The worst Man United and Man City teams in decades offer a poor derby to match

Manchester United and Manchester City played retired an uninspiring 0-0 draw astatine Old Trafford connected Sunday successful a crippled that showed wherefore some teams are enduring hard seasons.

There were fewer clear-cut chances implicit the people of the 90 minutes, though Joshua Zirkzee and Omar Marmoush forced bully saves from goalkeepers Éderson and André Onana, respectively, successful the 2nd half. While Man City had much clip of possession, Man United had much shots and shaded the expected goals metric.

Their champion infinitesimal came wrong the opening minute, erstwhile Alejandro Garnacho recovered abstraction down City's defence lone to beryllium brought down by Rúben Dias connected the borderline of the punishment area.

United manager Ruben Amorim had crushed to beryllium happier than City's Guardiola, peculiarly aft a promising first-half performance. A constituent means City stay 5th successful the array -- perchance the last Champions League spot -- with 7 games remaining. United enactment successful 13th, inactive 7 points disconnected the apical half. -- Rob Dawson

Two mediocre teams connection miserable variation of Manchester derby

This was billed astatine the astir inconsequential Manchester derby for years, and it lived up to the (anti-) hype.

These are 2 teams coming to the extremity of miserable seasons, and they served up the performances to match. It looked from precise aboriginal connected arsenic if they would some beryllium blessed with a point, and that's precisely what they got.

The hugs and smiles shared betwixt some sets of players astatine the extremity was grounds that nary 1 was leaving excessively disappointed. The Manchester derby successful April 2012 decided the Premier League rubric race, but this was a satellite distant from the strength of that time astatine the Etihad Stadium 13 years ago.

It could yet beryllium the worst play for the Manchester teams successful much than 30 years. The 1990-91 run was the past clip some United and City finished extracurricular the apical 4 successful English football's apical flight. The past clip determination was nary Manchester squad successful the Champions League was 1995-96.

The anticipation is that yet these 2 teams volition get backmost to competing for the biggest trophies, but there's enactment to bash for some to get backmost to the top. -- Dawson

Amorim keeps 1 oculus connected Lyon

He was speedy to disregard the proposition up of kickoff that the Europa League quarterfinal archetypal limb against Lyon connected Thursday was bigger than the derby, but successful the extremity Amorim showed precisely what helium considers to beryllium much important.

Harry Maguire didn't privation to travel disconnected aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional and made it known to Amorim connected the touchline. The United brag didn't attraction and made the manus motion for "substitution" earlier heading backmost to his spot connected the bench.

It was a wide connection that the determination wasn't up for debate. Maguire is lone conscionable coming backmost from injury, and, with Matthijs de Ligt presently sidelined, he'll beryllium needed against Lyon. In Amorim's eyes, it wasn't worthy the hazard to support him connected against City.

You tin recognize his logic. Languishing successful the bottommost fractional of the table, the Premier League play is already over. But if they triumph the Europa League, United get their hands connected a trophy and suffice for the Champions League.

It would enactment an wholly antithetic rotation connected the campaign. Expect to spot Amorim support much players caller for Europe the person they get to the final. -- Dawson

Hojlund continues to autumn abbreviated since joining Man United

Rasmus Hojlund lasted 71 minutes of this Manchester derby earlier being replaced by substitute Joshua Zirkzee, but the United guardant could person been taken disconnected astatine immoderate constituent anterior to that by Amorim.

The 22-year-old touched the shot conscionable 14 times against City and astir of those were of nary consequence. He surely didn't endanger to people a goal, but helium has present managed conscionable 1 extremity successful past 24 appearances for United -- against relegation-bound Leicester -- truthful it would beryllium optimistic to deliberation helium would find the backmost of the nett against the champions.

But portion Hojlund's deficiency of goals has been a longstanding occupation for United, it is his all-round crippled that should beryllium of adjacent interest to Amorim. Hojlund, a £70-million signing from Atalanta successful August 2023, simply lacks immoderate benignant of beingness oregon crippled intelligence, and helium offers thing beyond honorable effort and running, usually down unsighted alleys.

When United broke forward, Hojlund's limitations meant that helium would either tally toward the shot -- and trim the abstraction for himself and the shot -- oregon successful consecutive lines, truthful helium offered small question for a walk successful a unsafe area. The champion forwards marque their defenders determination successful each directions -- a dart forward, past a peel-off to the backmost post. This is designed to make abstraction for himself, but besides his teammates. But Hojlund did nary of that.

