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Player Ratings: Manchester City’s 0-0 Derby Draw

By J.C. Gonzalez

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 12: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City and Harry Maguire of Manchester United battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on December 12, 2020 in Manchester, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 12: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City and Harry Maguire of Manchester United battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on December 12, 2020 in Manchester, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Manchester City were far from their best in another example of dropped points against a Big Six rival this season.

Manchester City had some moments, but did not show the fight to really grab a derby win against local rivals United at Old Trafford in one of the biggest matches of the season to this point. City remain outside the top four with over a quarter of the season played.

Defense

Ederson (GK): Erratic kicking and regular giveaways were worrying, but in the end its another clean sheet behind a much-improved defense. (5.5)

Kyle Walker (RB): Nearly gave away the requisite Manchester United penalty, but in the end was bailed out by the offside flag, although Marcus Rashford went down far too easily. (5.5)

John Stones (CB): Calm, composed, and collected at the back. Has looked a completely different player since being paired with Rúben Dias, and absolutely deserves to be part of the first-choice partnership at the moment. (8)

Rúben Dias (CB): Locked up the middle of the pitch alongside Stones as United posed little real threat. (8)

João Cancelo (LB): Found himself involved going forward regularly and coped with Bruno Fernandes, who drifted right due to Rodri and Fernandinho’s double pivot controlling the middle. (7.5)

Midfield

Rodri (CDM): Gave away the ball in a dangerous position, but often cut out the ball in the attacking third to prevent United’s trademark counter-attacks. (6)

Fernandinho (CDM): City’s captain put in a shift, helping the team control midfield and remain steady. (7.5)

Kevin De Bruyne (CAM): Created City’s best chance of the game with an excellent through ball to Mahrez, and often drove the team forward, though he blasted a few rebounds over the bar as he searched for his first league goal from open play this season. (7)

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Attack

Riyad Mahrez (RW): Played in a couple of lovely balls in the first half, but everything changed when he took too long on City’s best chance of the game. Perhaps it was a lack of confidence in his right foot, but he took two touches to put the ball on his favored left then hit a weak effort while through on goal that was easily kept out. From that point, he was hardly involved. (5.5)

Gabriel Jesus (ST): There were a couple moments were Jesus was able to get himself into good positions, but his hesitation and lack of ruthless, clinical finishing is precisely why City appear to be in the market for a goalscoring machine up top such as Erling Haaland. (5.5)

Raheem Sterling (LW): Found good spaces behind with some creative dribbling, including a great one-two with De Bruyne, but in the end his black mark against United continued. (6)

Substitutes

Ferran Torres (RW): Came on for a struggling Mahrez and immediately provided a spark, receiving the ball and taking on Luke Shaw. This helped trigger City’s best period of the game, where the ball was moving quickly and off-ball runs were being made in similar fashion to the great football of years’ past. (7)