by BBC commentator Guy Mowbray used a quote from Sir Alex Ferguson to perfectly sum up the shift in the balance of power in the rivalry between Manchester United and Manchester City.
Trouble started brewing from the second minute when Diogo Dalot was booked for a challenge on Jack Grealish and, from Phil Foden’s goal in the eighth minute to his hat-trick in the 73rd, there was little chance for the United. he is going to win.
While pride returned late in the game as Anthony Martial’s two goals reduced the deficit to just three goals, there wasn’t much of a savior for the visitors.
That came after Foden had scored his second of the game to make it 4-0 at half-time, with Erling Haaland also grabbing two, including one from a corner, when he was marked by Christian Eriksen.
As fans left the Etihad, Mowbray recalled that Ferguson was once asked if United would ever go into a game with City as second favourites.
“He said no to my life, now it’s every time,” proclaimed Mowbray, which pretty much summed it up perfectly.
“He said no to my life, now it’s every time”
Great commentary job by Guy Mowbray on Match of the Day pic.twitter.com/0pvonEJg28
— City Report Podcast (@cityreportpod) October 2, 2022
United won both games against City in 2009, with Michael Owen’s famous late goal coming in a 4-3 victory at the start of the 2009/10 season.
But even before Ferguson retired, the ‘noisy neighbours’ were getting more joy out of games against their local rivals with a 6-1 win at Old Trafford the most famous.
This was early in the 2011/12 season and, with a few games to go in that season, Vincent Kompany scored the only goal in the reverse fixture.
Victory would ultimately set up City’s first Premier League title win and their dominance of the league, and United have never really stopped.
City have since won the title on six occasions, while United’s only league title came in Fergie’s final year in charge, in 2013, and he has watched them fail ever since.
Going into the game, United may have been more confident than in recent years, with their recent revival under Erik ten Hag winning four league games on the bounce.
Those results included wins against Arsenal and less than Liverpool, but things started to unravel with Foden’s eighth-minute goal.
Goals from Antony and Martial made the scoreline a little less disappointing for the players, fans and Fergie, but it may not be in the former manager’s lifetime that they are back as derby favourites.
