Manchester City 0-2 Manchester United: Citizens’ 21-match winning streak comes to crunching halt

Manchester City's run of 21 consecutive wins came to a crunching halt as Manchester United won 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

The game began in startling fashion when Gabriel Jesus fouled Anthony Martial inside the first minute, gifting Bruno Fernandes the opportunity to score from the penalty spot.

Early in the second half came the game's pivotal moments. First Rodri hit the angle of post and bar from the edge of the box, then less than two minutes later Luke Shaw exchanged passes with Marcus Rashford before slotting home from 20 yards out.

Although characteristically enjoying a lot of play in United's half, City failed to really test United goalkeeper Dean Henderson, indeed Anthony Martial was closer to adding to the visitor's lead when forcing a fine save out of Ederson from point-blank range.

The result narrows City's lead over United and the rest of the Premier League to 11 points, but more importantly dents the aura of invincibility Pep Guardiola's side have been carrying with them ahead as they pursue trophies on four fronts.

City under Pep Guardiola have been the best front-runners in Premier League history and since seizing the initiative for this year's Premier League title from Liverpool have never looked like giving it away - and this certainly will not lead to City falling Devon Loch-like before the finishing tape in this competition.

The League will not be enough for City though - it is in Europe where the legacy of the Guardiola era will be judged, as to whether they deserve comparison to the Liverpool and Manchester United sides which dominated at home and abroad.

And in the Champions League there will surely be occasions when they will fall behind and not be playing at their fluent best. If a Bayern Munich or a PSG grab the initiative against City, will they be able to overcome the setback and beat them? After this game, I'm not sure they will be able to do so - and most importantly the City players might not be either.

He was criticised on many occasions, and not without justification, in his first six seasons at United after failing to live up to the reputation of the £30 million which snared him from Southampton.

This year, looking fitter than ever, he has been one of United’s most consistent players and this performance is one which will be remembered by United fans. Even without the goal, barring one moment, where Riyad Mahrez put him on his backside, he was defensively very secure and a threat going forward.

This was epitomised when five minutes after the break, after City had come so close to scoring, when he could easily have worried about playing without any risk, he drove forward diagonally towards goal and did not give up on his work after passing wide to Marcus Rashford, receiving the ball back and sealing the game. He will do well to have a better moment in a United shirt.

Man City: Ederson 6, Cancelo 5, Dias 6, Stones 6, Zinchenko 5, Rodri 7, Gundogan 6, De Bruyne 6, Mahrez 7, Sterling 5, Jesus 5. Subs: Walker 7, Foden 7.

Man Utd: Henderson 7; Wan-Bissaka 8, Lindelof 7, Maguire 7, Shaw 8*; Fred 6, McTominay 7; James 6, Fernandes 6, Rashford 7; Martial 8. Subs: Greenwood 6, Matic 6, Williams 6.

1’ PENALTY TO UNITED! Crazy scenes. Jesus came into the sides of Martial and his knee caught the French striker's hip.

2’ GOAL FOR UNITED! Ederson went the right way but it slipped through his hand and into the net.

48’ Rodri gets as close as City have come to a goal so far. Mahrez plays the ball into Jesus and he lays it off to Rodri who sidefoots it into the outside angle of post and bar.

50’ GOAL FOR UNITED! Shaw runs diagonally in from the touchline and plays wide to Rashford before receiving a ball back on the edge of the box, from there he placed a low effort inbetween Rodri's legs and inside the far post.

69’ Great chance for Martial. McTominay goes in for a challenge with Dias on the edge of the box where both went to ground and then Martial was clear through on goal but Ederson denied him.