Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola defended Erling Haaland's performance against Manchester United on Saturday after people criticised his energy levels.

The City striker is going through an uncharacteristically barren spell, scoring just once in his last seven appearances after netting 25 in his previous 23 games.

But it was a flat day all-around at Old Trafford, with City registering just one shot on target for only the sixth time in 364 Premier League games under Guardiola.

And only twice have City had a lower expected goals tally (xG) in a Premier League game under Guardiola – at Liverpool in 2016 and at home to West Ham in 2021.

"The [Haaland's] energy is connected to the other ones," said Guardiola. "If you believe it's for one player, that's easy for me.

"It's as simple as that.

"We are lucky that we have had Erling this season with what he has done, but we have a lot of important games. You know that when you have [games] every three, four days, [you need to] sustain it a lot.

"We have to live with that, we have to deal with that. That makes us stronger.

"The spirit that we have in difficulties is incredible. We had it in Newcastle for many reasons but [against Manchester United] we were not able to do it."

Yet Saturday's lacklustre performance was not too different to previous games at Old Trafford.

In fact, four of their eight tamest Premier League performances under Guardiola in terms of expected goals have come at their rivals' home.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Manchester derby.

Here are some of your comments:

Man Utd fans

Jan: Wow!! That performance took me back!! The energy, determination and the pride! The players enjoyed the game, more so as it was City we beat!! More of the same please.

Paul: The best Manchester United team performance in years. Took me back to the glory years of Sir Alex. Fitting it was with one of Ferguson's boys leading the team in the trademark, attacking ways. Absolutely fantastic.

Philip: Fergie reborn! A very spirited all-round performance with individual excellence. Michael Carrick's Reds give me long-awaited hope for the future of our great club.

Glen: This is the best all-round performance I have seen from United since the Fergie years. It could easily have been four or five. Very early days but encouraging signs.

Alan: Best performance for many years. Could so easily have been 5-0. Team played with confidence and made an excellent City team look ordinary.

Man City fans

Liam: When Rico Lewis was named at right-back I knew we were in trouble. I could be slated for saying this, but Erling Haaland doesn't help - 14 touches of the football is not good enough. I would like to see him replaced with Marmoush, who'll play deeper and make runs into the box.

Tristan: What on earth was that performance, especially in the Manchester Derby? We were fatigued from the first minute.

Frank: City looked tired and Haaland, in particular, needs benching to freshen up.

Colin: United the better team and deserved to win. Phil Foden just kept playing the ball back and will be lucky to get on the plane to the World Cup. Jeremy Doku had loads of chances to take on Diogo Dalot, but just held the ball up and then passed back. Overall, a disappointing performance.

Freddie: I think United were simply the better team and we didn't take the few chances we had. Bernardo Silva, Max Alleyne and Antoine Semenyo all not finding the net with chances. Gianluigi Donnarumma was very good and kept us in it for a while, but he was the only player who put in a good performance. I'm finding it hard to picture us winning the Premier League this season even if we do get Marc Guehi.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City's Premier League title hopes suffered a blow with a derby defeat at Manchester United on Saturday that extended their winless league run to four games.

"My biggest concern is Erling Haaland," said former Premier League midfielder Nigel Re-Coker on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "Not just because he's not scoring goals, but because of his body language on the pitch.

"He is frustrated. He is making runs and not getting found so they are not playing to his strengths and they are not even getting crosses into the box.

"Then he is taken off when they start putting those crosses in.

"The frustration growing in him is a worry. City have two weapons out wide in Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semeyo, but they don't get enough crosses into the box.

"It feels like Semenyo has been brought in to get more goals and take the pressure off Haaland because Doku doesn't do that.

"But Phil Foden has also dropped off and that is putting more pressure at the feet of Haaland."

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Mancheser City and Chelsea are interested in signing Leicester City's 16-year-old winger Jeremy Monga. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

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Umir Irfan
Football tactics correspondent

Despite boasting 68% of possession, City were limited to one shot on target and the second lowest xG of Pep Guardiola's Premier League career.

