Ten men, one goal, and a VAR review that left Old Trafford seething. Erling Haaland’s afternoon on September 13 was messy, contested and utterly decisive.
How the Derby Was Won
City played more than an hour a man down after Phil Foden was sent off in the 23rd minute for a reaction to Bruno Fernandes. Haaland settled it on the hour, turning in Josko Gvardiol’s deflected cross at the far post. The goal was initially ruled out for offside before a lengthy VAR check overturned the call, with the Premier League ruling that Enzo Fernandez, though offside, never touched the ball.
United were furious. They also managed just three shots on Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal despite the numerical advantage, with Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both striking the post.
A Season Already Taking Shape
- City have a maximum 12 points from their opening four league games, level at the top with defending champions Arsenal
- Haaland sits as the Premier League’s leading scorer in the early weeks of 2026/27
- He recently moved clear as the third-highest scorer in City’s 132-year history, now on 168 club goals
Under Maresca
This was Enzo Maresca’s first Manchester derby in charge, and the performance told you plenty about the side he is building: ruthless in one moment, resolute for the rest. The full statistical picture of Haaland’s derby dominance is broken down in our Manchester derby stats guide.
What Comes Next
The Norwegian’s early scoring rate has already made him a runaway favourite in the race we cover in our Golden Boot analysis. For the wider view of who else is making noise this week, see our 20 stars to watch roundup.