Premier League analysis: Tears and fears for Man Utd fans after derby defeat to Man City

The officials hogged the headlines in Sunday’s Manchester derby between United and City at Old Trafford, where Phil Foden saw red and the only goal of the game was shrouded in controversy.

Apologies have been issued and arguments have raged up and down the country following a feisty encounter between Michael Carrick’s men and Enzo Maresca’s Premier League title contenders.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer and resident Red Devil Robert Bore picks through the debris of the game and all of its talking points.

Man City (h)

Nobody wants derby day this early in the season - it’s just not right. 

Truth be told, the result would either leave Carrick under real pressure with just four points from four games or with a win would lift his side into fifth and only a point behind Hull. 

A draw, well, we’d still be bottom half and disappointed. 

It was beating Man City that started Carrick’s run to Champions League qualification back in January, a 2-0 victory sowing the seeds of love, as Tears For Fears once warbled. 

But I had the fear again and didn’t want there to be tears. There would be both. 

My mood wasn’t helped by a 250th appearance for Diogo Dalot, which was at least 249 games more than he should have chalked up. 

Shaw absence felt

On the other flank, Luke Shaw’s absence was a loss, particularly with the resumption of his bromance with Marcus Rashford being a real positive - he would need to help steer Patrick Dorgu through the game in his beau’s stead. 

I’ve been critical of United in these games in the past, mainly for being too tippy-tippy and not getting into the Bluenoses. 

Not today. 

Inside three minutes Dalot had crunched Elliot Anderson, Harry Maguire had put one on Rayan Cherki and Lisandro Martinez had also let Cherki know he was there. 

Nice, I liked it. 

Man City had settled well though and United needed some ball as Rashford was sandwiched by Anderson and Antoine Semenyo, Martinez firing tamely at Gianluigi Donnarumma from the free-kick. 

Dalot had a nosebleed with a tremendous run into the box but tried to control instead of glancing a header and the chance was gone. 

United looked a little sharper though even if Matheus Cunha’s effort was weak and wide. 

Anderson flying in

Anderson was busy, also flying onto tackles and tidying up wherever he was needed, while fellow mega-money midfielder Enzo Fernandez was penalised for a foul on Cunha.

Bruno Fernandes almost pressed self-destruct with a sloppy ball that saw Erling Haaland set off on his bike but the United defence dispossessed him before he could do anything meaningful. 

However, there is always the propensity for danger whenever Dalot is involved and he dallied a little too long near his own byline and let in Semenyo who couldn’t find a sky blue shirt.

Then, the drama…

Fernandes looked to have a nibble at Foden who reacted and kicked out, catching the United skipper in the knackers or the stomach, whichever dangles lowest. 

Referee Michael Oliver was straight out with the red card and Stockport’s favourite son was away for a shower. 

It wasn’t a harsh red, you can’t kick out, but I’d probably have done the same in his boots.

Bruno unpunished

Bruno went unpunished, surprisingly, as he did kick into the England man and there was now a golden opportunity for the hosts. 

Dalot wasted a good counter-attack as only he does, while Kobbie Mainoo blocked a fierce effort after a Man City corner. 

But with 30 minutes gone it was still goalless. 

Dalot continued to do Dalot things, this time with a head like a Rubik’s Cube as he put the ball back into danger and then was needlessly caught offside to ruin a dangerous attack. 

His continued presence in the side baffles and frustrates in equal measure. 

As were United, who had slowed the pace down since their man advantage when they should have been stretching the game. 

Mind you, Donnarumma was stretching as we entered added time when Rashford curled his free-kick against the face of the post. 

The Italian was nowhere near but his goal remained intact. 

Changes for Man City

Man City boss Enzo Maresca made a change at the break, Cherki hooked for Iliman Ndiaye. The question was whether United could make the man over count. 

Mainoo tried, curling one beyond the despairing dive of Donnarumma but only onto a post, the rebound falling kindly for the keeper. 

Rashford went next, seeing his shot deflected at the near post. 

United were trying. Mbuemo and Cunha both flashed over with half chances and it felt like pressure was building, as you’d expect, as we approached the hour. 

Calamity pain

And then it happened, the old Calamity button suddenly appeared from nowhere and started flashing red. 

Dorgu lost possession cheaply and Semenyo’s cross was gobbled up at the far post by Haaland. 

The flag went up immediately as Man City celebrated, then didn’t. 

Then word went around that VAR were looking. It looked a clear offside. But it was somehow given. And nobody seemed to know why. 

Enzo Fernandez was clearly offside while Haaland looked to be when the ball was played in despite the small deflection off Dorgu. 

That looked pretty clear. 

But VAR saw something? Something nobody else in the world had. Man City now in front. 

I was baffled. Football was baffled. 

Noel Gallagher was in the stands. Maybe his brother was at Stockley Park. 

The on-field graphic, missing at the time, was put out 10 minutes later, to add to the intrigue. It showed Haaland was just onside but that wasn’t the only issue. 

Fernandez was, to the letter of the law, clearly going for the ball. It should not have stood. 

Red Devils rattled

That mattered not. Carrick turned to Benjamin Sesko for Youri Tielemans but United were rattled and so was Senne Lammens’ post as Fernandez almost doubled the lead, great fingers from the United keeper.

Bruno forced Donnarumma into a save as we hit the 70th minute mark and Mbuemo headed wide from a swirling Dalot centre. The clock was ticking.  

Man City almost put it to bed, although maybe the flag would have saved them, after Fernandez had bought a free-kick and the cross was stroked wide on the stretch by Haaland. 

Fernandez went over in the box, it was softer than a fluffy bunny rabbit, and was duly booked alongside Maguire, whose rump he claimed had dumped him for a spot kick. We were into the last 10 minutes. 

The Argentinean departed soon after.

United needed momentum

United needed a spark, they had lost momentum. 

Carrick turned to Joshua Zirkzee for Rashford. Maguire then headed wide and his side were heading to defeat one silly conceded free-kick at a time.

Five added minutes were shown, Maguire went mad. VAR took almost that on its own it felt. 

Man City deserved it, the hosts had no idea. Wasteful on the ball, slow and ponderous in attack. 

The difference between the two sides was very apparent. 

All that being said, United should have nicked a point at the death.

Bruno played through the Man City defence to Mbuemo, who fired goalwards but Donnarumma saved brilliantly. The United man should have scored. 

On the balance of chances maybe that would have been fair, for all Man City’s resilience.  

Tears and fears

But the hosts had missed a golden opportunity for sure. 

As for the Foden controversy, it’s a red. There’s no argument. It was a definite yellow for Fernandes’ kick in his back, which would also have been soft in my opinion. 

But kicking out as he did, sorry pal, you’re off. 

But the goal. Oh man alive. What a f**k-up from VAR. 

For the forensic interrogation it had, that wouldn’t have looked amiss on an episode of CSI, and to get it so wrong is more embarrassing - it’s negligent. 

Tears, fears and no idea!