He intelligibly needs to beryllium coached amended to prime his runs better, but possibly helium conscionable doesn't person the capableness to heed the lessons. But astatine £70 million, helium should already cognize however to play his relation arsenic a halfway forward. -- Mark Ogden

As Man City struggle, truthful does Foden

This clip past year, Phil Foden was connected people to triumph the Footballer of the Year grant successful England and a 4th successive Premier League rubric for Manchester City owed to an unthinkable play that delivered 27 goals and 12 assists successful each competitions. But 1 twelvemonth on, the 24-year-old is simply a shadiness of his erstwhile self, and helium was substituted successful this crippled aft different fruitless performance.

Foden had a mediocre Euro 2024 with England, and helium has not been the aforesaid subordinate since the tourney successful Germany. His play has been impacted by unwellness and injury, and helium mightiness not person had capable remainder betwixt Euro 2024 and this season, but determination is nary uncertainty that helium is struggling for thing similar his champion signifier this clip around.

So acold this season, Foden has managed 10 goals and 5 assists successful each competitions. Respectable capable for mean players successful mid-ranking teams, but obscurity adjacent Foden's best, and helium could extremity this play with his worst figures since helium scored 8 goals and registered 9 assists successful 2019-20.

At his best, Foden is simply a world-class lucifer winner, but helium hasn't been successful that bracket for City this season. -- Ogden

Time is close for De Bruyne to leave

Kevin De Bruyne was unfastened to staying astatine City earlier nine bosses decided it was clip for the Belgian to determination on.

It's ne'er casual to accidental goodbye to a legend, particularly erstwhile they've been 1 of the champion midfielders successful the Premier League for a decade. Sitting successful the Old Trafford director's box, outgoing manager of shot Txiki Begiristain and his replacement, Hugo Viana, tin beryllium assured they've done the close thing.

play

1:45

Michallik: De Bruyne was the champion successful the satellite astatine his peak

Janusz Michallik hands retired the highest of praise for Kevin De Bruyne's Premier League bequest arsenic the midfielder announces his program to permission Manchester City.

It was a astonishment De Bruyne started against United. It was his archetypal Premier League commencement successful much than a period and conscionable his 2nd since Feb 1. It has been telling that adjacent with City struggling, Guardiola has continually overlooked the subordinate who was erstwhile his prima man.

His show against United was a snapshot of his season. At 33 years old, his legs aren't what they were. It has meant that helium hasn't been capable to thrust into abstraction with the shot similar helium could successful his prime.

Subsequently, his power successful games has been reduced. Guardiola brought connected Jérémy Doku and Jack Grealish aboriginal successful the 2nd half, and some times it could person been De Bruyne who was sacrificed. He volition everlastingly beryllium a City great, but it's clip to go. -- Dawson

Aging midfield highlights large Man City rebuild ahead

Manchester City's midfield 3 against United of Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündogan and Mateo Kovacic had a combined property of 97 years, with attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva besides claiming thirtysomething presumption astatine 31.

De Bruyne, Gundogan and Bernardo person each been important figures successful City's palmy play nether Guardiola, portion Kovacic has brought trophy winning acquisition from Real Madrid and Chelsea since arriving astatine the Etihad 2 years ago. But nary of them could beryllium described arsenic the aboriginal and De Bruyne's announcement connected Friday that helium volition permission City erstwhile his declaration expires successful the summertime was the commencement of an inevitable rebuild astatine the club.

Gundogan and Kovacic besides request to beryllium replaced, adjacent if Rodri returns to highest signifier rapidly adjacent play pursuing his cruciate ligament wounded lay-off. Nico Gonzalez, signed successful January from Porto, is the archetypal measurement successful reshaping the midfield, but it volition instrumentality a large concern connected the squad to get City's midfield backmost to Champions League-winning levels.

Liverpool overhauled their midfield 2 years agone and Arsenal's axis of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice volition service the nine good for astatine slightest the adjacent 5 years. City person had astir a decennary from De Bruyne, Gundogan and Bernardo, but they request their replacements to beryllium conscionable arsenic palmy and that volition beryllium a pugnacious task for caller sporting manager Hugo Viana to propulsion off. -- Ogden