Stalemate at Old Trafford: Manchester United Holds Man City to Goalless Draw in Dull Derby

Manchester United earned a point from a 0-0 draw with rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford, in what turned out to be a largely uneventful Premier League clash.

First Half: Bright Start, But No End Product

The match sparked into life within minutes of kickoff. Alejandro Garnacho came inches away from winning a penalty for United early on, but referee John Brooks deemed the foul to have occurred just outside the box. Bruno Fernandes stepped up for the resulting free-kick but struck the wall.

Despite that early moment of drama, the game quickly settled into a slower rhythm. Kevin De Bruyne had the first shot on target with a tame effort that was easily gathered by Andre Onana. Diogo Dalot nearly set up Garnacho moments later with a pinpoint cross, but the Argentine forward couldn’t direct his header on goal.

Garnacho continued to shine as United’s most influential player, setting up Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu inside the box. However, Dorgu couldn’t sort his feet out in time to take a shot. United’s best moments came through coordinated build-up play, orchestrated by Fernandes, though they struggled to break through City’s defense.

Despite having more possession, City rarely threatened, and both sides went into halftime without truly testing either goalkeeper.

Second Half: Slight Improvement, Same Outcome

The second half began with a scare for United as Phil Foden burst through on goal, only to be denied by a brilliant last-ditch challenge from Noussair Mazraoui. City looked more assertive after the break, but clear chances remained scarce.

Old Trafford briefly came alive following a handball shout after Dorgu’s cross struck Ruben Dias, but replays showed the ball had hit his chest. City threatened again through Omar Marmoush, forcing Onana into two decent saves — one from a free-kick and another from open play. Nico O’Reilly looked poised to pounce on a rebound but failed to control the ball and was flagged offside.

In the closing stages, substitute Joshua Zirkzee injected energy into United’s attack. He linked up play well and nearly broke the deadlock after connecting with a Garnacho cross, forcing Ederson into a sharp save.

However, as the clock wound down, both teams seemed resigned to a draw. The match lacked the spark typical of a Manchester derby and will likely be remembered more for what didn’t happen than what did.

Match Details:

Manchester United XI: Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire (Lindelof 58), Yoro; Dalot, Ugarte (Mount 71), Casemiro, Dorgu; Garnacho, Fernandes (c); Hojlund (Zirkzee 71).
Unused Subs: Bayindir, Amass, Kukonki, Shaw, Eriksen, Obi.
Booked: Dalot, Mount, Yoro.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly (Lewis 74); Gundogan (Grealish 74), Kovacic; Foden (Doku 58), De Bruyne, Bernardo; Marmoush.
Unused Subs: Ortega, Khusanov, Reis, Gonzalez, McAtee, Savinho.
Booked: Dias, Bernardo.