Haaland’s double and Foden’s header lift City past United on a poignant derby day

Manchester City beat Manchester United 3-0 in the 197th Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, ending their mini-wobble in the league as Erling Haaland struck twice after Phil Foden’s early opener. Having lost back-to-back games before the international break, Pep Guardiola’s side rediscovered their precision to move above their rivals.

The afternoon unfolded amid tributes to boxing icon Ricky Hatton, a devoted City supporter whose passing was marked before kick-off. On the pitch, Jeremy Doku repeatedly unpicked United’s shape, Gianluigi Donnarumma impressed on his City debut, and the visitors’ lack of cutting edge left them with four points from four league games.

Doku’s spark, Foden’s finish set the tone

From the outset City sought to stretch United through Doku’s acceleration. On 18 minutes, Rodri’s calm feed released the Belgian, whose first cross pinballed back to him; his second was measured perfectly for local boy Foden to leap and steer a header past Altay Bayindir.

Foden’s strike, his seventh goal in a Manchester derby, reflected City’s sharper execution in the final third. United fashioned moments in that first period—Amad Diallo miscued an airborne effort at the far post, and passes intended for Bryan Mbeumo were overhit or into trouble—but every time Doku found space against Luke Shaw, City’s threat swelled.

Haaland’s second-half ruthlessness decides it

Haaland had served notice by dragging narrowly wide within seconds of kick-off. After the interval he applied the punishment City craved: on 53 minutes Doku’s latest surge threaded the No 9 in behind, and the Norwegian held off Shaw before dinking a sumptuous finish over Bayindir.

A rare blemish followed as Haaland rounded the goalkeeper only to prod against the post with the goal open, but there was no reprieve on 68 minutes. Collecting Bernardo Silva’s threaded pass and striding clear from halfway, he paused, looked up and dispatched a cool second that ended the contest.

Donnarumma’s debut steel, Bayindir’s resistance

Guardiola’s headline call was to install deadline-day arrival Gianluigi Donnarumma for his debut, and the Italy captain justified the decision. He flung to his right to repel Benjamin Sesko early on, narrowed the angle to smother the Slovenian when clean through, and later tipped Mbeumo’s vicious volley around the post at full stretch.

At the other end Bayindir prevented a heavier scoreline. He gathered a deft Haaland flick, saved smartly from Tijjani Reijnders, and could do little about any of the three finishes that beat him. As United’s structure loosened, City might have had a fourth when Reijnders broke clear again but dragged wide.

United’s endeavour meets City’s clarity

For long spells, Ruben Amorim’s team stayed in the game through shape and energy. Bruno Fernandes switched play, Sesko wrestled with Rúben Dias, and United twice streamed forward only for the decisive passes to Mbeumo to let them down.

The gulf revealed itself in mirrored moments. When Sesko burst through, a heavy first touch allowed Donnarumma to smother; when Haaland galloped onto service, he powered past defenders and finished with clinical certainty. The result leaves City on six points from four games and moves them above a United side stuck on four.

What it means and what comes next

Home supporters celebrated with the Poznan as Guardiola collected a sixth win from the last nine league derbies. Foden, on his first start of the season, dedicated the victory to Hatton, while Haaland’s brace took him to five league goals in four outings and 90 in 101 Premier League matches.

City now turn to Europe, beginning their Champions League campaign at home to Napoli on Thursday. With no European football, United must reset quickly before hosting unbeaten Chelsea on Saturday, a fixture that will bring fresh scrutiny of Amorim’s ability to add imagination and end product.