United looked to funnel City into wide areas before defending intensely with four players. On the left, for example, Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu, Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw converged to reduce the time and space City had.

The number of players committed to the side the ball was on meant the space was on the far side, but City struggled to switch the point of attack, something Antoine Semenyo, Jeremy Doku and Rico Lewis do less of than some of their team-mates.

Phil Foden on the right wing or Matheus Nunes have shown this ability in the past and the latter was a particular miss.

City lacked Nunes' physical profile to help deal with United's threat on transition by tracking the runs of Patrick Dorgu and aiding Rodri, who found himself having to deal with both Mbeumo and Bruno at times.

When penned back, United defended in a way that gave time and space to the City centre-backs more than anybody else.

But, despite stopping numerous counter-attacks, when he had possession Abdukodir Khusanov struggled to take advantage of the spaces United left, as did Nathan Ake and Max Alleyne.

Their lack of ball-playing quality meant City struggled in a way they may not have done if they'd had the injured Josko Gvardiol, John Stones and Ruben Dias on the pitch.

Read more tactical analysis of Man City's defeat to Man Utd here

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City midfielder Claudio Echeverri has joined Girona on loan for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

The 20-year-old spent the first half of the campaign on loan in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, but has made only 11 appearances and started just three times in all competitions.

La Liga side Girona are part of part of the global Manchester City Football Group (CFG) network.

Echeverri signed for City in January 2024 on a four-and-a-half-year contract for around £12.5m but he remained at River Plate on loan for another year.

He was given a surprise debut by Pep Guardiola as a substitute in May's FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace and scored against Al Ainn at the Club World Cup before moving to Leverkusen.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Chelsea 2-0 Brentford

• Tottenham 1-2 West Ham

• Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal

Shamoon Hafez
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Man City's title hopes have been left in tatters after being outfought and outmanoeuvred by their closest geographical rivals at a fervent Old Trafford.

Man United's supporters, players and staff were up for the challenge long before the first whistle and City were unable to match that intensity.

And, with Arsenal visiting Nottingham Forest later on Saturday, Pep Guardiola's men could end the day nine points behind the league leaders with 16 games remaining.

The cacophony of noise and United's front-foot start performance unsettled City throughout, though captain Bernardo Silva should have done better with his first-half opportunity when he headed over from 10 yards out.

Academy product Alleyne could have made himself a derby-day hero but saw his looping header pushed away at full stretch by Senne Lammens, while new signing Antoine Semenyo, who scored here for Bournemouth in the chaotic 4-4 draw last month, dragged wide from the edge of the box.

Despite Gianluigi Donnarumma's earlier heroics he conceded twice in the second half and it allowed legendary former Red Devils manager Ferguson to celebrate the result with a huge smile and cheer.

The full-time whistle put City out of their misery but left the deflated visiting players looking on in disbelief in the knowledge that the title is slipping away from their grasp.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, speaking to Sky Sports after the 2-0 defeat by Man Utd: "The better team won. They were better. When a team is better you have to accept it. They had the energy we didn't have, so congratulations.

"They had the chances at the end and of course the goals we conceded were poor. We didn't control, but in general we can't talk about this action or that action. We have the duty to analyse the game in general and they were better."

On the impact from the crowd: "They started really strong, we lost one or two balls. The crowd is normal, because it is a derby. Many years they have been behind them and also with the new manager it is normal.

"We never made a threat or a cross or a movement to try and win that. It is also part of the energy, win or lose it is about what we do with the ball as well, not just without.

"It is not about one player."

The late changes - including taking Haaland off - was that to save legs? "Part of that yes. We had new energy. At the end it is a question of how many moments you have."

On if Diogo Dalot should have been sent off: "You could say that, you could say that red card, different game. Many, many situations happen. It is easy for me to come here and say it should be a red card. It is not about that, we will not grow up if that is the argument to win or lose a game. You have to do better and we didn't today."

