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Manchester City secured a remarkable 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford despite playing with 10 men for more than an hour after Phil Foden was shown a straight red card in the 23rd minute.
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Erling Haaland scored the decisive goal in the 60th minute after VAR overturned an initial offside decision, allowing City to take the lead against their rivals.
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Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a crucial late save to deny Bryan Mbeumo as United pushed desperately for an equaliser but failed to break through City’s resilient defence.
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The result gives Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City a perfect four wins from four Premier League matches, while United remain on four points after their opening four games.
September 13, (THEWILL) – Manchester City produced a remarkable display of resilience to beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford, overcoming more than an hour with 10 men to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season.
The decisive turning point came in the 23rd minute when Phil Foden was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes.
The dismissal left City facing more than 65 minutes of the Manchester derby a player short, away from home and in front of a packed Old Trafford crowd of 74,161.
It appeared to hand United the perfect opportunity to take control of the contest, but the hosts were unable to make their numerical advantage count.
Rather than completely retreating into a defensive shell, City remained disciplined in possession and continued to pose a threat whenever opportunities presented themselves.
United, meanwhile, struggled to turn their extra player into clear attacking opportunities, allowing City’s defensive organisation to keep the game finely balanced.
Phil Foden with a Red Card vs. Manchester United, 09/13/2026 pic.twitter.com/rdnsyZqgRz
— FuboCanada 🇨🇦 (@fuboTVCanada) September 13, 2026
Haaland Gives City the Lead
Despite their disadvantage, City eventually found the breakthrough through Erling Haaland in the 60th minute.
The Norwegian striker appeared to have put the visitors ahead, but the assistant referee immediately raised the flag for offside.
The goal was initially ruled out, leaving City facing the prospect of seeing their best attacking moment disappear.
VAR, however, intervened.
After reviewing the incident, the officials determined that Haaland had been in an onside position when the ball was played and recommended that the goal be awarded.
There was also scrutiny over teammate Enzo Fernandez’s position during the move. Although Fernandez had been in an offside position, VAR determined that he had not interfered with play.
The decision was therefore overturned and Haaland’s goal stood, giving City a 1-0 advantage with half an hour remaining.
For United, the goal made their failure to exploit City’s red card even more costly.
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Donnarumma Keeps United at Bay
With City ahead, United were forced to throw more players forward in search of an equaliser.
The pressure increased as the match entered its final stages, but City’s defensive resolve remained intact.
Bryan Mbeumo came closest to rescuing a point for United when he turned sharply inside the penalty area before firing towards goal.
The shot appeared destined for the net, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to produce a crucial save and preserve City’s advantage.
That intervention proved particularly important as United continued to search for an opening.
Benjamin Sesko also stretched for a header that narrowly missed the target, while Harry Maguire attempted to make his presence felt from a late corner.
But the opportunities remained limited and City continued to absorb the pressure.
Former Tottenham and Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson, working as a pundit at Old Trafford, summed up United’s attacking difficulties during the second half.
“Manchester United haven’t done enough in this second half,” Robinson said. “They haven’t created enough and they haven’t had an answer to this Manchester City rearguard.”
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
