Straight
The changing of the guard came in a Manchester derby on the day Erling Haaland scored his third consecutive hat-trick at the Etihad to reach 14 goals in 7 games, two fewer than Sadio Mané scored last season. three below Harry Kane in that same course, four behind the excellent production of Cristiano Ronaldo throughout the last year.
Haaland, who also added two assists, goes beyond what could be imagined and the Portuguese star, on his way to 38 years old, witnessed from the bench how he led a Manchester City thrashing (6-3) against a United that half made up a bookmark that had a humiliating varnish.
MNCM.
City
6
Ederson Moraes, Cancelo, Aké, Manuel Akanji, Walker (Sergio Gómez, min. 40), Bernardo Silva, Gündogan (Laporte, min. 74), De Bruyne (Julián Álvarez, min. 74), Grealish (Cole Palmer, min. 74), Foden (Mahrez, min. 74) and Erling Braut Haaland
MNU M.United
3
De Gea, Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martínez, Tyrell Malacia (Shaw, min. 45), Varane (Nilsson-Lindelöf, min. 39), McTominay (Casemiro, min. 58), Jadon Sancho (Fred, min. 69), Antony , Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Rashford (Anthony Martial, min. 58)
Goals
1-0 min.
7: Foden.
2-0 min.
33: Erling Braut Haland.
3-0 min.
36: Erling Braut Haland.
4-0 min.
43: Foden.
4-1 min.
55: Anthony.
5-1 min.
63: Erling Braut Haland.
6-1 min.
72: Foden.
6-2 min.
83: Anthony Martial.
6-3 min.
90: Anthony Martial.
Referee
Michael Oliver
Yellow cards Diogo Dalot (min. 1), Tyrell Malacia (min. 22) and Bruno Fernandes (min. 79)
After their dire start to the season, Old Trafford's squad seemed stabilized.
He won two games at the end of August, one against Liverpool, and in the first four days of September he won another two, inflicting their only defeat on Arsenal to date.
He postponed his next two games, but Ten Hag was still named coach of the month, a placebo.
October arrived, Manchester City appeared and the difference between a built team and another under construction was evident.
United's scaffolding collapsed before the succession of attacks from his rival, which barely allowed him to move from the center of the field during the first half hour and showed exuberant firstly his choral condition and then that of his stars.
Few combos can boast of a greasing like the one prepared by Pep Guardiola, who could not have the hinge of him, Rodri, due to injury and had Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte sitting on the bench, his presumed starting central defenders.
With interchangeable pieces that are assembled into an idea in which you believe and train, a vibrant football flows in which triangles, supports and continuous arrivals in the area are drawn.
This time the attacking production happened incessantly because as soon as the rival grabbed the ball they were already piling him up to return it.
That wimp was Manchester United at the Etihad.
There are times when City thickens and everything seems to stop.
But when it manages to circulate the ball, it is an incomparable team, unique.
In this scenario, the contribution of Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden, who also left the game with a scoring hat-trick, is enhanced.
Both connected after seven minutes to open the scoring.
By then City was already collecting chances to score.
The Portuguese played inside and outside without anyone holding him.
The Englishman is the least British footballer in the history of the inventors of football, but he is on his way to being among the greatest if he is not already.
The couple has a point of undervaluation.
Sometimes the brilliance does not understand soccer players.
And there are stars that shine brighter than the sun.
Like Erling Haaland.
The boy arrived in Manchester in the summer, the city where he lived as a child and they asked him which rival he most wanted to play against.
He answered without hesitation, concrete as it seems in all facets of life: "Manchester United".
In April 2001 he was nine months old when Roy Keane, sacrosanct glory of Old Trafford, took his father, Alf-Ige Haaland, and retired him from football.
Four years earlier the Irish midfielder had suffered a severe knee injury in a fortuitous clash with the Norwegian defender, then at Leeds.
Dad Haaland scolded him when he was on the ground because he thought he was faking it.
Some time later, Keane recognized that his intention was to harm.
“Fuck him.
Eye for an eye.
He received his just reward ”The two protagonists of that black episode were this Sunday at the Etihad.
No feelings were revealed in Erling Haaland, who acted as a cold executor, as usual.
United was a new notch in his revolver.
In three minutes he finished off a header into the net from a corner and stretched like a cheetah to fit the sole of his foot into the goal a monumental cross from De Bruyne.
When Foden rounded off a 4-0 lead just before half-time, much of the Manchester United supporters left the stadium.
The resumption was a formality that both teams adorned with goals to the relief of Ten Hag and his troops, who were on the verge of a result that would enter the history books.
Now City is one point behind the leader Arsenal and eight above its rival citizen.
You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on
and
, or sign up here to receive
our weekly newsletter
.