Key occasions
75 min: Man Utd substitution Antony replaces Marcus Rashford, who scored a stonking early objective and struggled thereafter.
74 min Metropolis proceed to do the identical issues, trusting that this recreation of Tetris will ultimately turn out to be an excessive amount of for the United defence. The psychological calls for should be extraordinary.
73 min With United in a reasonably promising place, Rashford struggles to vary route to gather a cross from Fernandes. That’s occurred to him two or 3 times as we speak – I don’t know whether or not it’s the pitch, his footwear or neither.
72 min Man Utd have rejigged their defence: Kambwala right-back, Varane and Lindelof within the centre, Dalot on the left.
71 min An extended-range sizzler from Walker is patted down by Onana and claimed on the second try. Onana has been very assured as we speak, and if that results in a late howler or two, Fabien Barthez at Highbury-style, then I apologise.
71 min Evans didn’t look injured, by the way in which, however he’s performed solely 45 minutes within the final six weeks so I assume he had emptied the tank.
70 min De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva are over the free-kick… and De Bruyne slaps it into the wall.
69 min: Man Utd substitution The teenage defender Willy Kambwala replaces Jonny Evans at centre-back. Godspeed younger man.
68 min Haaland turns Evans cleverly, then bulldozes previous Varane on the sting of the D and is cynically fouled. Yellow card for Varane and a free-kick to Metropolis…
66 min Onana is ok to proceed. Who knew?
66 min “You possibly can’t say Metropolis haven’t deserved to equalise as they been throughout United like a rash,” says Rick Harris, “however from the replays I feel United had been onerous achieved by as Rashford was clearly fouled by Walker.”
What did I miss? It didn’t appear like a foul in any respect to me, although you generally miss these items if you’re MBMing since you spend half the time wanting on the fallacious display screen.
65 min Onana slides out to gather a via ball after which indicators to the bench that he’s tweaked one thing. Gary Neville speculates that he could be timewasting – United have been at all of it day – however the referee has no selection however to permit the physio on.
64 min Bernardo Silva’s header again throughout objective is simply too excessive for Haaland. It’s coming…
63 min “As a Liverpool fan I hope United dangle on for at the least some extent, figuring out that my Nineties self won’t ever converse to me once more,” says Tim Woods. “It’s a really bizarre feeling. Typically the times of Dirk Kuyt and battling for sixth appear a lot easier.”
62 min De Bruyne’s cross is punched behind for a nook by Onana. It’s headed away by Dalot, however the stress that Metropolis are making use of is relentless; I don’t understand how you resist it. We’ve seen this storyline performed out so many instances earlier than.
59 min: Man Metropolis substitution Julian Alvarez comes on for Jeremy Doku. Alvarez will play as one of many No8 with Bernardo Silva transferring to the left wing.
58 min There’s a break in play attributable to a flare being thrown onto the sphere.
57 min Erik ten Hag has been booked for complaining in regards to the Metropolis objective. He thought Rashford was fouled by Kyle Walker within the construct up. It didn’t appear like a foul, not even shut, though it’s odd that Rashford went down as a result of he would have been via on objective once more. Possibly he didn’t fancy a race with Kyle Walker.
Rodri gave Foden a routine cross 22 yards from objective, to the suitable of centre. Foden reduce throughout Lindelof, on his left foot, and arrowed an exciting drive that flew throughout Onana and into the highest nook. What a objective!
GOAL! Man Metropolis 1-1 Man Utd (Foden 56)
A belting objective from Phil Foden!
55 min A harmful United break ends with Rashford falling over after a problem from Walker. I don’t assume it was a foul. It seemed like Rashford ran out of steam after… by no means thoughts that…
54 min “Rob, what are you doing to me with this nostalgia?” says Niall Mullen. “Guadalajara’86, Dumitrescu and co. from 1994? Subsequent you’ll be speaking in regards to the superb Czech crew of 2004 to get me correctly misty eyed. Has nobody ever informed you that ‘bear in mind when’ is the bottom type of dialog?”
