Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo pictured holding his head in hands on the bench after Erling Haaland stars for Manchester City

Cristiano Ronaldo could only watch from the bench in dismay as Manchester United were beaten by an Erling Haaland masterclass that saw the striker score a hat-trick.

The Portuguese forward was pictured with his head in his hands right after his Norwegian counterpart put Pep Guardiola's men four goals ahead in the first half.

Haaland and fellow Manchester City youngster Phil Foden tore the Red Devils' defense apart, with both players scoring a hat-trick each in remarkable style. Cristiano Ronaldo, however, was not in the starting lineup, and following the 4-0 drubbing in the first half, Erik ten Hag decided against bringing him on for the second half.

The United manager had to deal with providing a very necessary half-time team talk for the Red Devils, as they looked broken after an abysmal display in the first 45 minutes.

The resulting second half was noticeably better as Manchester United went on to score three goals, with Anthony Martial scoring a brace after a brilliant goal from Antony. However, this would do nothing to change the fact that it was a massive win for the Cityzens.

The game started with a promise of things to come after a scuffle in United's box saw City take three shots in succession. The goals soon started pouring in, with Phil Foden scoring in the 8th minute and Erling Haaland adding another in the 34th minute.

The Norwegian wasted no time adding another to his name, scoring his second goal in the 37th minute, before Foden scored a brace in the 44th minute.

The second half started with Antony's goal in the 56th minute, but Manchester United could only watch as Haaland and Foden got on the scoresheet to cement their hat-tricks. While Cristiano Ronaldo remained on the bench, it was Anthony Martial who came on to score two goals and reduce the deficit to three.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has struggled to find gametime at Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure when the television cameras panned to show him on the bench, watching as the Cityzens scored goal after goal. The Real Madrid legend did not get the opportunity to change the game from the bench, even though he has often come on as a substitute for the Red Devils in recent games.

However, it does not seem like he will find any major chances to start for Manchester United, with his last start in the Premier League coming against Brentford. The only other start he has made for the Red Devils was against Sheriff in the Europa League and it notably resulted in his first goal of the season.