Premier League 2018/19, Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City: 4 takeaways from the game

#3 United need serious reinforcements in the summer

Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League

The game against City highlighted the gulf in class between the two sides at present. United matched City stride for stride for the first 25 minutes, but from then on, Pep Guardiola’s side were clearly the better team. City had an enviable flow in their game that would have left Old Trafford jealous and United struggled to come to terms with the individual qualities in the away team.

The home team managed to stay in the game by the end of the first half, but they had also carved quite a few opportunities themselves. However, collective failure of the entire team meant that United never really put the away defense in too much trouble in the later stages. This inability to maintain the initial momentum highlights the biggest problem in the team – lack of world class players.

In Solskjaer’s defense, the Norwegian did refrain from overspending in the winter window, preferring instead to understand the basic requirements in his team. The City game was an eye opener that United need a solid summer transfer window. They need to invest smart, if they are to catch up with the likes of City and Liverpool.

While there will be players coming in, there should also be a few worthy departures. A lot of the current United players do not have the minimum qualities required to play at the highest level and Solskjaer needs to be smart with his axe too.

Perhaps the biggest takeaways from the City game is that United need serious reinforcements in the summer.