The puss on him at first of that video!
53 min United preserve the ball for a short time, with each participant searching for a cross in behind. They will’t sychronise it so that they preserve possession or one other 30 seconds or so till Dalot’s cross it reduce out by Bernardo Silva.
51 min Not for the primary time as we speak, Metropolis’s followers complain about United’s timewasting. As Mark Gillespie stated at half-time, United should do extra in possession – they’re simply giving the ball again to Metropolis and retreating into their 4-2-4-0 form.
49 min The diving Onana will get an necessary contact to divert Doku’s deflected cross-shot away from Foden on the far submit. With out his intervention, Foden would have an open objective.
47 min “That was certainly a staggering miss by Haaland,” says Matt Dony. “However these occur. As a result of individuals make errors. A referee makes a silly mistake, and everybody bangs on about both corruption and fixing, or absolute incompetence. Referees ought to be capable to flip it again on the gamers. Andy Madley ought to give an interview after the sport; ‘We’re speculated to be refereeing in the perfect league on the planet. That is the highest degree. Misses favored that simply aren’t acceptable. The gamers are letting us down.’”
Heh, fairly. The response to some refereeing errors this season – and a few choices that weren’t even errors – has been so irresponsible. Regardless of how offended we’re, regardless of how grave the injustice, we should always always remember that a few of these referees are human beings.
46 min Peep peep! Manchester United start the second half.
“Whereas Utd have defended fairly effectively, I really feel like we’ve see this recreation earlier than, with Utd making an attempt to carry them at bay however having fewer and fewer assaults, and it solely ends a method,” says Mark Gillespie. “I’d be amazed if Metropolis don’t win this until ten Hag can discover a tactical reply to getting Utd up the pitch extra usually.”
Yeah, the second half of the primary half was painfully one-sided. One other drawback for United is that they don’t have many choices on the bench. I’m certain Antony will come on at some stage however he’s not the quickest, and United’s techniques are depending on runs in behind.
“For all of the criticism that Onana has acquired this season, within the league he’s truly been fairly good,” says David Wall. “Most of his absolute shockers (and there have been a lot) appeared to return within the Champions’ League. I feel the reminiscence of that overshadows how necessary he’s turning into for United. He’s fairly excessive within the listing of unpolluted sheets within the Premier League, and is making some essential saves. Maybe in the event that they get some defenders who’re assured accepting the ball deep then subsequent season they could see among the distribution that he was so famous for at Inter.”
Apparently he’s very excessive on the xG desk for keepers as effectively, probably high. I do know xG isn’t gospel however that should say one thing. I’m nonetheless undecided about him, from what I’ve seen, although I agree he has been judged prematurely. He has been higher than David de Gea was in his first season at United, and de Gea went on to turn out to be United’s finest participant for a five-year interval.
Half-time studying
Half time: Man Metropolis 0-1 Man Utd
Pep Guardiola has a barely bizarre, smiley, wild-eyed trade with the fourth official, then Andy Madley blows his whistle to finish an exciting, barely peculiar half.
United lead via a spectcular objective from Marcus Rashford, who had a few alternatives to increase their lead. However Metropolis had been a risk all through, by no means deviating from their gameplan, and had just a few probabilities to equalise earlier than Erling Haaland – the exact same – missed an open objective on the stroke of half-time.
45+2 min United are hanging on desperately. De Bruyne wanders over the left, performs a give-and-go with Bernardo Silva and screws a harmful cross that’s poked simply broad of the close to submit by Varane. Metropolis have performed some beautiful soccer within the final 20 minutes.
45 min Three minutes of added time.
45 min: A miss of the season contender from Erling Haaland! Rodri, 18 yards from objective, clips a languid, penetrative cross in direction of Foden on the opposite facet of the world. He cushions a valuable header again throughout to provide Haaland an open objective – and he someway volleys the ball over the bar from three yards. That’s staggering. That’s a can’t-spake job.
