Rio Ferdinand reacts on social media after Manchester United's 3-0 loss to Manchester City

In the aftermath of a soul-crushing 3-0 loss to cross-town rivals Manchester City, Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand reacted on social media.

The two Manchester titans locked horns at Old Trafford in a contest that quickly revealed itself as a one-sided affair, with a chasm of quality separating the teams. Spearheading the onslaught was Erling Haaland, who found the net twice before laying on an assist for Phil Foden to seal the emphatic win.

From the moment the referee's whistle blew, Pep Guardiola's men seized the reins and showed no signs of letting go. What unfolded was a performance Erik ten Hag and his team will want to expunge from their minds.

Haaland broke the deadlock in the 26th minute with a coolly converted penalty, awarded after Rasmus Hojlund's ill-advised tackle on Rodri was caught by VAR.

Manchester United's keeper, Andre Onana, showcased his shot-stopping abilities with a spectacular save to thwart Haaland just before halftime. However, the Norwegian dynamo found himself on the scoresheet again just minutes into the second half, courtesy of a precision cross from Bernardo Silva.

Ederson also made a critical stop against Scott McTominay, ensuring that United's hopes of a comeback would remain futile. The final nail in United's coffin came 10 minutes from time, as Haaland turned provider, setting up Foden for the simplest possible finish from point-blank range.

Ferdinand took to Twitter to react with an expletive after the game:

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Erik ten Hag has called Manchester United's derby loss one of his worst days at Old Trafford

Following the team's staggering 3-0 defeat against Manchester City, United manager Erik ten Hag labeled the experience as one of his worst days with the Red Devils. With this recent humiliation adding to a growing list of setbacks, Ten Hag finds himself under mounting scrutiny.

The Dutch tactician acknowledged the catastrophic nature of the loss, saying after the match (via ESPN):

"Of course, it is disappointing, but last year we had many highlights. When you lose a derby in the way we lose, that is disappointing. First half we had a very good game plan and the execution was also very good. It was toe-to-toe first and it was very similar, but then the penalty changed the moment."

He added:

"Then, in the second half we chose to become more offensive and it is 2-0 too quickly. From that point on it was a difficult game."

After the weekend's debacle, Manchester United find themselves in eighth place in the Premier League standings. It is a staggering 11 points adrift of table-topping Tottenham.

This marks the first time since 1986 that Manchester United have lost five of their first 10 league outings. Overall, the squad has suffered seven losses in their opening 14 matches across all competitions this campaign.