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From a passive start to a fiery finish, this Manchester derby had it all. Join us as we analyze Manchester United's initial dominance, the pivotal red card incident, and the brilliant tactical adjustments that led 10-man Man City to victory.
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00:00The first Manchester Derby to see a red card in the last 10 years is all over,
00:04but that's not the only thing that happened.
00:06Haaland scored a pretty questionable goal,
00:08Enzo Mureska out-fought Michael Carrick,
00:11and Ilyman and Jai changed the game entirely.
00:14So settle down, because this is a big one,
00:16and a game with a lot of things that we need to cover.
00:19And obviously, I'm Jacob Orsfor, 4-4-2's resident tactician,
00:22and this is how 10-men Manchester City stunned their noisy neighbours.
00:32To start the game off, we saw Manchester United in a relatively passive 4-4-2.
00:37Their two forward players weren't looking to actively engage with the Man City centre-halves every single time.
00:44And City were in a 3-1 shape.
00:45Anderson is basically a lone pivot, with Fernandes and Scherke peeling into the channels,
00:50looking to pull one of those central Manchester United midfielders with them,
00:53and opening up that angle to find Erlen Haaland,
00:56who would be coming to feed, going in beyond, trying to get on the ball.
01:00But City were really, really passive to start the game.
01:02There were so many square passes.
01:04Gary Neville spoke about it a lot on the Sky Sports commentary.
01:06And they just weren't penetrating a Man United block that wasn't the best organised.
01:11In fact, Erlen Haaland really struggled.
01:13In the first 30 minutes, he didn't touch the ball,
01:16which I think sums up the first 25-30 minutes from Manchester City.
01:20They were passive.
01:21They weren't finding their best players in the best zones.
01:24Scherke, Haaland were all struggling to get properly involved in this game.
01:27Whereas, I think Manchester United, who, before the red card, I think were probably the better side.
01:32You see here, Matthias Cunha dropping into that box,
01:35whilst Bruno goes the other way, opening up the diagonal switch,
01:39and opening space behind Cunha,
01:41so he can receive the ball and then drive at the Man City defence.
01:45Which, again, is kind of how Man United were looking to hurt this Man City team.
01:48They were kind of leaving it so that the defenders would have to step out of their block
01:51to engage with ball-carrying players.
01:54And, to be fair, when you've got players like Kobi Mainu,
01:57you've got players like Matthias Cunha in that central area,
01:59using your ball-carrying abilities makes a lot of sense.
02:03But, it all changed about halfway through first half.
02:10The first Manchester City player sent off in the derby.
02:12This moment changed everything, and I'm going to settle in here,
02:16because I don't think it's as simple as it potentially looks on first glance.
02:19The first thing we see is Phil Foden makes contact with Bruno Fernandes.
02:23Clear red card, clear as day.
02:25You can't kick out when you're on the floor in that manner.
02:27Both legs up, gone for his chest.
02:29It's a red card, okay?
02:31But, if we rewind before Foden's kick,
02:34the key moment is Bruno Fernandes initiates it.
02:36Bruno Fernandes is the one at fault for the whole action.
02:40He kicks Phil Foden on the ground.
02:42Kicking someone on the ground should be a bookable, at the minimum, offence.
02:46Now, for me, I think it's stupid from Foden to reacting the way he does.
02:50It's careless.
02:51For someone as seasoned as him, he shouldn't be doing it.
02:53But, Bruno Fernandes, for me, if you're going to send Foden off,
02:56Bruno Fernandes has got to go as well.
02:57You cannot let him kick someone on the ground and get away with it.
03:00But, in the end, it actually turned out, working in Man City's favour,
03:04and Manchester United fell apart,
03:07despite, obviously, being the team with 11 men on the pitch.
03:11However, it didn't all just click straight away for City
03:14as soon as they went down to 10 men.
03:15It wasn't some sort of magic fix.
03:17In fact, even after the red card,
03:19United were still probably the better team up until half-time,
03:21and this is probably why.
03:23Here, they've got this sort of central midfield overload.
03:26Now, the only way City could really handle this
03:28with being down to 10 men
03:29was if one of the centre-halves, probably Ruben Diaz,
03:32was to step out of the back line and close that space.
03:34But, when you're up against Manchester United at Old Trafford,
03:37the last thing you want to do is vacate space in beyond,
03:40because if Diaz steps,
03:41and Buomo or Rashford or Cunha or Bruno go in beyond,
03:45and then someone picks them out,
03:46and all of a sudden,
03:47United are in the position that they dream of,
03:49which is a sort of transitional in-beyond-the-defence moment.
03:53Now, Ruben Diaz did step out a few times,
03:55trying to deal with that,
03:56trying to go touch-tight to Bruno and Cunha,
03:57but in the end, I think, for the most part,
03:59he did stay in that back four,
04:01really, really taking the hit of,
04:02they could have that overload in front of me,
04:04but I'm not going to step out and let them go beyond me,
04:06because that's obviously so much harder to actually deal with.
04:11But, United still had ways to hurt Man City,
04:14with City being down to 10 men.
