Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City - 5 hits and flops as Red Devils stumble to another defeat | Premier League 2021-22

Manchester United's unbeaten run in the Manchester derby ended after Manchester City secured a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in the Premier League.

An own goal from Eric Bailly followed with a strike from Bernardo Silva, both in the first-half, got the job done for Manchester City. That inflicted the Red Devils with their eighth home defeat of the calendar year.

Continuing from their recent trend, Manchester United were once again found wanting in defense. The strike pair of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mason Greenwood were isolated upfront for the most part.

The Portuguese ace, playing in his first Manchester derby since 2009, saw a dangerous shot parried away by Ederson in the first-half. But he couldn't produce any late heroics on this occasion after scoring a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw against Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday.

This was Manchester United's fourth defeat of their league campaign, a third in the last four alone. They could drop below Arsenal if the latter wins against Watford tomorrow.

Manchester City, meanwhile, closed the gap on leaders Chelsea to two points. Though the Blues can restore their five-point lead with a victory later in the evening.

Here are the hits and flops from the 186th Manchester derby:

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Hit: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)

The Portuguese star has had quite the week

Manchester City's in-form left-back Joao Cancelo had another terrific game, creating both their goals on the night to come up clutch again.

He forced an own goal from Bailly by sending in a precise delivery which the Ivorian converted into his own net. He then laid it on the plate for Bernardo Silva with another sublime cross.

That's five assists now for him in only the last two games, having registered a hat-trick in the midweek Champions League clash against Club Brugge. Cancelo continues to make his case for the world's best left-back in current form.

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Flop: Manchester United's defense

Bailly took little time to undo his midweek heroics

Picking out any one player would be harsh on him given Manchester United's entire backline was a hot mess, especially in the first-half.

Eric Bailly, of course, put the ball into his own net in a desperate lunge. Meanwhile, David De Gea and Luke Shaw were both equally responsible for Manchester City's second goal.

Victor Lindelof very nearly scored another own goal when it was still only 1-0.

Sure, the second-half was much better from them, but the gaps were still open. Only a lack of cutting edge from the visitors kept the scoreline from widening further.

Hit: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

Silva came back to haunt Old Trafford

He's quitely been Manchester City's best player lately and Bernardo Silva certainly lived up to that with another goal against Manchester United. He doubled the visiting side's tally in the first-half by pouncing on a defensive mistake by United.

He nonchalantly latched onto a cross from Cancelo as their defense switched off, slamming home beyond De Gea from close range. This was his third goal at Old Trafford, making it one of his favorite away grounds.

The Portuguese ace was superb all evening, buzzing around the pitch in his trademark Duracell-Bunny style, boisterous and direct. He completed 94% of his passes and won seven of 11 attempted ground duels.

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Flop: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United)

If United don't sack Ole now, they're only headed for more disaster

Forget their on-field performance for once. What is Ole Gunnar Solksjaer doing? The Manchester United manager once again cut a listless figure on the touchline, completely devoid of ideas or a coherent plan.

Even so, it is clear by now that the Norwegian is seriously riding on his luck here. He should be repaying the unwavering faith that Manchester United's hierarchy continues to show in him.

But this side isn't going anywhere with Ole at the wheel, no matter how much time he's given. Even if you've had a shred of doubt, surely they're squished following today's anemic display.

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Hit: Rodri (Manchester City)

Rodri was the man of the match

Another underrated operator in City's swashbuckling team, Rodri, was a mountain of a player with an impressive display today. The Spanish midfielder bossed midfield and sprayed passes all around the pitch.

He registered a 94% completion rate and completed all 10 of his long balls. This is a terrific feat but also a reflection of how much he pished his side forward from the deep.

Manchester United had no answer for him as the Spanish midfielder made the likes of Fred and McTominay look like a pair of training cones. His ball-control was superb too, as Manchester City rode on the back of his industry, creativity and vision.