United had no answer to Erling Haaland and Phil Foden as Erik ten Hag's revolution hit a serious bump at the Etihad
Back to the drawing board for Erik ten Hag, then! After four successive league wins, Manchester United were embarrassed by their neighbours Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, beaten 6-3 – and it could have been even more!
On the back foot from the first whistle, first-half braces from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland put City in complete control as United wilted on derby day.
And though they got goals back via Antony's stunner and a late double from substitute Anthony Martial, Foden and Haaland were able to complete respective hat-tricks to ensure Manchester remains blue.
Questions will be asked of Ten Hag's decision not to start the likes of Casemiro, while an injury suffered by Raphael Varane could give him a further headache as he looks to pick his side up off the canvas.
He has done it before already during his short tenure, but this is undoubtedly a big step back from the 20-time English champions.
Getty ImagesThe Winners
Casemiro:
Erik ten Hag has been reluctant to change a winning team in United's recent good run, but the decision to stick with Scott McTominay in central midfield is one which he may well want to take back. The way United were torn apart by City should hasten the introduction of Casemiro to Ten Hag's domestic line up, and not a moment too soon for those wanting to see the £70 million Brazilian in meaningful Premier League action.
Antony:
Though largely anonymous during the first half, Antony offered a perfect illustration of what he will be able to offer going forward after the break with his stunning 25-yard consolation strike. With two goals in his opening pair of Premier League games, the Brazil star looks likely to be a difference-maker for the Red Devils as they continue their development under Ten Hag.
Anthony Martial:
Martial scored twice and won a penalty to prove that his return to fitness will be a big boost for United, especially if he can now go on to replicate his pre-season form. Marcus Rashford's struggles on Sunday could open the door for Martial to step in and play in his favoured central position going forward.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers
Diogo Dalot:
As much as he offers going forward from right-back, questions have been asked of Dalot's defensive capabilities, and he was brutally exposed on Sunday. Booked inside the opening two minutes, Jack Grealish ran the Portugal international a merry dance, while Haaland was also able to drift across to the United right to cause havoc.
Christian Eriksen:
Eriksen has been one of the stars of United's season so far, but this was a game he will want to forget in a hurry. Having already misplaced a couple of forward passes, he allowed Phil Foden to run off him to score City's opener before Raphael Varane's injury left the Dane to try and mark Erling Haaland from a corner – a task he unsurprisingly failed at as the Golden Boot frontrunner doubled the lead.
United legends:
Whether it was Gary Neville posting a pre-match social media video to question City's selections in defence or Roy Keane watching the spawn of nemesis Alfie Haaland net a hat-trick to down his beloved United, it was not a good day for heroes of Old Trafford's previous eras. Sir Alex Ferguson looked thoroughly miserable in the director's box, and the inquest into what went wrong will last well into the coming week.
Getty ImagesMan Utd Ratings: Defence
David de Gea (5/10):
Made a couple of decent saves and could do little about the majority of the goals.
Diogo Dalot (3/10):
Booked inside the first two minutes and never recovered as City regularly targeted him.
Raphael Varane (5/10):
Injured midway through the first half and replaced by Victor Lindelof.
Lisandro Martinez (5/10):
Powerless to stop Haaland and Co. in City's attack.
Tyrell Malacia (4/10):
Struggled to deal with the threat posed by Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne, and was booked before being replaced at half-time.
Getty ImagesMidfield
Christian Eriksen (3/10):
By far his worst performance in a United shirt as he regularly misplaced passes and lost those he was marking for City goals.
Scott McTominay (3/10):
City played around McTominay with ease, and supporters can expect Casemiro to replace him sooner rather than later.
Bruno Fernandes (4/10):
Largely anonymous before being booked for dissent late on.
