Manchester City EDS 3, Manchester United U23 0 (Premier League 2)
Samuel Edozie and Cole Palmer scored as Manchester City’s EDS team beat Manchester United U23 to put one hand on the PL2 title.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn control from start to finish, City were comfortable winners against their local rivals and could easily have scored more but settled for an early goal for Edozie which was followed up by a Palmer double strike in the second half.
Liam Delap and Tommy Doyle both had a hatful of chances to extend the City lead further but both were denied by the woodwork and United goalkeeper Ondrej Mastny.
The Reds lined up with three of the players who were on the bench in their 2-0 win over Granada at Old Trafford last night.
But City, who have a chance to lift the PL2 title as soon as Monday’s games when Blackburn and Spurs play, fielded a very strong side, once again including Philippe Sandler on his return from injury.
He was flanked by Adrian Bernabe at full back on his left – the youngster usually plays further forward – and he happily tucked into midfield like Oleksandr Zinchenko does for the first team.
In the City Football Academy, City were all over the Reds from the start and Blues captain Doyle blazed over after 5 minutes when he got on the end of a Liam Delap cutback.
Romeo Lavia was at hand to intercept a loose pass as United tried to build up from the back to square the ball for Samuel Edozie to convert from six yards after 15 minutes.
Tommy Doyle and Delap had shots saved by Ondrej Mastny while Delay had another shot blocked with the United goalkeeper out of position.
The Reds were only able to sporadically threaten Ceiran Slicker’s goal, with the City keeper jumping on a cross into the box before any United player could react.
Anthony Elanga, one of the United youngsters on the bench last night, was a danger on the United right flank but couldn’t find the consistency to threaten City.
Slicker saved from Alvaro Fernandez who was flagged offside anyway while Tommy Doyle shot straight at Mastny with options either side of him.
Will Fish blazed over after Fernandez cut the ball back to him as United showed signs of getting back into the game but Tommy Doyle’s ball into the area landed too short for Edozie to get on the end of.
Alex Robertson was denied by Mastny after he got on the end of another Tommy Doyle ball into the box but he could only toe poke it into the arms of Mastny as he arrived a little too late to get more control onto the ball.
Cole Palmer scores twice to despatch Manchester United in second half of Manchester derby
City scored again after the break with a great Cole Palmer strike from outside the area, driven in with plenty of dip from the right for his 9th strike of the season after a layoff by Lavia.
Delap had a close range shot saved by Mastny as City looked for a third.
Shola Shoretire lifted the ball over the bar after exchanging passes with Hannibal as United couldn’t sustain any attacking threat.
City made the first change of the evening and Felix Nmecha replaced Edozie after 61 minutes.
And Nmecha’s first action was to square the ball to Delap whose 20 yard shot was tipped on to the crossbar by Mastny to win a corner.
City made a second change after 69 minutes, bringing on James McAtee for Alex Robertson.
Tommy Doyle screwed the ball side after getting on the end of Bernabe’s cross from the left in a move started by McAtee.
City were cruising and a slick passing move out of the City defence involving Sandler and McAtee ended with Cole Palmer smashing his second goal of the night from 17 yards out after a clever change of direction by Tommy Doyle allowed him the space to slip the youngster through in the 74th minute.
Doyle also hit the cross bar as he wrong-footed 3 United defenders before firing the ball against the woodwork after Delap found him with eight minutes to go.
And the City captain also blazed over as both he and Delap desperately tried to get on the scoresheet with time running out.
Ben Knight became City’s final change as he replaced Lavia with 4 minutes to go with the game won.
United’s clearest chance came in added time but Slicker made the save from a shot from the left.
GOALS – Manchester City EDS 3, Manchester United U23 0 (Premier League 2)
Man City EDS 1, Man Utd U23 0: 15. Samuel Edozie tapped in from 6 yards after Romeo Lavia intercepted the ball as United tried to build up from the back. He reached the 6 yard box and squared it for his team mate who was free to tap in.
Man City EDS 2, Man Utd U23 0: 53. Cole Palmer struck with a 25 yard dipping strike from the right side after Lavia laid the ball off to him – a left footed rocket that Ondrej Mastny couldn’t save.
Man City EDS 3, Man Utd U23 0: 74. Cole Palmer thrashed home City’s third after Tommy Doyle smuggled the ball to him allowing the attacking midfielder to score again with his left foot from just inside the area.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City EDS 3, Manchester United U23 0 (Premier League 2)
Man City EDS: Slicker, Gies, Sandler, Calum Doyle, Bernabe, Lavia (Knight 86), Tommy Doyle (C), Robertson (McAtee 69), Palmer, Edozie (Felix Nmecha 61), Delap
Man City EDS subs not used: Moulden, Burns
Goals: Edozie 15; Palmer 53, 74
Man Utd U23: Mastny, Wellens, Fish (C), Devine, Fernandez, McCann, Scidersky, Elanga, Hannibal, Shoretire, Hugill (Emeran)
Man Utd U23 subs not used: Mee, Jurado, Savage, Helm
Referee: Adam Herczeg