Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United 
by James Nalton
at Eastlands 

FOR all money spent on global footballing talent, players hailing from Wythenshawe and Stockport scored the goals that wrote the story of this Manchester derby, won eventually, perhaps inevitably, by Manchester City.

Phil Foden, born in the south Manchester town of Stockport scored twice for City, the first an outstanding equaliser.

It was fired left-footed into the top corner towards the area of the stadium where the line between the away and home fans is marked out by layers of yellow-vested officials separating the two.

Some from the red, Manchester United side of this city rivalry had also managed to get tickets for the home end.

That can be fine if able to remain incognito, but a couple of these United fans couldn’t hide their identity when Marcus Rashford of the south Manchester town of Wythenshawe opened the scoring with a belting strike within the first ten minutes.

To be fair, it was a goal that would have been difficult not to celebrate.

Rashford’s shot was rifled in from outside the area, hit first time following some great hold-up play from Bruno Fernandes, bouncing in off the underside of the bar just to the left of the United supporters in the away section who went wild.

Those United fans in the home end who joined them in celebrating were soon identified by pockets of incensed City fans and escorted from the ground by stewards.

For a while, prior to Foden's second half goals, there was genuine worry from the home fans whose side needed a win to keep up with Liverpool at the top of the table, but also to get one over on their local rivals.

In the second half, the worry wasn't to last long with the first Foden goal coming just over ten minutes into the half.

Foden’s second goal was welcomed in as confident a manner as his equaliser was scored.

By that time, City and their fans could feel more goals coming and a one-two between Foden and substitute Julian Alvarez provided it.

It was a cool finish from the technically gifted Foden whose movement made the goal.

Rashford complained to the referee, feeling he had been fouled by Kyle Walker at the other end when breaking through moments earlier, but Walker had just been stronger and more assertive, more confident in the challenge.

Rashford's goal was pretty much the only positive moment for United, even though they did have other chances, there was never the belief that they could take them.

The away end began to empty in added time when Erling Haaland added a third and secured the win for City who remain a point behind Liverpool in the Premier League table ahead of the key clash between the two next weekend.

But on this day it was all about getting one over on their Manchester rivals, which they were able to do thanks to one player from south Manchester outscoring another.