the intrigue of derbies past with both teams going into the game mid-table after sputtering starts.
City climbed to eighth with their second win from four, while United are 14th with just one victory.
HAALAND’S WONDERFUL WEEK
Haaland almost had a hat-trick, thanks to United’s shambles at the back. He had Bayindir beaten but missed a sitter to hit the post. Guardiola was already celebrating, but then held his head in disbelief.
The victory capped quite a week for Haaland, who had five goals on Tuesday when Norway pummelled Moldova 11-1 to maintain their perfect record in men’s World Cup qualifying.
He also scored his 50th goal in his 50th home Premier League game for City. In the competition’s history, only Alan Shearer required fewer home appearances, 47, to hit 50 goals.
And he nearly set up Tijjani Reijnders for a fourth City goal late in the game but Reijnders chipped the ball just wide.
City had six shots on target to United’s two, but Guardiola’s new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma quickly proved his worth, diving to push away an early shot from Benjamin Sesko and then making a brilliant diving save from a second-half shot by Bryan Mbeumo.
United captain Bruno Fernandes lamented the result.
“The result is very bad, very bad on us but I think it’s two ways of looking at this game,” he said. “The goals could have been avoided. On the ball we were very positive, very brave, we were playing the ball forward. When we created chances we could have been more clean.
“We wanted what City got and that’s the three points. City were smart to get the goals in the way they did, they have a very good team and good players.”
The game began after a thunderous minute’s appreciation for British boxing great Ricky Hatton, who died at the age of 46. Foden dedicated his goal to Hatton, who was a lifelong City fan.
“I had extra motivation going into the game, it was for him and his family and for the people suffering right now,” Foden said. “The lads gave everything. It wasn’t a pretty match but it was all for him.”
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Ros Russell)
