With Kevin De Bruyne playing in his final Manchester derby following confirmation he will leave the club at the end of the season, Manchester City were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by local rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford. In a game low on quality and big chances, neither side could find a breakthrough, with André Onana and Ederson relatively untroubled across 90 cagey minutes.
The result leaves City clinging to fifth in the table—just four points above ninth-placed Brighton—while United remain mired in mid-table, still searching for consistency and now five points adrift of the top 12.
As it happened
The tone was set just seconds into the derby as Rúben Dias was shown a yellow card for hauling down Alejandro Garnacho in a dangerous position. United looked the more incisive in the early exchanges and nearly went ahead when Garnacho stooped to meet Diogo Dalot’s cross but saw his header go wide.
City enjoyed more possession but struggled for fluidity without Erling Haaland. Kevin De Bruyne’s speculative low strike and a curled effort from Ilkay Gündogan were easily dealt with by Onana. At the other end, Casemiro tested Ederson before United saw penalty appeals waved away following a Ruben Dias block.
Chances were at a premium after the interval. Phil Foden spurned City’s best opportunity when he miscued a shot inside the box after neat play from Omar Marmoush. Minutes later, Marmoush himself forced a smart save from Onana with a stinging half-volley.
The game opened up in the final 20 minutes. Substitute Joshua Zirkzee nearly made an instant impact, guiding a low shot goalwards only for Ederson to parry it away. United had a flurry of corners and a penalty check after Mateo Kovačić clashed with Casemiro, but VAR upheld the on-field decision.
Despite Jack Grealish’s late introduction and some speculative efforts, City failed to break down a resilient United side marshalled superbly by Casemiro, who made 11 tackles—more than any United player in a Premier League match since 2008.
It was a frustrating afternoon for De Bruyne and Guardiola, as the Belgian—if this was indeed his final Manchester derby—could not conjure a moment of magic to break the deadlock in his 25th appearance against United.
The lineups
MUN: Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro; Dorgu, Casemiro, Ugarte, Dalot; Garnacho, Fernandes; Højlund.
MCI: Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Kovacic; Silva, Gündogan, De Bruyne, Foden; Marmoush.