Manchester City 3 - 0 Manchester United Player Ratings: Erling Haaland rated 9.5/10 as Citizens Secure Dominant Derby Win

Manchester United endured a night of humiliation at the Etihad Stadium in the recently concluded Manchester Derby against arch-rivals Manchester City. The Sky Blues delivered a commanding performance to sweep aside their rivals, Manchester United, in a 3-0 victory. This match felt one-sided from the early exchanges. City's control and attacking prowess were simply too much for United to handle.

Apart from the opening minutes of the first half, United looked completely lost. The scoring was opened by a surprising header from Phil Foden in the 18th minute. After that, it became the Erling Haaland show. The Norwegian striker was absolutely clinical, netting two goals in the second half to seal the deal.

The sheer gulf in class between the two sides was impossible to ignore. While United huffed and puffed, they rarely threatened City's goal with any real conviction. This result sends a strong message to the rest of the Premier League about City's intentions. They were simply on another level today. Here are the Manchester City vs Manchester United player ratings:

Manchester City Player Ratings vs Manchester United

Here are the Manchester City player ratings:

Goalkeeper

Gianluigi Donnarumma - 7.0: A relatively quiet afternoon for the Italian giant. He made a couple of important saves when called upon, particularly one in the second half. His distribution was solid, and he commanded his area with confidence. A clean sheet in the derby is always a good day's work.

Defenders

Nico O'Reilly - 6.5: Had a busy day on the right flank, getting stuck in with five tackles. He was solid for the most part but did get caught out a couple of times. Overall, a decent, energetic performance in a dominant team display.

Rúben Dias - 7.5: A classic performance from the Portuguese rock. He was physically dominant, winning his aerial duels and making seven crucial clearances. Dias organized the backline expertly and gave United's forwards no room to breathe. Utterly composed.

Abdukodir Khusanov - 7.5: From our perspective, he was quietly excellent. He read the game brilliantly, making four interceptions and several key clearances. He was comfortable on the ball and stepped out of defence with purpose. A very mature performance.

Josko Gvardiol - 6.5: A steady, if unspectacular, outing for the Croatian. He did his defensive duties without any fuss and supported the attack when needed. He was a little loose in possession a few times, but it never led to anything dangerous. A solid part of a well-oiled machine.

Midfielders

Rodri - 7.0: The metronome of the team. Before being substituted, he controlled the tempo of the game with his effortless passing. He broke up play effectively and ensured City dominated the midfield battle. His absence is always felt, but the game was won by the time he left.

Phil Foden - 8.0: Scored the vital opening goal with a well-timed header. His work rate was phenomenal, recovering the ball an incredible 11 times. He was a constant creative force and his energy was infectious. A brilliant all-round display.

Bernardo Silva - 7.0: The Energizer bunny of the team. He ran himself into the ground for the cause and popped up with an assist. While his duel success rate was surprisingly low, his impact came from his relentless pressing and intelligent movement off the ball. A true team player.

Tijjani Reijnders - 6.5: Kept things ticking over in midfield but wasn't as influential as his peers. He had a big chance to score but couldn't convert. A decent performance, but we expected a little more from him on such a big occasion.

Jérémy Doku - 8.5: An absolute nightmare for the United defence. He provided two assists and was a constant source of danger with his direct dribbling. Yes, he lost the ball a lot, but that's the risk you take with a player this explosive. His end product was devastating today.

Forwards

Erling Haaland - 9.5: Unstoppable. The highest-rated player for a reason. He bagged two goals with lethal finishing and could have had a hat-trick. His power, pace, and movement were simply too much for United's backline. The clear Man of the Match and the difference-maker.

Substitutes

Nico González - 6.0: Came on for Rodri to see the game out. Kept things simple and helped maintain control.

Savinho - 6.0: Replaced the electric Jérémy Doku and provided fresh legs on the wing.

Oscar Bobb - N/A: Came on late for the hero Erling Haaland.

Nathan Aké - N/A: A late change for Bernardo Silva to shore things up.

Manager

Josep Guardiola - 9.0: A tactical masterclass. His setup perfectly exploited United's weaknesses. The team played with swagger, control, and ruthlessness. He got every big decision right and presided over a derby day demolition.

Manchester United Player Ratings vs Manchester City

Here are Manchester United player ratings:

Goalkeeper

Altay Bayındır - 5.0: A day to forget for the keeper. He was left exposed by his defence but didn't cover himself in glory. Conceding three goals is never good, and his distribution was erratic, putting his team under more pressure. A performance lacking in confidence.

Defenders

Luke Shaw - 5.5: He really struggled to contain City's dynamic right side. While he was tidy in possession, he was found wanting defensively on multiple occasions. He couldn't provide his usual attacking thrust either. A difficult afternoon.

Matthijs de Ligt - 5.0: From our perspective, this was a poor showing. He made an error leading to a shot and looked rattled by Haaland's presence. He won a few tackles but never looked comfortable or commanding. A far cry from his best.

Leny Yoro - 4.5: A brutal learning curve for the young defender. He was completely out of his depth and was mercifully substituted after 62 minutes. He looked physically and positionally overwhelmed by City's attack. This was a tough, tough day for him.

Midfielders

Manuel Ugarte - 6.5: One of the few United players to emerge with some credit. He fought a lone battle in midfield, making tackles and trying to break up play. He was constantly running and trying, but was simply outnumbered and outclassed.

Bruno Fernandes - 7.0: He never stopped trying to make something happen. The captain created a few chances and was always looking for a killer pass. You could see his frustration as the game wore on. He was let down by those around him.

Noussair Mazraoui - 5.5: A very quiet game. He put in a shift but had little to no impact on proceedings before being taken off. He was a passenger in a midfield that was completely overrun. Not his day.

Patrick Dorgu - 7.5: United's best player on the day, in our opinion. He was a constant threat down the left, delivering dangerous crosses and taking players on. He won a remarkable 11 duels and never gave up. A shining light in a dark performance.

Forwards

Bryan Mbeumo - 5.5: A wasteful and frustrating performance. He had four shots but couldn't find the net, missing a big chance in the process. He lost possession constantly and offered very little threat. Looked completely isolated.

Amad Diallo - 6.0: He was neat and tidy on the ball, but that was about it. He failed to provide any spark or penetration in the final third. It felt like the game passed him by without him taking any real risks.

Benjamin Sesko - 5.0: Physically dominated by City's central defenders. He lost the majority of his duels and was a complete non-factor. He had one shot on target but was otherwise anonymous before being substituted.

Substitutes

Kobbie Mainoo - 6.0: Came on but couldn't change the flow of the game.

Harry Maguire - 6.0: Replaced the struggling Leny Yoro and was an improvement, but the damage was done.

Casemiro - 5.5: Missed a good chance late on.

Joshua Zirkzee - 5.5: Offered little after coming on.

Manager

R. Amorim - 4.0: His game plan was wrong from the start. His team was set up in a way that invited pressure, and they were duly punished. They looked tactically naive and were out-fought and out-thought across the pitch. A very bad day at the office for the manager.

Sportsdunia's player of the match is Erling Haaland.