44 min A thought-about cross from Bernardo Silva simply evades the stooping Haaland on the close to submit. Mainoo then wears a Foden shot proper within the kisser and stays down, a little bit dazed. The Metropolis followers boo, considering he’s timewasting, however that’s not true.
42 min Metropolis are more and more dominant as half-time approaches. Walker’s header again throughout the harea is simply half cleared by the stretching Casemiro. De Bruyne prices onto the bouncing ball, 25 yards from objective, however blooters it into orbit.
One other stat for you. Passes within the ultimate third: Man Metropolis 177-22 Man Utd. United haven’t had an assault of observe in nearly 20 minutes now.
40 min “Talking for myself and few (many?) different Liverpool (and doubtless Arsenal) supporters – that Rashford objective represents the primary time I actively whooped with delight at one thing going effectively for Man Utd…” says Tony Barr. “If solely he hadn’t air-kicked the opposite huge probability. 2-0 can be fairly the take a look at of nerves for Pep & Co…”
39 min The xG rating (Sky Sports activities model) is Man Metropolis 1.59-0.22 Man Utd. I feel Erik ten Hag will likely be pissed off that United haven’t obtained in additional as a result of there’s a complete lot of inexperienced grass behind that defence.
38 min Haaland, against this, has been very quiet to date and is unamused when the referee penalises him for a problem simply exterior the United space.
37 min De Bruyne appears to be like proper on his recreation. He beats a person with disdainful ease on the suitable and shoves a cross into Foden, 12 yards out. He takes a fast contact and drives a shot that’s effectively blocked.
36 min “I’m a bit confused about this recreation,” says Eagle Brosi. “I feel Metropolis have performed significantly better however I additionally assume Rashford ought to have a hat-trick. It’s onerous to imagine the sport is 0-1, it could be science fiction if it had been 0-3 but… I feel it ought to in all probability be.”
I do know what you imply. One of many Sky pundits stated just lately that Man Utd are the one crew on the planet who might get battered and win 6-0. They really remind me a little bit bit, solely a little bit bit, of that thrilling Romania crew on the 1994 World Cup.
35 min De Bruyne drags broad together with his left foot from the suitable facet of the world. Metropolis are beginning to discover some eyes within the United needle.
33 min: Good save by Onana! A depraved first-time cross from De Bruyne is hooked away desperately by Varane, going through his personal objective six yards out. The ball goes straight to Rodri, who cuts throughout a volley from 18 yards that’s scrambled around the submit by a diving Onana.
That was a terrific effort from Rodri as a result of got here to him shortly and at a clumsy peak.
32 min Doku cuts inside from the left, then slips as he tries to cross. The ball loops up and is headed again throughout his personal space by Casemiro. Haaland will get to the ball first however heads over from 10 yards. There was no tempo on the ball, and he was stationary, so it wasn’t an amazing probability.
31 min United kill a while within the Metropolis half for perhaps the primary time in the entire match. They’ve achieved very well to date, and there’s solely an hour plus added time to go.
30 min Doku slices broad from 15 yards after a return cross from Bernardo Silva. He was barely off stability and may need slipped as effectively.
We’ve lastly seen a replay of the Foden probability within the nineteenth minute. It was save from Onana together with his left hand; the shot wasn’t straight at his chest.
29 min “Afternoon, Rob,” says Ian Copestake. “I converse to you as I pay homage to Mexico ‘86 as I’m following from behind a settee in Guadalajara. It seems like the one factor lacking from the Rashford objective was one thing the locals right here would not often see, specifically rain spraying off the bar when the ball went in off (of) it.”
Guadalajara you say.
27 min Yep, it’s 9-2 to Metropolis on corners. John Stones, by the way, is spending about 90 per cent of the time in what’s a really crowded midfield. Each groups effectivelly have 4 central midfielders.
