Three goals, zero doubt. On a weekend of Premier League contrasts, Manchester City turned the 197th Manchester derby into a mismatch, while Liverpool needed every ounce of patience — and a stoppage-time break — to leave Turf Moor with their perfect start intact.
Man City 3-0 Man United: A derby that laid bare the gap
Manchester City got what they needed: control, tempo, and a statement. Phil Foden’s precise header in the 18th minute set the tone, and from there Pep Guardiola’s side pulled United apart in familiar ways — quick passing through the lines, width when it mattered, and relentless pressure on the ball. It ended 3-0, and it could have been worse.
Erling Haaland did the heavy lifting after halftime, striking twice to push the game out of reach and take his derby tally to eight — level with Sergio Agüero and Wayne Rooney among the top Premier League scorers in this fixture. He even clipped the post chasing a third. When City’s No. 9 finds rhythm, opponents usually find problems. This week, he’s been in full flow, adding those two goals to the five he buried for Norway on Tuesday.
City arrived under a bit of pressure after a two-game slide, and the early exchanges reflected that edge. But once Foden scored, the anxiety faded. The champions settled into their patterns and squeezed the life out of the match: center-backs stepping into midfield when needed, midfielders rotating to unbalance United’s shape, and forwards timing runs behind a defensive line that never looked comfortable. It was controlled, almost clinical.
For United and new manager Ruben Amorim, the afternoon stung. The plan — drop into a compact block, survive the press, and spring forward — never held for long. Passes out of the back were rushed, transitions fizzled, and the gaps between midfield and defense kept opening. When City upped the pace, United didn’t have an answer.
Amorim’s start has been rough. One win in five across all competitions — a 3-2 scrape against Burnley that needed a stoppage-time Bruno Fernandes penalty — tells the story. So does an early League Cup exit to fourth-tier Grimsby Town, the kind of defeat that lingers. Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe watched on, and the mood around the away end matched his expression: flat and frustrated.
Even the few bright sparks for United were fleeting. They pressed in moments, but couldn’t sustain it. They had numbers behind the ball at times, but they could not track City’s rotations. City smelled that hesitation and kept leaning on it, shifting the ball from side to side until the dam broke again. By the time Haaland scored his second, the contest felt more like damage control than a derby.
City won’t dwell on the misses — there were a couple — because the big takeaway is rhythm. After a stumble, they found it again, and did so against their closest neighbors. For a squad built to chase titles, that’s the reset they wanted.
Burnley 0-1 Liverpool: Late nerves, late break, same perfect start
Turf Moor gave Liverpool a scrap. For long stretches, Burnley held firm, closed the spaces, and forced Arne Slot’s side into heavy traffic around the box. Liverpool pushed, but the final ball kept letting them down, and chances came in half-measures.
The game flipped late. Lesley Ugochukwu’s red card in the 84th minute left Burnley short, and the pressure finally told deep into stoppage time. Jeremie Frimpong’s driven cross struck Hannibal Mejbri’s arm, the referee pointed to the spot, and Mohamed Salah did the rest in the 95th minute. Slot didn’t hide how fine the margins were, telling the BBC: "We needed a moment of luck, or a moment of magic. We didn’t have the magic, but we had the luck."
It wasn’t slick, and it won’t win any style points, but that’s not the point in early September. Four wins from four gives Liverpool a clean platform. The habits are there: resilience, game management, and the nerve to keep pushing when the clock’s against them. That said, the issues were clear too — slow tempo at times, trouble breaking down a deep block, and a reliance on late swings in momentum.
Slot will take the three points and the lesson. Liverpool’s wide play eventually stretched Burnley, but they’ll want more variety and quicker combinations in and around the box. The midfield did the running, yet the final pass lacked bite until the penalty. On another day, those details decide the result the other way.
The day’s results underline three threads. City look back in tune. United look stuck between ideas and execution. Liverpool, perfect on paper, are still figuring out the sharp edges of a new season — and getting results while they do it.
- City’s derby win was about control as much as goals. Once they settled, United chased shadows.
- Haaland’s brace ties him with Agüero and Rooney for most Premier League goals in Manchester derbies, and he threatened a hat-trick.
- United’s form under Amorim — one win in five, plus a cup shock to Grimsby — raises big questions about structure and belief.
- Liverpool’s 100% start survives thanks to composure and a late break, but chance creation against organized defenses remains a work in progress.
Different wins, different messages. City walked off with a swagger they hadn’t shown for a couple of weeks. United left with fresh scars and a long list of fixes. Liverpool flew home with three points, a reminder of their resolve, and a to-do list that won’t be ignored just because the table looks good.