On gap to Arsenal: "It is about how we grow up as a team. I have the feeling we have done very good things so far. To be better you may have to take a step back. The season is a long way and you have to continue to analyse."

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, speaking to Sky Sports: "They deserved to win today.

"They had more energy and intention. It always felt like they were close to score and we were never there.

"We gave them what they want. They took the game to where they are good and we are not so good.

"Since I arrived here in England we have always been a very controlled team. There was a lot of things missing from us. Definitely a bad day for us.

On if Diogo Dalot should have been sent off: "After a day like today, I don't think we have any excuses. It was a really bad performance from us.

"I saw the challenge, it is what it is. This season the 50-50 decisions all go against us. They all go for our rivals. At the end of the day this was not the reason. I watched the clip it is a red card."

On gap between Man City and Arsenal: "It is a big gap, we won't lie and say it isn't a big gap it is. We will fight until the end."

You can listen to more from Guardiola here

Did you know?

• Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (who had 14 touches in this game) has gone seven consecutive appearances without a non-penalty goal in all competitions, his longest run while playing for a big five European league side (across spells with Borussia Dortmund & Manchester City).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Manchester United's performance

What did you make of Manchester City's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, Getty Images

Michael Carrick has made five changes to his first Manchester United starting line-up, bringing back Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo following their return from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko both drop to the bench as Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire are included in a four-man defence, while Casemiro replaces Manuel Ugarte alongside Kobbie Mainoo in midfield.

Joshua Zirkzee is not included in the squad.

Manchester United XI: Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Mainoo, Amad, Bruno Fernandes, Dorgu, Mbeumo.

Substitutes: Bayindir, Mount, Cunha, Malacia, Yoro, Ugarte, Heaven, Sesko, J Fletcher.

Three changes for Manchester City following Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Newcastle.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rico Lewis and Rodri return, with James Trafford and Nico O'Reilly dropping to the bench while Matheus Nunes is not in Pep Guardiola's squad.

Manchester City XI: Donnarumma, Lewis, Khusanov, Alleyne, Ake, Rodri, Semenyo, Foden, Bernardo Silva, Doku, Haaland.

Substitutes: Trafford, Bettinelli, Reijnders, Cherki, Ait-Nouri, O'Reilly, McAidoo, Mukasa, Mfuni.

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Man Utd v Man City (12:30)

• Chelsea v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Leeds v Fulham

• Liverpool v Burnley

• Sunderland v Crystal Palace

• Tottenham v West Ham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Arsenal (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Chelsea v Brentford" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Nottingham Forest v Arsenal", for instance.

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Chris Adams
BBC Sport journalist

New Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick will be hoping his record as a player against derby rivals Manchester City is a good omen upon his return to the Old Trafford hotseat.

Carrick the midfielder recorded 13 victories against City, his highest number of wins against any Premier League opponent bar Sunderland. As the 198th Manchester derby beckons on Saturday (12:30 GMT), both teams are on a run of three consecutive league draws.

Derby dugout debut

This will be the first time in the history of the fixture that either club has gone into the game with a new boss in charge.

If Carrick's men do go ahead, the five-time title winner will be wary of their inability to hold onto a lead; they have lost 14 points from winning positions this season, a problem that the now-departed Ruben Amorim struggled to address.

The Red Devils, who sit seventh, will also have to contend with the visitors' relentless running power. City players have covered more ground than any other team in the division this season, collectively running an average of 115.6 km per game.

Semenyo shining

Pep Guardiola's squad has recently been bolstered by the addition of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth. The Ghana forward has hit the ground running with two goals in his first two games and is aiming to become first player to score in his first three appearances for the club since Jackie Dyson in 1955.

Excellent returns from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden mean City's current squad have scored a combined 18 league goals in Manchester derbies.

In Haaland and Semenyo, City have two of the Premier League's three top scorers. Haaland, who scored a hat-trick in his first Manchester derby, had a hand in all three goals on his most recent visit to Old Trafford in October 2023 - scoring twice and assisting Foden in a comfortable 3-0 win.

