Manchester United suffered a demoralising 1-0 defeat against 10-man Manchester City on Sunday, 13 September in the Premier League. Erling Haaland scored the only goal of the game to secure all three points for the Citizens at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick made just one change to the team that was held to a 2-2 draw by Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Patrick Dorgu started at left-back in place of Luke Shaw, who missed the game due to injury.
The Dane lined up alongside Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez at the back, while Senne Lammens continued in goal. Carrick continued with the midfield axis of Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans, who also started in midweek in the Champions League win against Sabah.
Bruno Fernandes remained in the No. 10 position, while the front three consisted of Marcus Rashford, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Benjamin Sesko, who started in midweek and scored, was among the substitutes, as was Mason Mount.
United failed to capitalise on man advantage
United had a slow start to the afternoon, but gradually grew into the game. However, things boiled over in the 23rd minute, when Phil Foden was shown a straight red card for violent conduct after lashing out at Fernandes.
United were expected to step up and capitalise on their numerical advantage, but City managed to stay in the game, with the first half ending 0-0. However, it was the visitors who took the lead in the 60th minute through Erling Haaland.
That prompted Carrick to bring on Sesko in the 67th minute for Tielemans. The Red Devils put on a late onslaught on the opposition, but the visitors held on.
Carrick even brought on Joshua Zirkzee late on for his first Premier League appearance this season in an attempt to salvage the game. Meanwhile, Mbeumo had a glorious chance to score the equaliser late in the game but United ended up on the losing side.
It was a disappointing outing for the Red Devils at Old Trafford, and perhaps the only silver lining was another impressive performance from Mainoo.
Mainoo a rare shining light for United
Mainoo played the entire 90 minutes and managed 83 touches of the ball, the most of any player on the pitch. The Englishman registered an outstanding 97% pass completion rate, with 65 of his 67 passes finding their man.
He managed three key passes and both of his long balls found their intended target. The 21 year old won four of his nine duels and lost the ball five times.
Mainoo registered one clearance, one blocked shot and two interceptions, while he also hit the woodwork once. The Englishman also completed all three of his dribbles but his efforts were not enough to earn United all three points.
Kobbie Mainoo Stats vs Manchester City
| Stat | Kobbie Mainoo |
|---|---|
| Touches | 83 |
| Accurate passes | 65/67 (97%) |
| Key passes | 3 |
| Crosses (accurate) | - |
| Long balls (accurate) | 2 (2) |
| Duels (won) | 9 (4) |
| Ground duels (won) | 8 (4) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 1 (0) |
| Possession lost | 6 |
| Fouls | 3 |
| Was fouled | - |
| Offsides | - |
| Defensive actions | 4 |
| Clearances | 1 |
| Blocked shots | 1 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Tackles (won) | 0 |
| Dribbled past | - |
| Shots on target | 0 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.03 |
| Shots off target | 1 |
| Shots blocked | 0 |
| Dribbles (successful) | 3 (3) |
| Notes | Hit woodwork: 1 |
Source: Sofascore.
Final Thoughts
Mainoo has managed to maintain his standards amid United’s continued struggles this season. The Englishman is turning into one of Carrick’s most important players but needs more help from his team-mates now.
Featured image by Naomi Baker/Getty Images
