Lightning Strikes Twice: City Hammer United 3-0Lightning Strikes Twice: City Hammer United 3-0 Manchester City delivered a devastating performance to thrash Manchester United 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium, extending their dominance over their bitter rivals. The hosts wasted no time in asserting their authority, with Riyad Mahrez firing them ahead just 5 minutes into the game. The Algerian winger latched onto a through ball from Kevin De Bruyne and calmly slotted it past David De Gea. United failed to recover from the early setback, and City continued to pile on the pressure. Twenty minutes later, Phil Foden doubled their lead with a clinical finish from close range. The young Englishman was set up by Erling Haaland, who had missed a glorious chance moments earlier. As the half wore on, United’s defense crumbled under the relentless pressure from City’s attacking trio. In the 43rd minute, Haaland finally got on the scoresheet, heading home a cross from De Bruyne. The second half was a mere formality as City controlled possession and snuffed out any threat from United. Pep Guardiola’s team had the ball for over 70% of the game and created numerous chances to increase their lead. The victory marked City’s second consecutive 3-0 win over United, cementing their status as the dominant force in Manchester. It also extended their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions. For Erik ten Hag’s United, the result was a bitter blow. The Dutch manager has struggled to turn around their fortunes since taking over in the summer, and the defeat to City highlighted the gulf in quality between the two clubs. The victory for City will send shockwaves through the Premier League title race. They are now just two points behind leaders Arsenal, who they face in the FA Cup on Friday. Meanwhile, United remain in ninth place, trailing the top four by a significant margin.
