'Sniper' Foden delivers the goods for City
PERFECT PAIR: Manchester City's Erling Haaland (right) celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game with team-mate Phil Foden. Pic: Mike Egerton, PA Wire.
Kyle Walker revealed Manchester City players have nicknamed Phil Foden the "sniper" for his shoot-on-sight policy this season.
Foden's superb double, plus an inevitable goal from Erling Haaland, helped City come from behind at the Etihad Stadium to once again confirm their supremacy as Manchester's No 1 team.
England manager Gareth Southgate will have been impressed by the way Marcus Rashford answered his many critics with a spectacular strike to give United an early lead.
But he will have been even more impressed by Foden - described as the best in the Premier League "right now" by his manager Pep Guardiola afterwards - who matched Rashford's strike with a thunderous shot for the equaliser and then added a well-taken second to move his season's tally to a career-best 18 goals for the season.
Walker said: "Phil’s been first-class this season. That’s the standard he sets for himself and the manager sets for him. He likes a shot - we call him the Sniper!
"But, listen, when he comes in on that left foot you know he’s got the quality, calmness and composure to pick his spot. He took both goals fantastically well."
City dominated the game after Rashford's eighth minute goal but were denied an equaliser by three fine saves by Andre Onana - two from Foden and one from Rodri - while Haaland contrived an incredible miss in front of an open goal just before the break.
City simply remained unfazed and unflustered with Walker adding: "I said in the dressing room at half-time that it wasn’t a bad performance from us. Sometimes you take your hat off to goals like Marcus’. It’s about the reaction – we know, especially in games here, that it’s not over until it’s over."
Walker was involved in the game's pivotal moment when he appeared to push Rashford over when he was clean through but referee Andrew Madley waved play on and Foden equalised seconds later.
The City defender insisted the referee and VAR got it right. "I haven’t looked back at it yet but I didn’t think there was much in it. I did what I normally do, get my arm across people. The referee and VAR checked it and that’s it."
The victory stretches City's unbeaten run to 19 games in all competitions and moves them within a point of leaders Liverpool ahead of next Sunday's eagerly-anticipated showdown at Anfield.
But United's 11th Premier League defeat of the season is another setback to their fading hopes of securing a Champions League place.
It leaves them 11 points behind Aston Villa in fourth place, and six adrift of fifth-placed Tottenham, with only 11 games left.
And if there is not a drastic improvement they are facing the unwanted distinction of finishing on their lowest-ever points and goals tally in the Premier League era. their total of 37 is the same as relegation-threatened Luton.
All looked good after eight minutes however when Onana punted a long ball right over the top of City's defence for Bruno Fernandes to run onto. He held off the challenge of Ruben Dias before rolling the ball into the path of Rashford who thundered a first-time shot from 25 yards into the net via the underside of the bar.
It was an emphatic response to the criticism he has received for his perceived lack of commitment to the United cause this season.
United defended with discipline and concentration in the first half but still needed Onana's heroics and Haaland's incredible miss to keep them in front at the break.
But City's unrelenting pressure proved too much for United in the second half. oden fired the equaliser after 56 minutes when cut inside Victor Lindelof on the edge of the penalty before thundering a left-foot shot into the top corner.
United were furious because the goal came seconds after Rashford has been pushed over by Walker. Ten Hag threw a water bottle down in anger in the technical area and was booked for his protests to the fourth official Darren England but it was to no avail with VAR backing Madley's decision.
As they tired, United's defensive concentration dipped. Foden simply ran away from Casemiro when he slotted home City's second goal after 80 minutes after a neat one-two with Julian Alvarez.
And Haaland made amends for his shocking first half miss by adding the third in added time. United substitute Sofyan Amrabat lost possession to the imperious Rodri who Haaland through to score a trademark effort - his 28th goal of the season and spark joyous and familiar celebrations in the Blue half of Manchester.
This was City's sixth win in the last seven derbies and underlined the chasm in class United have to close somehow if they are to achieve new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ambition to knock their neighbours - and Liverpool - off their respective perches.
Ederson 6; Walker 7, Stones 7, Dias 6, Aké 7; Rodri 8, Silva 7; Foden 9 (Bobb 97), De Bruyne 7, Doku 6 (Alvarez 60, 7); Haaland 6.
Kovacic, Ortega, GĂłmez, Gvardiol, Akanji, Nunes, Lewis Goals: Foden 56, 80; Haaland 92.
Onana 8; Dalot 7, Varane 6, Evans 7 (Kambwala 69, 6), Lindelöf 6; Mainoo 6 (Ambrabat 81, 5), Casemiro 6, McTominay 6; Fernandes 6, Garnacho 5 (Forson 81, 5), Rashford 7 (Antony 74, 5).
Bayindir, Eriksen, Diallo, Collyer, Ogunneye.
Andrew Madley 6.
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