According to coach Erik ten Hag, Man Utd played well and as required in the first half, but the controversial penalty altered the course of the Manchester derby.
In the 24th minute, referee Paul Tierney awarded a penalty to Man City after reviewing the situation with the help of VAR. Forward Rasmus Hojlund was penalized for pulling down Rodri in the Man Utd penalty area, while the Man City midfielder seemed unable to keep up with the cross. From the 11-meter spot, forward Erling Haaland scored to the right corner to open the scoring for the away team.
In the post-match press conference, Ten Hag stated that the penalty had “changed the game,” but when asked for further comment, he said, “I have nothing to add; you can judge for yourselves.”
Man Utd had four attempts on goal in the first half, compared to Man City’s seven opportunities. However, the Dutch coach believed both teams were evenly matched during this period. “We played well and made it difficult for Man City, creating as many chances as they did,” he said. “The players adhered to the game plan. We had to play compact defense and wait for counter-attacking opportunities, like Scott McTominay’s shot at the end of the first half.”
At the beginning of the second half, Haaland scored another goal with a close-range header without any marking, and then he assisted Phil Foden to secure a 3-0 victory for the away team. Ten Hag explained that Man Utd, trailing in the first half, had to adopt a more attacking approach in the second half, which resulted in conceding another goal. “Of course, losing the derby is always disappointing, and the entire team is frustrated,” the 53-year-old coach said. “However, we will perform better in the future.”
When Man City scored their third goal, many Old Trafford spectators left despite about 10 minutes remaining in the match. Ten Hag called on the fans to continue supporting the team, even though they have lost five out of 10 games this season. “Last season, we found ourselves in a similar situation after losing to Man City,” he added. “The entire team must quickly forget this defeat and focus on the next match.”
Man Utd will continue to play at home against Newcastle in the League Cup Round of 16 on November 1st. The match reenacted the previous season’s final when Man Utd won 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.