Second-placed City have won nine Premier League away games against United, more than any other visiting side.

Well, I know who is going to win this. I'm just not sure about the score.

What on earth is going on at Manchester United? It just seems like they are making it up as they go along.

I don't get the thinking at Old Trafford, so I'm probably wrong here, but it looks to me like they are waiting to try to get England boss Thomas Tuchel in the summer, or maybe even United States manager Mauricio Pochettino - who could also be free after the World Cup.

In the meantime, here we are with United treading water again. It would have been interesting if Darren Fletcher had won the two games when he was manager - would he still be in charge?

We will have to see how caretaker boss Michael Carrick lines United up - whether he plays with a back four and what shape he will use - but I don't see it making much difference against Manchester City.

I was at St James' Park on Tuesday and City were really comfortable against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. That was the first time I've seen Rayan Cherki in the flesh and when he came on you could tell what an intelligent footballer he is.

Erling Haaland has only scored once, a penalty, in his past six games and he did not get on the scoresheet when City scored 10 against Exeter in the FA Cup.

So he is due a goal and he usually gets at least one against United - he has scored eight in six league games against them - so they need to find a way of stopping him this time.

This is such a tough start for Carrick. I am going to give United a goal for their fans to get excited about, but City will still take the points pretty easily.

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

Read the full predictions and have your say

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City youngster Jaden Heskey has joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan.

The 20-year-old forward has moved to Hillsborough until the end of the season to help the Owls at the foot of the Championship.

Wednesday are bottom of the table and 32 points from safety having been deducted 18 points for going into administration and breaching EFL rules relating to payment obligations.

Heskey, the son of former Liverpool and England striker Emile, made his City debut in their Carabao Cup win over Huddersfield in September alongside brother Reigan, who is an England Under-18 international.

It is his only senior appearance, although he has played twice in the Football League Trophy this season.

He is captain of City's elite development squad this season, having won Premier League 2 last term, and had interest from a number of Championship and League One sides.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on England centre-back Marc Guehi's expected move from Crystal Palace to Manchester City.

Here are some of your comments:

Jonny: £20m - a snip. Great signing, bet Liverpool are fuming!

Steve: Great signing, a proven Premier League and international defender who will bring a lot to the team and squad!

Shaun: Proven in the Premier League and will slot in just fine - welcome to Manchester! What a January for City... the rebuild is on.

Harry: For £20m, I think it's incredibly clear we are giving him some serious bonus and wages. But I cannot for a second question his credentials, Palace have a tendency to grow players who are very professional. I'm glad we are getting such a coveted player, but I worry whether we really need him. Then there's the smaller club not getting a huge fee because of his contract, I am in mixed feelings about this. But still, we love every player and I will back him every second he's in our shirt. Absolute Viana masterclass once again.

Steve: Great addition to the squad, giving Pep more options, calm head, good on the ball... as good as any in the Premier League.

Mark: Guehi is one of the top three defenders in the Premier League. Semenyo one of the top three attackers. City have both for £85m. Extraordinary bit of business.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City have agreed a deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, understood to be worth £20m.

It had been reported earlier this month that the club had increased their interest in the Eagles captain in the wake of injuries to key defenders.

The 25-year-old is out of contract in the summer and had received interest from a number of European clubs, including Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, but it now looks like City are set to bring him to the Etihad for a fee.

Guehi came close to joining Liverpool for a fee of £35m last summer, but Palace pulled the plug on the deal during the final hours of deadline day.

City had also been interested in bringing Guehi in on a free transfer at the end of the campaign, but have chosen to bring the defender in sooner, while Palace will now avoid the scenario of losing the England defender for nothing in the summer.

It would be a second marquee signing of the January transfer window for Pep Guardiola following the arrival of £65m Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.

How important could brining Guehi in now be for City's season? Is the strategy of bringing is key signings in January the best one for the club?

Get in touch with your views here