Manchester United 0, Manchester City 0
There was little urgency on show by either side as the 183rd Manchester Derby ended in a dull scoreless draw.
Embed from Getty ImagesCity may have had the more eye-catching chances but Marcus Rashford had the ball in the City net but it was ruled out for a clear offside and this only seemed to serve to make both sides even more cautious as both refused to gamble too much in a bid to re-enter the top four.
These are strange times, with teams looking to conserve energy in a packed schedule and without fans at Old Trafford to encourage the sides to attack, attack, attack it was all too easy for both sides to play within themselves.
There were few real chances in the first half, and even fewer chances after the break although Riyad Mahrez could have put City into the lead with a superb chance in the first half but both sides settled for a clean sheet and a point apiece which did little for their title hopes but moved United to 7th, with City beneath them in 8th.
Leicester City in 4th are just two points ahead of City who will be the more disappointed side after arriving at Old Trafford arguably the fresher of the two sides.
It was a result that might have suited United after their terrible week in Germany – they set up to frustrate City who were still all too aware of their hosts’ ability on the break and chose to prioritise their 6th consecutive clean sheet in all competitions – a club record – as they failed to score in two consecutive away league games for the first time since January 2017.
Indeed, it was the first time since October 2018 (against Liverpool) that City were involved in a goalless draw in the Premier League.
For the Reds, it was the third home game of the season in which they have failed to score – one more than in the whole of last season at Old Trafford.
City boss Pep Guardiola was happy with the draw despite the relative disappointment of playing without fans, saying:
“It is a good point. We would have like to win but it’s ok – it’s Old Trafford and a tough opponent in Man United. They are so fast up front.
“We were good, really good but we missed the crowd in every game.”
He also played down the loss of Sergio Aguero, who suffered an injury setback before the game which ruled him out, adding:
“We’ve missed Sergio for the last six months, not just today.”
He sounded a note of caution in a compressed season where pressing stats are down all round and players are getting tired and injured, where he opted to stick to the team on the pitch rather than make game changing (but risky) attacking substitutions.
“I am a pragmatic manager who did the most to win a tight game.
“One mistake and they [United] punish you in the counter attack.
“We could have created more but they had eight players there [in defence] and it’s so difficult.”
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer agreed that the lack of fans at Old Trafford may have taken away their usual home advantage, but added that visitors were now respecting the Reds’ prowess on the break at Old Trafford.
He said: “Teams have respect for us the way they set up the game.
“Home and away doesn’t matter now, but we will look back at the stats.
“The passion and energy that we get from the fans will be the difference.”
On the reason why both sides neglected to use their full quota of substitutes, he sounded a similar note of caution about player fitness and match intensity.
He said: “The reason why we want more subs is to rest players, not to change the game too much.
“Today we felt the need to keep them on. I don’t think anyone struggled, maybe Luke [Shaw] because he’s been injured.
“If it was a 2-0 win we’d take him off for last 20 minutes.”
Paul Pogba and Fred recalled in place of Alex Telles and Nemanja Matic in a bid to outnumber City where they wanted to play.
Pogba started on the left of a midfield that looked designed to crowd out the visitors.
There was no sign of Sergio Aguero in the Manchester City match day squad after his goalscoring cameo against Marseille on Wednesday – he had gastroenteritis yesterday – but John Stones started his third Premier League game in a row.
Only Kyle Walker, Fernandinho, and Riyad Mahrez retained their places from the side that beat the French team as Pep Guardiola made a total of eight changes.
Neither side wanted to overcommit in the early stages but Pogba did find Bruno Fernandes with a delightful pass that won the first corner of the game.
United were cagey and looked to catch City on the break having flooded midfield while the Blues had started slowly and well beneath the level that had taken them to five games without defeat since a 2-0 reverse at Spurs in November.
Ederson’s passing was responsible for some of United’s chances, the Brazilian’s passing was off kilter in the first half and the Reds might have done better with some of them.
Chances came for Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Mason Greenwood as the Reds looked strong on set pieces and quick turn-overs.
City came close when Raheem Sterling couldn’t jink his way through a forest of defenders in the United area.
Jesus spooned a shot over the bar after being put through by Mahrez while Stones’ header was an easy take for David De Gea from Mahrez’s free kick.
Riyad Mahrez has the best chance of the game saved
In the 35th minute Jesus broke free of the United midfield trap and found De Bruyne whose excellent touch moved it on to Mahrez. The Algerian forced a save from De Gea while De Bruyne’s follow-up went over the bar.
Kyle Walker’s rash challenge on Marcus Rashford at the start of the second half looked to have won the Reds a spot kick but VAR ruled it out for an offside in the build-up.
Rashford was onside later on when put through by Pogba but lashed the ball wide under pressure from a retreating Walker.
Fernandinho drove the ball wide on the hour as City upped the tempo but City remained in a relatively low gear.
Ferran Torres came on for Riyad Mahrez after 66 minutes as Guardiola made he first change.
And Torres almost got round Luke Shaw in his first few touches of the ball and gave him a difficult time as he stretched the right flank.
Jesus set up De Bruyne who saw his shot blocked by Maguire as City carved out another chance in the final quarter of the game with the Reds starting to flag after a long week.
Anthony Martial replaced Mason Greenwood in the 74th minute as United reorganised.
Fernandes almost slipped Rashford through but the Reds striker couldn’t get onto the ball as chances dried up in the second half.
Jesus won a free kick in the 79 minutes after a lunge by Maguire 25 yards from goal but De Bruyne’s set piece was blocked by the wall.
Bruno Fernandes sent a shot straight at Ederson late on while Jesus was offside when a late ball upfield was sent too late – summing up the game.
MATCH STATS – Manchester United 0, Manchester City 0
Man Utd: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Fred, McTominay, Pogba, Fernandes, Greenwood (Martial 74), Rashford
Man Utd Subs not used: Henderson, Bailly, Mata, Telles, Matic, van de Beek
Booking: Maguire 79 (foul on Gabriel Jesus)
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Cancelo, Rodri, Fernandinho, Mahrez (Torres 66), De Bruyne, Sterling, Jesus
Man City subs not used: Steffen, Gundogan, Laporte, Bernardo Silva, Mendy, Foden
Booked: Fernandinho 87 (foul on Anthony Martial)
Referee: Chris Kavanagh