Premier League 2018-19: 3 take-aways from the Manchester derby

The rejuvenated Red Devils of Manchester United took on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. The match was supposed to be a closely contested battle between the "Master Tactician" and the "Special One", but it didn't turn out that way.

Right from the beginning, Manchester City were relentless in their attack and Jose Mourinho's men were forced to defend with their lives. The "Parked Bus" ploy was not effective as City were able to find the target in the early minutes of the game.

The Citizens outwitted United in every department and won by three goals to one. The only moment of glory for the visitors came when Anthony Martial scored from the penalty spot.

Here are the three key take-aways from the match.

#1 Rampant City seem unstoppable

City have once again asserted their dominance in the Premier League, scoring 33 goals in the 12 matches they have played while conceding only four. Most of the English clubs have failed to find answers to Pep Guardiola’s style of play.

City are now a side that have the confidence of going forward, with the likes of Sergio Agüero, Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sané and İlkay Gündoğan in their ranks. They have also have a potent playmaker in the form of the long-serving David Silva.

City were favorites to win this derby, coming as they did on the back of a thumping win over Southampton FC in the previous week. True to form, they were the ones to draw first blood in the early 12th minute as a slick pass opened up the United defence before Silva thumped the ball into the net.

Their number one, Ederson, barely had anything to do as the Red Devils only registered one shot on target.

The second half was no different as Agüero picked up a loose ball from David De Gea and netted his eighth derby goal. City’s defence was once again resolute as they were able to shut down any potential attack from United.

With each passing game City are looking increasingly confident, and they now go into the international break as table toppers. They remain unbeaten in all the games played so far in the the domestic league.

Silva and Sterling are the two important match winners for Manchester City as both of them have emerged as strong focal points in this blue half of Manchester.

#2 Paul Pogba was sorely missed

Paul Pogba’s heroics from the last derby were dearly missed as he watched his team suffer at the hands of arch rivals Manchester City.

Pogba is the main engine of the Red Devils who drives his team forward. His combination with Antony Martial was also something that couldn't be utilized as Martial was left all alone on the left flank.

There were rumors of a feud between the United boss and the player as the manager reportedly went hammer and tongs on the player for his off-field activities.

In this game, City overpowered and out-muscled United in every department but most importantly they won the midfield battle with Fernando and Riyad Mahrez constantly finding the City forwards.

#3 Jose Mourinho's defensive woes

Jose Mourinho has conceded a whopping 21 goals this season, a statistic that he would never like to see in his team.

Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelöf have forged a forced partnership in defense for the Red Devils with Eric Bailly serving an injury. Nemanja Matić and Ander Herrera were given a more defensive role yesterday in the absence of their star player Paul Pogba. But both the midfielders did not stand up to their manager’s expectations as Herrera was the guilty party on more than one occasion.

Mourinho needs to fix this on priority as he started the game with a very defensive mindset. The United players, unlike the other defensive teams of Europe, do not have the resilience and determination to hold their defensive shape during the entire match.

The Red Devils need to pull up their socks quickly if they hope to pose any substantial challenge for the Premier League trophy.