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Three Takeaways: Manchester City held to draw against United

By J.C. Gonzalez

Manchester United's English defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka (L) vies with Manchester City's Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 12, 2020. (Photo by Michael Regan / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by MICHAEL REGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United's English defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka (L) vies with Manchester City's Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 12, 2020. (Photo by Michael Regan / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by MICHAEL REGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Manchester City came into the Derby with hopes of avenging a poor run against rivals United last year, but came up short in a goalless draw.

Manchester City had looked to have turned things around in attack after good results against relegation strugglers Fulham and Burnley, but could not find the back of the net against rivals United, fresh off a stunning Champions League exit. In the end, it was far from the most entertaining Derby, and although both teams had some moments, a stalemate was likely a fair result on the balance of play.

1. Lack of Passion?

This iteration of the Manchester Derby really did not hit the heights, and neither team seemed inclined to really push for the three points while fatigue set in during the second half. Perhaps this was down to the lack of fans or atmosphere in the COVID-19 era, but relations between the players and coaches seemed as if it was not a derby match. It was reflected on the pitch, with both sides seeming more content to simply not lose the match rather than pushing for all three points.

2. City’s Lockdown Defense

If 2019-20 City and this year’s team were put together, it would be one fantastic team. A year ago, City scored goals for fun, but defensive errors saw them not even compete with Liverpool for the title. This season, it seems they have overcorrected, as the addition of Rúben Dias alongside a revitalized John Stones has made City’s backline extremely strong, but goalscoring is easily the worst the club has seen under Pep Guardiola. There doesn’t seem to be a clear answer as to this phenomenon, and it has been happening since the opening day, so this is a real concern and a clear trend that continued in the Derby.

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3. Worse than last season, but with less fanfare

For City, last season almost played out like a soap opera: after a dramatic, final-day title win finishing on 98 points, the injury to Aymeric Laporte signaled an epic downfall. However, that team still scored over 100 goals, finished on 81 points, and beat champions Liverpool 4-0 to help prevent them from breaking their 100-point record from 2017-18. Even during their worst spell right after Laporte’s injury, City were six points better than this year’s team with an 18 better goal difference after 11 matches. However, City have largely gone under the radar with just how poor they have been in the league this year.

Perhaps this is down to the title race being much more open, as even after more dropped points, the Citizens are still just five points from the top. Nevertheless, after over a quarter of the season, City are not in the top four, and are still showing the same problems week in and week out.