defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka (L) vies with Manchester City’s English
midfielder Raheem Sterling (C) during the English Premier League
football match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old
Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 12, 2020.
Michael Regan / POOL / AFP
Manchester United eased the mounting pressure
on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but an uninspired 0-0 draw
with Manchester City on Saturday did little for either
side’s chances of mounting a Premier League title
challenge.
United remain a point better off than their local rivals in
the table but sit seventh, five points off Tottenham and Liverpool
at the top of the table, while City slip to ninth.
Solskjaer’s men may well be the happier side to take a point
after crashing out of the Champions League at the group stages with
a defeat to RB Leipzig on Tuesday.
But the Red Devils have won just one of their opening six home
league games this season and look set for another campaign where a
top-four finish rather than a title tilt will be the target.
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City recorded a sixth straight clean sheet as Pep Guardiola has
set about improving their defensive record.
However, that has come at the cost of the thrilling football
that City showed in their two title-winning campaigns under the
Catalan in 2017/18 and 2018/19.
Both sides were cautious throughout as the
first Manchester derby without a crowd never sparked into
life.
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United only seriously threatened from corners as Scott
McTominay, who scored the last goal at Old Trafford in front of
fans when the sides last met in March, was inches away from
connecting with Victor Lindelof’s near post flick-on.
Lindelof and Harry Maguire also headed off target from
set-pieces, but it was City who created the better chances on the
few occasions they moved the ball at pace.
Gabriel Jesus fired over from Riyad Mahrez’s ball over the top,
but it was Mahrez who was guilty of passing up the best opening
when he fired too close to David de Gea after brilliant work by
Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne.
The visitors were handed a reprieve early in the second-half
when Kyle Walker was penalised for clipping Marcus Rashford inside
the area.
A VAR review showed Rashford was offside as he received the ball
and United were denied a 32nd penalty in the last two
seasons.
City pushed the hosts back, but continued to lack the precision
and penetration to cause the United defence problems.
De Bruyne always looked the most likely candidate to produce a
winner and the Belgian’s goalbound shot was bravely blocked by
Maguire.
At the other end, Bruno Fernandes took two pot shots from
outside the box, but the Portuguese’s first effort was easily saved
by Ederson and the second ended up closer to the corner flag than
the top corner to sum up a miserable match.
AFP
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