Karan Chopra
Pep Guardiola extended his impressive managerial record against former Barcelona colleague Jose Mourinho with a well deserved 2-1 win in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. First half strikes from the mercurial Kevin De Bruyne and Nigerian youngster Kelechi Iheanacho rendered Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s subsequent goal, a scant consolation, and condemned Mourinho to his first defeat as Manchester United boss. The Portuguese maverick went on to lambast his players for failing to deliver the goods on the pitch and shouldered some of the blame for his team selection. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard were handed berths in the starting eleven and were hooked off at the interval for their inability to maintain composure and add any value to their side going forward. Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney and Daley Blind too were scrutinised for their displays as United were beaten for the fourth time in their last six derbies at home.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the hosts, though. Mourinho brought on Marcus Rashford, United’s most exciting youth prospect and Ander Herrera for Mkhitaryan and Lingard in the second half and they made an instant impact. The balance of play shifted to United’s way for large spells of the half as City’s men were pegged back, none more so than debutant Claudio Bravo. Rashford even found the back of the net, only to be denied by the linesman as Ibrahimovic impeded the goalkeeper’s view when the ball was struck. As the Red Devils approached the final stages of the contest, they threw the kitchen sink at their neighbours in an attempt to salvage something. It wasn’t mean to be, though, as City’s first half masterclass proved too much for Mourinho to overturn.
Amidst a fiery contest at the Theatre of Dreams, there were several talking points, many of which were in the negative for United. There were, however, a few praiseworthy displays, the best of which was Ander Herrera’s. The Spaniard had fallen down the pecking order at the club in recent weeks, following the arrival of Paul Pogba. Yet it was him who changed the complexion of the game with a robust, yet measured performance in midfield. Herrera was stationed in the centre, switching both defensive and offensive positions with Pogba and was instrumental in invoking some much-needed energy and aggression going forward.
Unlike Pogba, Herrera helped in launching the waves of attacks, primarily down United’s right-hand side with Wayne Rooney and Antonio Valencia marshalling the touchline. His combative nature almost paid off as Bravo’s hesitancy nearly cost him a penalty and a red card. The Chilean was pressurised to take a heavy touch away from the midfielder only for Rooney to pounce on that opportunity and challenge for the ball. The resulting tackle was contentious, given the nature of Bravo’s lunge and while Mark Clattenburg waved away vociferous appeals from the players and the Old Trafford faithful, it was evident City were under the pump. The Spaniard averaged a passing accuracy of 75% in the second half and helped United in many courses.
Herrera tracked back to full effect too and managed to win 40% of his tackle. The threat of De Bruyne and Silva, coupled with the arrival of Leroy Sane prompted him to occupy defensive positions, thereby rendering City’s counter-attacking gauntlet ineffective. In the first half, United were slow to the ball, wasteful in possession and devoid of ideas upfront. Herrera corrected each and every one of those problems to the best of his capabilities and instilled a renewed sense of belief among the home supporters. Alongside Rashford, Herrera made a favourable impression and must certainly be in contention for United’s trip to Feyenoord in the Europa League now.
It was a disappointing afternoon for the Red Devils but unlike previous home defeats to City, United did not surrender and turned the game on its head in the second half. And Herrera was instrumental in fostering that.
