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Manchester City's confidence—and bragging rights—will be sky-high this week after they edged out Manchester United 1–0 on Sunday in the opening Manchester derby of the new campaign.
Not only did City triumph over their fierce rivals, reinforcing their status as "the kings of Manchester," but they accomplished it away from home at Old Trafford while playing with just 10 men.
Phil Foden was controversially shown a red card in the 23rd minute following a fiery altercation with United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, forcing City to play a man short for more than 70 minutes. It proved to be an obstacle City could overcome, however, as they secured their fourth-straight league victory of the new season in an early yet encouraging push for a trophy-filled campaign.
Man City Find Way to Prevail
Following Foden's premature departure, City kept their composure in their rivals' backyard and ultimately found a way to come out on top.
They kept a largely toothless United at bay, heading into the tunnel at halftime with neither side having found the net. "Moving forward as best we can, just concentrating on the next moment," center back Marc Guéhi said at the break, reflecting on City's mindset for staying competitive in the match.
The second half brought inevitable exhaustion, particularly for new, high-profile midfielders Enzo Fernández and Elliot Anderson, who were tasked with holding down the center of the pitch on their own. Iliman Ndiaye came on in place of midfielder Rayan Cherki, filling the space Foden had vacated on the right flank. Fernández even began suffering from leg cramps before being substituted by Nico O'Reilly in the 82nd minute.
Yet, despite the fatigue, Erling Haaland finally made his mark. Having barely touched the ball by the time Foden was dismissed, Haaland was virtually invisible in the first half. He responded emphatically, though, with a composed back-post finish in the 60th minute. It was Haaland's sole shot on target of the match, initially ruled offside before VAR overturned the call. It has been a remarkable start to the season for Haaland, who has now netted six goals across the last four matches in all competitions.
City successfully upheld their growing reputation as a side capable of managing themselves when reduced to 10 men, and Maresca will be proud of the way his team found a path to victory, even if United proved to be a underwhelming opponent.
An Afternoon to Forget for United
The hosts were flat on Sunday, wasteful going forward and feeble at the back. What should have been a straightforward opportunity to claim the Manchester crown was made far harder than it had any right to be.
United should have taken advantage of City's disorganization in the immediate aftermath of the red card, as the visitors scrambled to plug the gaping hole left by Foden on the right wing; instead, the hosts sat back passively. It took nearly 40 more minutes before United's attack even forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a save.
The only brief spark of creativity came from Fernandes, who engineered United's sole clear-cut chance of the afternoon — a poor return on the team's staggering 16 total attempts.
It was a well-deserved win for City, who now sit level with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table following a fourth-consecutive league victory. United, meanwhile, remain stuck in 13th place, having managed just one win in league action so far.
Should Fernandes Have Been Carded Too?
While Foden received a red card for violent conduct, Fernandes escaped punishment in the confrontation between the two — an outcome he will likely consider himself fortunate to have avoided.
The pair clashed for the ball near the touchline, becoming entangled in a fierce challenge that ended with City academy product Foden delivering a two-footed kick to Fernandes's midsection with limited force, yet enough to send the experienced midfielder crumpling to the ground.
Fernandes may have ended up on the floor, but he was far from an innocent party in the incident. Foden was the first to hit the ground, a vulnerable position in which Fernandes quickly kicked him in the backside, provoking Foden's severe retaliatory reaction.
Phil Foden is sent off at Old Trafford after kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. pic.twitter.com/A4JigAVEaS
Violent conduct is defined as "when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a teammate, team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made." It is a definition that could just as readily be applied to Fernandes's actions toward Foden.
Violent conduct typically carries a three-match ban. Barring a successful appeal, Foden could be absent for City's midweek EFL Cup clash with Norwich City, as well as league fixtures against Sunderland and Liverpool.
Fernandes will be relieved to avoid missing United's upcoming run of demanding matches, including games against Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur.