Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both recorded hat tricks as Manchester City built a five-goal lead before settling for a 6-3 blowout derby win over Manchester United on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland finished with three goals and two assists, while Kevin De Bruyne set up two of the big Norwegian’s goals. Haaland now has 14 goals through eight Premier League games, 18 off the league record for a 38-game season set by Mohamed Salah in 2017-18.
WATCH MAN CITY vs MAN UNITED FULL MATCH REPLAY STREAM
Antony had the game at 4-1 after 56 minutes, but it was 6-1 before Anthony Martial chipped in a pair of late goals off the bench.
Unbeaten champions Man City move a point back of Arsenal, eight clear of sixth-place United. Man Utd has played one fewer match.
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What we learned from Manchester City vs Manchester United
Erling Haaland’s goal record chase is real: Thirteen goals through eight games? Really?!? Erling Haaland is on fire, and every single Premier League defense should be terrified. We spent an entire season wondering what last season’s Man City would look like with a finisher at center forward and now we’ve found out that it is flat out ridiculous.
Erik ten Hag handcuffs his team: Look, hindsight is always going to be 20:20. We get that, but expecting to go toe-to-toe with City away by deploying Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay at the heart of your midfield while leaving Fred and Casemiro on the bench was almost absurd. Eriksen’s defensive skills weren’t up for the task and left McTominay running around like a maniac. The ball barely found its way to the front four, which was United’s only hope of hanging with the hosts. Antony’s incredible goal is a cruel hint of what might’ve been for ETH’s young team.
Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne unfair: That’s the lesson. Unfair.
Can 2022-23 Manchester City supplant 2008-09 Barcelona as Pep’s masterpiece? It’s difficult to Imagine a season better than Barcelona’s league and Champions League double. Barcelona was stunned on Opening Day but did not lose again until February 21. It did not lose a meaningful European match nor trail after a leg of the knockout rounds. Of its five league losses, four came after building a 13-point table lead in mid-February. Even throwing in 105-goal, plus-70 goal differential La Liga figures somehow doesn’t change the thought that this City could better most of those marks. City is currently on pace for 133 goals and a nearly triple-digit goal diffrential, though it’s yet to have played Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, or Arsenal. It’s also in second place (laughing emoji).
Phil Foden reaction
“It’s a dream come true, playing a derby as a City fan as well. Erling and I have built a connection, just finding each other.”
Erling Haaland reaction
“Not bad,” Haaland said on USA Network. “We scored six goals. What can you say? It’s amazing. To win at home and score six goals here, it’s nice.
“You can feel it all the time. You see the passes we give each other. We always want to go forward, to attack. In the end it’s amazing, there’s nothing more to say.”
Tactical focus
Rodri’s absence for Man City threatened an opening for United but the midfield duo of Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen were left without a rudder by Erik ten Hag (See what we learned, above). That left City a lot of freedom if it stayed calm with the ball, which it characteristically did, and Raphael Varane’s exit meant the visitors were going to be in a whole lot of trouble.
Stars of the show
Erling Haaland
Phil Foden
Manuel Akanji
Kevin De Bruyne
Bernardo Silva
Anthony Martial: Ask Erik ten Hag how happy he is that second-half sub Martial didn’t go through the motions and instead delivered a pair of goals to make the score line a little more palatable.
Antony: The two ‘Ants’ carried well more than their weight despite their team’s struggles.
What’s next?
Man City hosts Copenhagen on Wednesday in the Champions League before Southampton visits on Saturday.
Man United has a long trip to Cyprus for a scrap with Omonia in the Europa League on Thursday, then visits Everton on Sunday.
Phil Foden goal video: City strikes first with splendid team goal
City are off to a hot start in the Manchester Derby! 🔥 #MCFC
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) October 2, 2022
📺: @peacock #MyPLMorning | #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/fUAGe7xRXG
Erling Haaland goal video: Rinse, repeat.
It just HAD to be him! Haaland doubles City's lead! #MCFC
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) October 2, 2022
📺: @peacock #MyPLMorning | #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/jRcqRt1OWD
The De Bruyne to Haaland combo is a cheat code. 🎮
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) October 2, 2022
📺: @peacock #MyPLMorning | #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/07x7j7vx16
Phil Foden goal video: Haaland can assist, too
Haaland scores. Haaland assists. it's 4-0 to City in the first half! #MCFC
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) October 2, 2022
📺: @peacock #MyPLMorning | #MCIMUN pic.twitter.com/SvjZZMP90L
How to watch Manchester City vs Manchester United live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 9 am ET, SundayOnline: Stream via Peacock Premium
Key storylines & star players
Despite a pair of disappointing draws (Newcastle and Aston Villa), it’s been an unbeaten start to the 2022-23 season for Man City, who still lead the PL in possession (66.4 percent per game) while also becoming an unstoppable offensive force from last season (14 goals in their first seven games) to this season (23). That’s not to say it’s been easy as Manchester City go through a tactical shift of their own to better appeal to the big Norwegian’s poaching abilities. Though they have been forced to grind out results a few times already this season, it’s highlighted a newfound spontaneity for a side that’s been as regimented as any in the world. Will that freedom be what ultimately lands Pep Guardiola his first Champions League trophy since 2011, and perhaps a third straight PL title (and a fifth in six years) to boot?
As for Manchester United, the Ten Hag era has been a wild roller-coaster ride already, short as it’s been. The back-to-back defeats were one thing, but the abject performances were the real cause for discontent. While picking up the four straight victories, the Dutchman has also settled on a midfield setup with Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen operating in (effectively) a double pivot with Bruno Fernandes the most advanced of the three. It has brought defensive stability, of course, but more importantly the change has revealed a deadly counter-attacking side. Each of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Fernandes have scored twice during the winning run, with new boy Antony also getting in on the fun on his debut. With space in behind (and the proper service from deep), Ten Hag might just have his first winning formula (albeit quite unlike him).
Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Kalvin Phillips (shoulder), John Stones (hamstring), Benjamin Mendy (suspension - MORE)
🔵 Your City line-up for the derby! 🔵
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 2, 2022
XI | Ederson, Walker, Akanji, Ake, Cancelo, Gundogan (C), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Haaland, Grealish
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Dias, Laporte, Alvarez, Gomez, Mahrez, Palmer, Lewis#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/rAGmzPTQ33
Manchester United team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Harry Maguire (hamstring), Marcus Rashford (thigh), Brandon Williams (undisclosed), Mason Greenwood (suspension - MORE), Donny van de Beek (knock), Martin Dubravka (knock)
🥊 In the red corner...#MUFC || #MCIMUN
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 2, 2022