For the city of Manchester, the recent English Premier League derby represented a tale of two cities within the same metropolis. Sometimes, the divide between the dreams of the faithful and the stark reality can be too glaring to ignore. As BetKing’s champions league betting odds had predicted, Manchester United suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of their local rivals.
According to football betting predictions, a defeat had seemed imminent for Manchester United after their 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool. Fans had still rallied behind their club, hoping for a near miracle when they took on their Manchester City rivals. However, no such thing happened as Pep Guardiola’s men brought the home faithful crashing down to earth. In the end, the 2-0 home defeat was a small mercy for the United teams playing in front of their fans at Old Trafford.
FIRST HALF – Man U Vs Man City
The result flattered to deceive as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still seemed to be reeling from the previous loss and put up a woeful first half performance. For those using our live/in-play betting, there were countless opportunities for football betting.
Things started off badly for the Manchester United team as Eric Bailly turned the ball into his own net, trying to get to Joao Cancelo’s dangerous cross. This was in the 7th minute of the game and things quickly went downhill from there. Manchester City swarmed the United half as David de Gea continued to be brilliant between the posts, making five excellent saves within the first 7 minutes. However, the second City goal in the 45th minute was the result of another Cancelo cross that allowed Bernardo Silva to poke it in from an acute angle. Luke Shaw was also to blame for some inept defending.
SECOND HALF – Man U Vs Man City
The second half was slightly better as the Manchester United players brought on Jadon Sancho to stem the leakage at the back. But by then, it was already too late. The damage had been done and Manchester City had too much experience and class to let slip the advantage of two goals. In fact, there were still opportunities for Kevin De Bruyne and Foden to pile on the misery for United fans, which they somehow missed.
WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT?
With their fourth defeat in their last 6 games, the pressure is firmly and squarely back on United as they slip off the pace. They’re currently 9 points behind Premier League top scorers Chelsea, and are seeing their chances of making a top 4 finish fast slip away from them.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be feeling more heat from fans and critics alike as his Manchester United lineups and formations have failed to inspire the team on the field. He had said before the match that he hoped his players had learned their lesson from the Liverpool drubbing. However, if the performance on the field was anything to go by, it seemed as if the players were still recovering from the trauma of the huge loss.
For Manchester City players, it’s a return to form as they recover the winning feeling after two straight defeats. They’re currently 3 points off the lead and sit at the second spot behind Chelsea. City will feel confident that they can mount an impressive charge to the top and will use this recent victory as fuel to inspire and encourage their faithful. Sadly, the same cannot be said for their local rivals. For Manchester though, to quote Dickens, it is the best of times, it is the worst of times.
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