HISTORY-MAKER ERLING HAALAND hit a hat-trick as Manchester City wrought a derby-day demolition on their neighbours.
Phil Foden got one two but still was second billing to the incredible Norwegian striker.
With his goals, he became the first player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in three consecutive Premier League home games after doing the same here against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.
That is 17 in ten games for City now.
He is 22 and he is unstoppable – as are Manchester City.
The table has Arsenal top, come May City will be and by some distance have no doubt and Haaland will have broken more records.
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It was one-way traffic from the very first shrill of Michael Oliver’s whistle.
By half-time City had four goals, hit 15 shots, seven of which were on target, and United were battered and beaten.
It was absolutely imperious brilliance from Pep Guardiola’s men.
Haaland said in the build-up to the game that he is amazed how in pre-match team talks the manager predicts what will happen in a game and that is exactly how it pans out.
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Even this had to be a bit over-ambitious on Pep’s part.
To think United had come into this game on a run of four consecutive Premier League victories including wins over Liverpool and league leaders Arsenal.
But they were up against a team on a different level from any they had faced.
City were ahead on eight minutes with Foden starting and finishing the move.
First he played it out to Jack Grealish who found Ilkay Gundogan and he in turn released Bernardo Silva down the left.
The cross was low and hard and Foden met it superbly on the full firing a shot into the near top corner.
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Bernardo was tearing strips off Diogo Dalot down the right.
Nobody could either predict, counter or combat the artistry of Kevin De Bruyne whose corner assisted goal number two on 37 minutes.
Haaland met it by simply evading three United players and meeting the ball with his head.
Tyrell Malacia tried to clear it but was behind the line and technology indicated to the referee Oliver that the ball had crossed.
Now Raphael Varane had been off the pitch at that point, strangely going down injured when he blocked a shot on the edge of the area.
The limp got worse three minutes later when he failed to cut out De Bruyne’s superb curling cross from the right which Haaland met with an outstretched boot at the far post to score.
Number four arrived a minute from the break with this time Haaland providing the assist.
De Bruyne was involved again spreading the ball wide and Haaland’s low cross in behind the defence to the far post found Foden who beat Malacia to it with ease to turn home.
After the break, on 56 minutes, United pulled a goal back, and what a goal it was too.
Christian Eriksen spread the ball across the field and Antony’s first touch to bring it under control was superb.
He then cut inside a released a shot from 35 yards that even at full stretch Ederson could not get near as it snuck inside the far post.
Ten Hag then made changes bringing on Casemiro and Anthony Martial.
Fair to say Cristiano Ronaldo looked less than impressed that he was deemed surplus to requirements in this situation.
Normal service for City would soon be resumed on 64 minutes thanks to Haaland.
There was more brilliance in the build-up with De Bruyne sliding the ball through for full-back Sergio Gomez to cross into the centre of the area where Haaland met it first time to power a shot past De Gea.
There was no United player near him.
Foden got his hat-trick on 72 minutes with Haaland providing the assist.
He looked offside, everyone seemed to stop except Foden who lashed the ball home with VAR proving he was onside.
United restored a little pride with two late goals after Guardiola had made a quadruple substitution including the withdrawls of De Bruyne, Grealish and Foden.
On 84 minutes Martial followed up Fred’s parried shot and headed in from close range then in injury time he converted a penalty which he had won himself after being fouled by Joao Cancelo.
That did nothing to quell the joy around the Etihad at a convincing result.
When Haaland had completed his hat-trick father Alfie celebrated wildly with friends and family.
He even joined in with the ‘Poznan’ celebration that swept around the ground as fans put their arms around each other and jumped up and down with their backs to the pitch.
What a day for a dad.
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What a day for City.
What a humbling for United.
More to follow…
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