United shut down City in impressive derby win

A clinical Manchester United performance ended crosstown rivals Manchester City's 21-game winning run on Sunday, as Bruno Fernandes' penalty and a strike from Luke Shaw secured a 2-0 win at the Etihad.

The Action: It was a dream start for the visitors. Naively, Gabriel Jesus fouled Anthony Martial in the box and penalty specialist Bruno Fernandes made no mistake from the spot to give his team the lead with just two minutes played.

The Citizens played their normal game and controlled plenty of possession, but United's defence - with Dean Henderson deputising for David de Gea in goal - stood resolute throughout. 

After the break, City were inches away from finding a way back into the contest when Rodri's shot glanced off the angle of post and bar.

Moments later, however, it was United who doubled their lead when great combination play between Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw allowed the English left-back to slot home from 20 yards out.

Although City had dangerous moments in the latter stages - Raheem Sterling notably failing to connect with Kyle Walker's inviting whipped cross - but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side saw the game out to collect a well-deserved three points.

The Big Picture:  Without the injured Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani, the Red Devils delivered a confidence-boosting performance that lifted them back into second place, although they remain 11 points adrift of City at the top of the Premier League. United now host AC Milan in their Europa League round-of-16 first-leg on Thursday.

City, meanwhile, have a chance to get this defeat out of their system when they play Southampton on Wednesday at the Etihad. 

Memorable moment: It has to be Gabriel Jesus' foul on Martial in the opening seconds of the game, as it proved decisive. What Jesus was doing in his own box is a mystery and it was an incredibly silly penalty to concede. 

Man of the Match: It was a real team performance, so choosing an individual is tough. However, we'll give it to Luke Shaw for scoring the deciding goal at a crucial time in the game.

Quote of the Day: Pep Guardiola: "Against West Ham we played much, much worse than today. Against West Ham we didn't deserve to win and maybe today we didn't deserve to lose. We were not good in front of goal, our strikers were not brilliant today, but it happens."

Stat of the Day: Of managers that Manchester City's Pep Guardiola has faced more than three times across all competitions, as a top-flight boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the only one to have beaten the Spaniard (4) more often than he has lost (3).

The run.
The finish.
The 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Love it, @LukeShaw23 🔴#MUFC #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/EaEEnb5wdk

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 7, 2021