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Manchester United vs Manchester City ended in a controversial 1-0 victory for the visitors at Old Trafford as Erling Haaland scored the only goal of the game despite City playing with 10 men for more than 70 minutes following Phil Foden’s straight red card.

The Manchester derby produced plenty of drama, with Foden dismissed for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes in the 23rd minute before United appeared to gain control of the contest. Michael Carrick’s side struck the woodwork twice after the red card, but City remained disciplined and eventually punished their rivals on the counter through Haaland.

The victory maintained City’s perfect start to the Premier League campaign under new manager Enzo Maresca, moving them level on points with Arsenal at the top of the table. United, meanwhile, suffered another setback and remained 13th after collecting just one league victory from their opening four matches.

Manchester United vs Manchester City decided by controversial moments

The game changed dramatically in the 23rd minute when Foden was shown a straight red card after kicking out at Fernandes while sitting on the ground.

The incident came shortly after Fernandes appeared to kick Foden’s back while the City midfielder was on the floor, although the United captain escaped a booking. Foden subsequently caught Fernandes in the chest with his studs, prompting the referee to produce the red card and leaving City with 10 players for the majority of the contest.

United immediately attempted to exploit their numerical advantage and began to dominate the match, creating opportunities that could have completely changed the outcome.

Their first major opportunity arrived just before half-time when Marcus Rashford’s dipping free-kick struck the post, leaving City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma beaten but relieved to see the ball stay out.

The hosts struck the woodwork again shortly after the restart when Kobbie Mainoo curled an effort from distance onto the post. The ball then bounced off Donnarumma before falling safely for the Italian goalkeeper to gather.

Despite having an extra player, however, United struggled to convert their dominance into sustained attacking pressure, and City’s defensive organisation allowed them to remain in the contest.

Haaland punishes United as City survive

With United failing to take advantage of their opportunities, City eventually produced the decisive moment in the 60th minute.

Josko Gvardiol’s low cross took a deflection before finding Haaland at the back post, where the Norwegian striker reacted quickly to tap the ball into the net and give City an unexpected lead.

The goal initially appeared questionable because Haaland had been flagged for offside, leading to a lengthy VAR review before the decision was overturned.

Video officials determined that Haaland had been kept onside by the toe of Patrick Dorgu, while Enzo Fernandez, who was clearly in an offside position, was not judged to have interfered with play despite stretching towards the cross.

Fernandez’s involvement created further controversy because United goalkeeper Senne Lammens briefly reacted to the midfielder’s attempt to reach the ball, but VAR ultimately decided that he had not committed an offence by interfering with play.

Haaland’s goal was his sixth in four matches, showing the striker’s outstanding start to the season and once again demonstrating why City remain such a dangerous side even when circumstances appear to be against them.

United fail to punish 10-man City

For United, the defeat represented another missed opportunity during a disappointing opening to the campaign.

The hosts had more than 70 minutes with a numerical advantage after Foden’s dismissal, yet they were unable to find the goal that their dominance appeared to demand. Their failure to punish City became even more costly after Haaland put the visitors ahead.

United’s final major opportunity came in the closing stages when Fernandes found Bryan Mbeumo inside the penalty area, but his sharp effort was brilliantly palmed behind by Donnarumma.

That save effectively preserved City’s advantage as United continued searching for an equalizer, but the home side’s attacking play remained labored for much of the second half.

The result will inevitably raise further questions about United’s start to the season, particularly because the club finished the previous campaign strongly but have struggled to maintain that momentum.

They have now dropped points in three of their opening four Premier League matches, while they have conceded in every league game so far and recorded just one victory.

City show resilience in first post-Guardiola derby

The victory was particularly significant for City because it came in their first Manchester derby without Pep Guardiola as manager in more than a decade.

Foden became only the second City player to receive a red card in a Premier League Manchester derby, following Bernardo Corradi’s dismissal against United in December 2006.

Although the dismissal appeared to put City in serious danger, their defensive resilience allowed them to withstand United’s pressure before Haaland delivered the decisive counter-attacking moment.

The result keeps Maresca’s team level with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, preserving their perfect start and providing another major boost for the new manager.

For United, however, the defeat highlights the growing cracks in a team that has struggled to turn possession and opportunities into results.

Ultimately, City demonstrated that numerical disadvantage does not always determine the outcome of a match. United had the extra player, the home crowd and two shots against the woodwork, but Haaland’s clinical finishing and City’s defensive discipline proved decisive in a dramatic derby encounter.