04:15We saw them constantly look to target this right-hand side of the pitch,
04:19trying to go down there, creating overloads,
04:21combining quickly and build-up,
04:22before they reach the final third.
04:24Now, this would mean Shirky and Anderson,
04:27in that midfield,
04:28would get pulled over,
04:29alongside Enzo Fernandes as well, obviously.
04:31And then, United had Rashford as almost a spare man on the opposite side,
04:351v1 with Mateus Nunez.
04:38If they switched it quickly,
04:38he could get on the ball and look to really attack that open space,
04:42that was left by City having to shuffle over.
04:45Now, I thought Nunez did really, really well with Rashford,
04:47he handled him really well,
04:49but Rashford still registered the most touches in the opposition box,
04:53out of any player on the pitch in that first half.
04:55And that's how United sort of made most of their extra man.
04:59Although, over then Rashford hitting the post from that free kick,
05:03and trying to force things to happen,
05:06they didn't really cause all that much danger,
05:11when they needed to,
05:12because at half-time,
05:13it all just switched entirely.
05:19In the second half,
05:21City changed their shape to more of a narrow 4-4-1 or 4-2-3.
05:26Instead of the centre midfielders going wide,
05:27we had them come in really, really deep as a pair,
05:30with just two players in that central area.
05:33Now, Manchester United decided to go man-to-man in this moment,
05:36and they did it pretty much throughout the full second half.
05:38They went man-to-man,
05:39trying to squeeze them in,
05:40which makes sense.
05:41You're at home,
05:42you're in a derby.
05:43City have made mistakes this season at the back on Enzo Moresca.
05:45They made mistakes in this game at the back,
05:47under Enzo Moresca.
05:49And United really had an extra man,
05:52that they had to go for it.
05:54But, that let big space be on the midfield line,
05:57and in between that midfield line,
05:58and the Manchester United defence,
06:00which, obviously, City didn't have a spare man to flow into that space,
06:03but, it was something that, later down the line,
06:07caused Manchester United some big, big problems.
06:10Because, this is where Idi Man Ndi comes into this game,
06:13and I really do just want to emphasise,
06:15I thought he was incredible.
06:17Arguably man of the match for me.
06:18I know Elliot Anderson got it and deserved it,
06:20but I think Ndi changed this game,
06:22from not just a tactical point of view,
06:23but from just a player performance level.
06:25He was incredible in this game.
06:28And, without him, I don't think City go and get
06:30the three points from this game.
06:32And, his biggest impact, for me,
06:34was just how versatile he was.
06:36He was on this right wing,
06:37and Man United were obviously man-to-man,
06:38against Man City's back line and build-up.
06:40But, Ndi would just come back,
06:42get on the ball,
06:42and then turn and look to attack
06:44the Manchester United space,
06:46in between the midfield and defence.
06:48Driving with it,
06:50pulling defenders to him,
06:51giving Haaland room on his defender's shoulder,
06:53to come to feet,
06:54or Semenyo's space,
06:56off of his full-back,
06:57to go in beyond.
06:58And, that was how City sort of found solutions,
07:01if they didn't want to go long,
07:03if they weren't going to try and hit Erling Haaland.
07:05But, the real brilliance with Ndi, I think,
07:08and the reason he made sense coming on,
07:09as a 10-man team,
07:11is because he can do everything.
07:14He's so versatile.
07:15Yes, he's a ball-to-feet wingman,
07:17who wants to take his man on.
07:17That's him at his foundation,
07:19that's his core.
07:19But, he's also dynamic 1v1.
07:22He's a great ball carrier, obviously,
07:23but he's also got that tight feet,
07:25in small conditions.
07:26Small conditions,
07:27small spaces.
07:28And, he can do the traditional winger,
07:30heavy-duty running.
07:31That is what,
07:33made the Erling Haaland goal.
07:35Haaland would be coming,
07:36a little bit deeper,
07:37when Man City were looking to go long,
07:38from build-up.
07:39And, that meant that Ndi and Semenyo,
07:41were supposed to get around him,
07:42and win those second balls.
07:44And, I think,
07:44this is something,
07:45maybe slightly different for Haaland,
07:47compared to his role in the first half.
07:49I mean,
07:49took zero touches,
07:50in the first 13 minutes,
07:51and finished the game with 30.
07:52And, I think his second half,
07:54really,
07:55really changed his role.
07:56Enzemarescu made a little tweak,
07:57to how he wanted to use him.
07:59Because, he was flicking balls on.
08:00And, then,
08:01Ndi and Semenyo,
08:02showed the tenacity,
08:03to win the second balls.
08:05And, then,
08:05Ndi especially,
08:07his intention is to drive,
08:08at the opposition's defence.
08:09Taking City,
08:10into a 4v5,
08:11on the edge of the Manchester United box,
08:13with just one Manchester United midfielder,
08:15in frame here.
08:16And, I believe it's Kobi Mainu,
08:18if my memory serves me right.
08:20And, then we skip forward a little bit,
08:21some good things happen,
08:22it ends up at the back post,
08:23and Haaland scores.
08:25Now,
08:26that move just doesn't happen,
08:27without Eliman Ndi doing what he does.
