The Manchester Derby wound up a decidedly one-sided affair, and it taught us quite a bit about these two sides.
The Manchester Derby is always an exciting affair, and this one was certainly no exception. With the always-contentious atmosphere this rivalry brings added to the sheer import this match has in terms of Premier League positioning, you knew that this match between Manchester United and Manchester City would be one to remember. With a 4-2 final score in favor of United, it certainly was.
It looked at first that City would be the team to beat, repeatedly tearing apart United's defense time and again and scoring the match's opening goal before ten minutes had passed. Then United found their equalizer and made some adjustments to their midfield and tactics, and everything changed.
The entire pace and flow of the match turned on it's head when Ashley Young hit that equalizer, and when Marouane Fellaini embarrassed City's defense to score a second for United it almost seemed expected. United kept piling on more and more pressure, knocking City's defense and midfield completely off-kilter and grabbing the match by the throat.
They never did let go, scoring two more in the second half, pulling away with almost casual ease. City did get a second when Sergio Agüero got his brace in the 89th minute, but by then it was too little, too late. United are a point behind second-place Arsenal with the momentum and quality to potentially surpass them, while City are sinking without a trace or hope of recovery.
3 things
1. Ashley Young has quietly become vital for Manchester United - It's been three and a half years since Ashley Young joined United from Aston Villa. Three and a half years in which Young has mostly been not great, frequently injured, and often mocked. Over the last few months, though, he's quietly become a vital cog in Louis van Gaal's side, playing several different roles along the left wing and frequently popping up doing great things in vital moments at both ends of the pitch. Whatever van Gaal has done to coach Young up or just get his confidence up, it worked in a big way, and it's had a huge impact on United's season.
2. James Milner was a difference maker - Early in the match when City were dominant, running rampant all over United's defense, it was James Milner at the heart of it all. His energy and quality was letting him cause havoc between United's lines, and he had a heavy hand in helping create City's opening goal. Not long after United scored their first, though, they tweaked their midfield a bit, pulling Herrera back to put him in a better spot to mark Milner. That change worked wonders, quickly taking Milner essentially out of the match, and ultimately crippling their ability to link midfield to attack. The difference in City's play between having Milner active and having him be kept out of the match was stark and almost shocking.
3. Manuel Pellegrini is done at Manchester City, but it's not totally his fault - Manuel Pellegrini won a title at City in his first year in Manchester, and less than a year later it's clear as day that he's simply done at City. For all his oft-acclaimed tactical wizardry, he's been struggling to get his City side playing at their best for months now. It's been a battle just to find combinations of aging and declining players that play effectively together, and it's made worse when other teams adjust to those combinations and take vital elements out of play, like United did with Milner today. When that happens, Pellegrini and City have been struggling to adapt and make the needed adjustments, and it's sent their season spiraling from a second straight title chase to the depths of bitter disappointment. There's no coming back for Pellegrini now, and there will be a new manager patrolling the touchline at the Etihad next season. Of course, whoever that is will also have to figure out how to get an old and declining team to play better, which will not be an easy task.
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/4/12/8393255/man-utd-manchester-city-2015-results-final-score-result
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