A hat-trick each for Erling Haaland and Phil Foden gave Manchester City a 6-3 win against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
It was a ruthless performance from the Premier League champions, who were four goals up at half-time after tearing United apart time and again with their pass and move football.
Antony scored with an excellent strike early in the second half and Anthony Martial came off the bench to score a late double that made the score a bit more respectable, but it was an otherwise dominant showing from City against Erik ten Hag’s men.
Pep Guardiola saw his team go back to within a point of leaders Arsenal at the top of the league, and remain the only unbeaten team in England’s top flight this season.
Foden gave the hosts the lead after just eight minutes, with Joao Cancelo playing a pass to Bernardo Silva on the left, and his low cross found the England international completely free to sweep the ball inside David de Gea’s near post.
Haaland then rose highest from a Kevin De Bruyne corner just after the hour-hour mark to force a header across the line, despite Tyrell Malacia’s best efforts to keep it out.
The Belgian provided for the Norwegian again just three minutes later as he whipped a cross from the inside right position towards the back post, with Haaland there to divert the ball past De Gea again.
Former Borussia Dortmund star Haaland turned provider just before half-time as he was again played in by De Bruyne, before aiming a perfect low cross to the far post for Foden to steer in his 50th goal for City in all competitions to make it 4-0 at the break.
Some pride was restored for the visitors 11 minutes into the second half as Antony scored with an outstanding long-range effort after cutting onto his left foot and bending a shot into the far corner, only for Haaland to complete his treble after guiding in a Sergio Gomez cross.
Foden finished well when played in by Haaland to make it six, and although substitute Martial forced the ball home following Ederson pushing out a Fred shot, and then won and scored a penalty in stoppage time, it was comfortably City’s day in Manchester.
What does it mean? Hat-trick hero Haaland… again
It is now 17 goals in 11 games for Haaland at City as the imposing striker looks to break as many scoring records as he can.
His treble here made him the first player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in three consecutive home games in the competition.
Haaland, who also had two assists, only made his Premier League debut 56 days ago, but he already has as many hat-tricks in the competition as Cristiano Ronaldo (three), who sat moody-faced on the bench as he was an unused substitute for the visitors.
Foden also fires on derby day
It seems a bit strange to think Foden could be overshadowed after scoring a hat-trick in a Manchester derby, but when you’re playing with a machine like Haaland, it’s easy to see why.
The local lad was outstanding again, though, with three neat finishes and recording a total passing accuracy of 95 per cent, as well as completing 89 per cent of his passes in the final third, more than any other City player to make four or more.
Another four-ful start from United
Going in at half-time on the end of a hammering has become a familiar feeling for the Red Devils.
Since the start of 2020-21, United have conceded four or more first-half goals in four Premier League games (also versus Spurs in 2020, Liverpool in 2021 and Brentford this season), twice as often as any other side in this time.
Key Opta Stats:
– This was the highest ever scoring Manchester derby in any competition in what was the two sides’ 187th competitive meeting.
– It was the first time City scored six goals in a home game against United in all competitions – the previous two instances came away from home (6-1 in January 1926 and 6-1 in October 2011).
– United conceded six goals in a Premier League game for only the fourth time, with two of these coming against City (also October 2011).
– Foden scored his 49th, 50th and 51st goals for City in all competitions – his first ever senior hat-trick. Aged 22 years and 127 days, he became the youngest player to reach 50 under Pep Guardiola, surpassing Lionel Messi (22y 164d).
– Haaland and Foden became the third and fourth City players respectively to score a hat-trick versus United after Francis Lee in December 1970 and Horace Barnes in October 1921.
– City were only the third side to have two hat-trick scorers in a single Premier League game, after Arsenal v Southampton in 2003 (Jermaine Pennant, Robert Pires) and Leicester v Southampton in 2019 (Ayoze Perez, Jamie Vardy).
What’s next?
It’s back to European action for both teams as City host FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday, while United need a morale-boosting result as they travel to Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League.
