Man City 4-1 Man Utd: 5 things you might have missed - De Bruyne & Mahrez stats, Rangnick’s system & more

Manchester City’s Premier League encounter with Manchester United followed the pattern that many suspected it might, as the hosts won comfortably at the Etihad.

Braces from Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez meant City won 4-1, as Jadon Sancho also netted in the first period for the visitors.

But it was a game packed full of incidents and talking points, so we’ve picked out a few minor moments which may have passed you by.

Both clubs’ anti-war message

Prior to the game, both clubs sent a strong and unified message in response to the awful scenes in Ukraine over the last 10 days.

The teams came out wearing ‘no war’ t-shirts and swapped positions in the centre circle in a sign of unity, with United and City players standing alongside each other as the stadium broke into applause.

A Ukraine flag was also unveiled by the crowd in support of those suffering in eastern Europe.

This was also the first home game since the outbreak of the war, and Ukrainian international Oleksandr Zinchenko was greeted with a standing ovation ahead of the match and when he warmed up on the sidelines. The defender was evidently touched and thanked the home supporters.

Landmark goals for De Bruyne & Mahrez

De Bruyne’s fifth-minute goal gave United an early advantage when he floated into the box and passed the ball beyond David De Gea.

That was actually his 50th Premier League goal, and later the Belgian became the first City player to score a derby brace since Sergio Aguero in 2015.

Of course, Mahrez achieved that feat in the second half, and the first was the 75th Premier League goal of his career. Meanwhile, the second goal means he scored 13 in the league since the start of December, three more than anyone else in the top flight.

United’s shape

The Red Devils were without Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani for the game, meaning United didn’t have a traditional centre-forward in their ranks.

As a result, United went with a 4-2-2-2 shape with Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba playing as false nines for the visitors, and Anthony Elanga and Sancho on the wings.

Clearly the plan was to try and stretch City as Tottenham Hotspur did a few weeks ago, and it was a high-risk, high-reward policy from the interim manager. But the two-man midfield of Scott McTominay and Fred were overrun in the centre, and it left too much space for City’s midfield to run into.

From there, it allowed Pep Guardiola’s men to take hold of proceedings and dictate the flow of the game, especially in the second half.

Second-half dominance

United did have moments where they looked threatening in the first 45 minutes, with City looking a tad surprised at how they set up.

But that changed after the break, and United simply couldn’t get near the opposition. In fact, the game ended with City having 70% possession.

United also didn’t manage a single shot in the second half, on what ended up being a bleak afternoon for the Red Devils.

Where this leaves us

The win for City really is a significant one after a recent run where they haven’t been at their best. It also means the champions moved six points clear of second-place Liverpool, although they have played a game more than the Merseyside club.

As for United, Arsenal’s win over Watford means they drop to fifth, with the Gunners now ahead of them and having three games in hand.

Spurs have also played three fewer games than the Red Devils and trail them by five points. Antonio Conte’s men are in action on Monday night when they play Everton.