Foden sent off but City still stun United to make it five wins in a row

Manchester City defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday despite playing the majority of the match with ten men, as Erling Haaland’s second-half strike secured a fifth straight win across the Premier League and Champions League under head coach Enzo Maresca.

Phil Foden was dismissed in the first half with the score goalless, yet City absorbed the pressure, waited for their moment, and took the lead through Haaland — a goal that, according to reports, should have been disallowed. United came close to levelling when Enzo Fernandez struck the inside of the post, but City held firm to claim what midfielder Elliot Anderson described as the most significant result of their early season.

“Obviously [he was] gutted to not play in the full game, but he was bouncing up and down the changing room. As we all were,” Anderson said of Foden’s reaction at full-time. “I think there’s no doubt we have all the quality, but we’re showing real mentality in the first four games — especially in this one. Not giving up, fighting for every tackle, every duel, and waiting for our chance, and obviously Erling scores.”

Anderson himself has been one of the standout performers in City’s new-look side, which was reshaped significantly over the summer. The midfielder acknowledged the challenge of establishing himself but credited consistent training for his strong start. “It hasn’t been easy. I’ve been obviously challenged in all the games, and yeah, I thought I’ve just done pretty well. I’ve trained hard to put myself in the best place for the games and it started ever so well.”

Maresca arrived at the Etihad with expectations tempered by the scale of squad turnover following Pep Guardiola’s decade of dominance, but five wins from five competitive outings — including a derby victory at Old Trafford — will do little to dampen the mood inside the dressing room. Sunday’s result stands as the clearest sign yet that this transitional City side carries both the quality and the resilience to compete at the top of the table.