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Manchester United made their approach to the Etihad Stadium to tackle rivals Manchester Metropolis in a vital Premier League conflict.
Metropolis are preventing for the title whereas United are desirous to command a top-four end and qualify for the Champions League forward of subsequent season. There was a lot at stake.
Erik ten Hag who has been below fireplace in current days began Andre Onana in aim.
He named Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof in defence. Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro have been tasked with forming the pivot.
Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay have been the 2 superior midfielders and usually shifted positions between the center of the park and occupying the false 9 place.
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho began on the left and proper flanks respectively. Listed here are three issues we discovered from Manchester United’s 1-3 loss towards Manchester Metropolis.
Rashford answered his critics
Rashford has dominated the headlines largely for the incorrect causes in previous weeks.
This season alone, he has been punished twice by Ten Hag for disciplinary points – as soon as in October after he went out to rejoice his birthday following a 3-0 loss by the hands of Metropolis at Outdated Trafford and extra lately when he missed coaching after a bender in Belfast the evening earlier than.
In Rasmus Hojlund’s absence as a consequence of damage in video games towards Fulham and Nottingham Forest, Rashford led the road however wasn’t superb.
Towards Forest particularly, he got here below intense criticism from the likes of Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney for his perceived unhealthy angle and failure to get into good goalscoring positions. The United man has made no secret of his need to play on the left wing, the place he feels he’s simpler.
Earlier than the sport, Ten Hag performed an interview with and defined that Rashford could possibly be unstoppable vs. Pep Guardiola’s males however solely with the suitable angle.
It looks like the 26-year-old heard his supervisor and positively responded in form.
Simply eight minutes into proceedings on the Etihad, Rashford shed first blood in sensational type. A superb defence-splitting deep move from Onana discovered Fernandes, who held up the ball effectively earlier than passing it alongside to an incoming Rashford.
The Carrington academy graduate unleashed a strong shot from outdoors the field that ricocheted off the within of the woodwork. Ederson merely had no probability of saving it.
Rashford’s evident delight could possibly be seen in simply how wildly he celebrated together with his teammates.
He had one other probability to seek out the again of the web when Fernandes discovered him with a pleasant diagonal ball contained in the field however sadly, the ahead scuffed his strains and was unable to attach with the ball.
Rashford was a hazard, particularly within the opening 45 minutes. He gave the Metropolis defenders one thing to consider and saved working on the likes of Kyle Walker, John Stones and Ruben Dias when the chance offered itself.
Rashford’s aim vs. Metropolis was his sixth league aim of the marketing campaign. Hopefully, it’ll give him the boldness to embark on a scoring run because the enterprise finish of the season approaches.
He was taken off within the 74th minute with the rating nonetheless at 1-1 and changed by Antony. In hindsight, possibly Ten Hag would have been greatest served by maintaining Rashford on.
Onana is steadily turning a nook
One United participant who proved that he’s turning a nook if he hasn’t already is Onana.
The goalkeeper arrived in the summertime from Inter Milan with large expectations on his shoulders contemplating he was coming in to switch the departed David de Gea.
Nonetheless, within the early phases of the marketing campaign, Onana did not stay as much as his billing and dedicated a number of high-profile howlers that dearly value the Purple Devils, particularly within the Champions League.
For a variety of matches now, the Cameroonian has been spectacular and appears to be exhibiting why Ten Hag splashed massive cash to safe his providers.
Towards the reigning Premier League champions, Onana was arguably United’s greatest participant on the pitch.
Within the first half, he got here up with a number of massive saves that saved Metropolis from breaching his aim and restoring parity.
Onana’s largest save happened when he denied Phil Foden in a one vs. one scenario. He additionally saved out a shocking low-driven shot from Rodri that appeared destined for aim.
One other spectacular side of the goalkeeper’s sport was simply how effectively he got here out of his line to say corners and accumulate the ball, This was very useful in relieving strain and giving his teammates some seconds to breathe.
His passing and distribution have been crisp. Certainly, United’s opening aim happened on account of this.
Onana’s wonderful show carried on into the second interval of the match. On one event across the forty eighth minute, he obtained a powerful hand to a curling effort from Doku who momentarily obtained the higher of Dalot.
The United man was not at fault for Metropolis’s equalizer. Foden despatched it to the top-left nook, effectively past his attain. Lindelof ought to have finished higher to not permit the England worldwide to get a shot off from his favoured facet.
One thing else that will go barely unnoticed is how effectively Onana did in working down the clock, seemingly in an effort to take the sting out of the sport and to present United time to reorganize themselves.
It looks like Onana’s worst days are behind him.
Ten Hag set to return below extra strain
Foden accomplished his brace earlier than Sofyan Amrabat gifted Erling Haaland a aim for Metropolis’s third of the match.
The 2 late targets sealed Uniteds destiny and ensured their metropolis rivals ran out winners as many had anticipated.
United have now misplaced 11 video games within the league this time period. If Ten Hag discovered some reduction after masterminding a mid-week win vs. Forest, all of the strain is true again on him after the loss towards Metropolis.
Because the Dutchman seeks to maintain his job below the brand new INEOS regime, one other defeat on the board hardly helps his trigger.
Confidence in his tenure is waning with every passing sport and it definitely gained’t be misplaced on decision-makers like Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford.
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