08:29And,
08:29I am going to get onto the fact,
08:31that this is a controversial goal.
08:32But,
08:33I just want to emphasise,
08:34that Ndi's ability,
08:35to do so much for Man City,
08:37to do everything,
08:38to do the little,
08:39the little things that really matter,
08:41is what made him,
08:42such a good substitute appearance,
08:44for a ten man size.
08:46Now,
08:46the goal,
08:47it shouldn't have stood.
08:47I'll be honest.
08:48I mean,
08:49I think City deserve,
08:50the goal based on their second half performance,
08:52but,
08:53Enzo Fernandes impacts the play.
08:54When he's making that diving header,
08:55he was in an offside position,
08:57he dives toward the ball,
08:58Martinez then goes to him.
08:59Whether or not Martinez,
09:00would drop all the way back to Haaland,
09:01I don't think he does.
09:03I think he's probably still in that central area.
09:05But,
09:05look at where,
09:06Lomens is.
09:07He can't come all the way across,
09:09to that back post,
09:09to stop the near pull shot,
09:11from Haaland,
09:12because he has to get ready,
09:13for that header from Enzo Fernandes.
09:15And,
09:15obviously Martinez body position,
09:17maybe is a little bit different.
09:18Maybe,
09:18he's able to come and close Haaland down,
09:21before he gets that shot off.
09:22So,
09:23he impacts it,
09:24100%,
09:24100%,
09:24and it shouldn't be,
09:25allowed to play.
09:26But,
09:27I don't think that,
09:27that should excuse,
09:28Manchester United.
09:29It shouldn't let Michael Carrick,
09:30shouldn't let Manchester United,
09:32off the hook.
09:33Because,
09:34that goal was stoppable,
09:35from their point of view.
09:36Because,
09:36Manchester United,
09:37were still going man to man,
09:38high up the pitch,
09:39well into that second half.
09:41Well around,
09:42when that goal was happening.
09:43Bear in mind,
09:43in the second half,
09:44Man City went long,
09:4625 times.
09:4825 times,
09:48they tried to play long,
09:50which is what they were trying to do,
09:51as a solution in build up.
09:52Because,
09:53Manchester United,
09:53had a new,
09:55numerical,
09:56equilibrium.
09:57They were equal,
09:58in that sort of,
09:59numbers game,
10:00in the first phase.
10:01But,
10:01Manchester United,
10:02didn't take note of that.
10:03They continued to squeeze high,
10:04they continued to press,
10:05which I understand.
10:06But,
10:07it just felt like,
10:09stubbornness,
10:09naivety,
10:10to not imagine,
10:11that City were going to find,
10:12those solutions,
10:13with the players that they have.
10:14And,
10:14it leaked into the sort of fouls.
10:16We saw again,
10:17Man City,
10:18going forward,
10:19didn't have a numerical advantage.
10:21Even in their best chances,
10:22they were still probably,
10:23in underloads.
10:24Yet,
10:24we still saw Manchester United players,
10:25diving in,
10:26and committing senseless fouls.
10:28Which just allowed City,
10:29to break the game up,
10:30and manage the time.
10:31In fact,
10:32United committed,
10:3313 fouls in the second half.
10:35Man City committed just three.
10:37Just three fouls in that second half.
10:38Whereas,
10:39United committed 13.
10:40And,
10:41it just feels mental.
10:42You're the team with 11 men.
10:43You're the team at home.
10:45You're the team,
10:46sort of trying to get back into the game.
10:48Yet,
10:49you're just giving Man City,
10:50a way to kill the clock,
10:52to time it down.
10:53And it felt like,
10:54silly game management.
10:55Especially considering,
10:57when we compare the squads.
10:58You know,
10:58this United team have played in derbies before.
11:00They've won at Old Trafford in derbies.
11:01The City team,
11:02most of them haven't even experienced a derby.
11:04Never mind one one.
11:06But they had the,
11:07sort of,
11:08calmness.
11:09Settled down.
11:09We've done this before.
11:10We've been in these moments before.
11:11And just,
11:12killed the game.
11:13And United let them do that.
11:15In fact,
11:15United encouraged them,
11:16to do that.
11:18So it just felt,
11:19a little bit daft.
11:20Whereas Mariska,
11:21again,
11:22full credit to him,
11:23full credit to the substitutions,
11:24full credit to the changes.
11:25He,
11:25he was alert to the sort of,
11:27game,
11:28the game state,
11:28the situation.
11:29And that's why Man City,
11:31got one over,
11:32their noisy neighbours.
11:34Even though the first half was dull,
11:36that second half had,
11:37everything.
11:38I thought that was a really,
11:39really good watch.
11:40Just like this video has been.
11:41So if you've enjoyed,
11:42do leave a like and subscribe.
11:43We've got more content coming next week.
11:45Analysis of everyone.
11:46Will Manchester United,
11:47get going under character this season?
11:49They've been struggling.
11:50Will Man City,
11:51really get a run going now,
11:53with that win,
11:54against Manchester United?
11:55Because they've not been at their best just yet.
11:57Let me know in the comments below,
11:58and we'll see you all again next week,
12:00for some more brilliant analysis.