Ten-Man Manchester City Win 1-0 at Old Trafford After Phil Foden's Red Card

Manchester City won the Manchester derby with ten men for more than an hour, and it still did not feel close to fair on Manchester United. Erling Haaland's goal on 60 minutes beat a United side that finished with 16 shots to City's six — a lopsided shot count that says everything about how one moment of controversy shaped the whole afternoon.

Foden sees red before half-time

The game turned on 23 minutes. Bruno Fernandes kicked the ball into Phil Foden's midriff, and Foden reacted by kicking back at the United captain. Referee and VAR judged it violent conduct and sent Foden off, leaving City to play the remaining 67 minutes a man short away from home.

"The explanation I got was that he wasn't interfering with play. I just don't get it, I really don't get it."

— Michael Carrick, Manchester United head coach, on the offside call for City's goal

"I think Phil Foden's red card is a red card, but I also think that in the same action it's a red card for Bruno Fernandes."

— Enzo Maresca, Manchester City head coach

A goal United will argue about all season

Haaland's winner, at the back post on 60 minutes, was allowed to stand by semi-automated offside technology because the Norwegian himself was level. But Enzo Fernández was clearly offside in front of him, and though he never touched the ball, he pulled Lisandro Martínez out of position as it came in. The Premier League's refereeing body later admitted the goal should not have counted.

"I think Fernández was offside — five or six people doing this kind of mistake in the Premier League is unacceptable."

— Lisandro Martínez, Manchester United defender

United had the chances to make it not matter

None of it changes that United, even with the extra man, could not turn control into goals. Marcus Rashford's free-kick struck the post in first-half stoppage time, Kobbie Mainoo's curling effort hit the woodwork just after the break, and Enzo Fernández's drive at the other end was tipped onto the post by Senne Lammens. Harry Maguire headed a corner wide with 86 gone, and City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had the final word, somehow keeping out Bryan Mbeumo's close-range effort in the fifth minute of stoppage time to protect the lead.

Contrasting form lines going in

The result kept City's unbeaten start intact — a fourth straight Premier League win, following victories over Bournemouth, Coventry City and Crystal Palace, plus a Champions League win at Porto. United arrived on the back of a draw at Everton and an opening-weekend loss away to Hull City in August, results that had already left Carrick's side needing exactly the kind of afternoon this one did not become.

What the result changes at the top

Manchester City went into the weekend level with Arsenal at the top of the table, both on nine points from three matches with a goal difference of +5. City's win at Old Trafford takes them to 12 points and a goal difference of +6 — but Arsenal, who beat Sunderland 2-0 on the same weekend, also reached 12 points, and with a goal difference of +7 that puts them a fraction ahead at the summit. Manchester United, who had gone into the round 11th on four points, stay on four after the loss, their goal difference now level at zero with seven scored and seven conceded.

Match stats