Erling Haaland struck twice as Manchester City cruised to a 3 0 win over Manchester United, ending a run of four derbies without a victory in normal time and steadying the champions after recent setbacks.
City set the tone from the start. Haaland went close early on before Jérémy Doku created the breakthrough, wriggling to the byline and standing up a cross that Phil Foden headed in on 18 minutes. United sought an outlet on the counter, and Bruno Fernandes forced a save from a free kick just before the interval, but Pep Guardiola’s side were largely untroubled.
The second half belonged to Haaland. The Norwegian held off Luke Shaw to meet Doku’s through ball and calmly lifted the finish over Altay Bayindir for City’s second. He then punished slack defending late on, racing on to Bernardo Silva’s pass and sliding home his second to seal the points.
City were in full control by the end, with further chances for the hosts and little in reply from United. The result is a firm response from the champions after back-to-back defeats, while United’s difficult start continues with one win from five league matches.
