Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City: What Were The Main Talking Points As The Manchester Foes Play Out An Uneventful Affair At Old Trafford?

While all eyes might have fallen on Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, Manchester United and Manchester City played out an uneventful goalless draw.

While January recruit Omar Marmoush might have tested Andre Onana on either side of the interval, chances came at a real .

Although Alejandro Garnacho might have been tumbling just outside City’s box in the opening seconds, the Reds failed to find any kind of clinical edge in the final third and never seemed likely of finding the net.

With both of the arch-rivals eventually settling for an uninspiring point apiece, United remain locked in the bottom-half of the Premier League table while the Sky Blues missed out on the opportunity to leapfrog Chelsea.

In what was a largely forgettable affair from Old Trafford, Sunday’s 0-0 stalemate is the first time that the Manchester rivals have played out a goalless draw since back in December 2020.

On an afternoon when both camps will rue a missed opportunity, we have taken a look at the main talking points from the red half of Manchester.

Attacking inconsistencies haunt United again

Marking their return from March’s international break with a 1-0 loss at the hands of Champions League chasers Nottingham Forest, Ruben Amorim has failed to offer any kind of stability since arriving at Old Trafford back in November.

While Portuguese ace Bruno Fernandes might be enjoying quite the free-scoring flurry so far this calendar year, the former Sporting Lisbon boss will have a mounting headache over his side’s struggles in the final third.

With continued speculation over the long-term futures of both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, it is no surprise that Amorim reportedly has a new number nine at the top of his summer wishlist.

Failing to create anything of substance here and with Ederson often a spectator, United have now drawn back-to-back Premier League blanks since returning from March’s fortnight interval.

Failing to ing a single strike in consecutive appearances for the first time this calendar year, United will be next seen on Thursday night when they get their Europa League quarter-final adventure underway away at Lyon.

City must find a way to drag themselves over the finishing line

Suffering an infamous last-gasp collapse when they welcomed United to the Etihad for their reverse Premier League meeting back in December, Manchester City were desperate to claim some immediate revenge here.

However, although Pep Guardiola’s camp might have marked their return from March’s international break with a routine 2-0 win against relegation scrappers Leicester, the soon-to-be former champions have endured a record-breaking rut this season.

Missing out on the chance to leapfrog Chelsea here, the Sky Blues have a real battle on their hands in the race to book a Champions League ticket come May.

Now mustering just a single victory from their previous four Premier League appearances, Sunday’s guests have failed to record consecutive top-flight wins since the end of January.

Likewise, despite booking their FA Cup semi-final spot against Bournemouth last weekend, Guardiola’s side have ed just a pair of Premier League wins away from the Etihad so far this calendar year.

A final Old Trafford appearance for KDB

With it confirmed earlier in the week that Kevin De Bruyne will be leaving the Etihad at the end of the season, Manchester City’s playmaking icon would have been desperate to steal all of the headlines here.

However, while the 33-year-old might have been handed a full recall here in what was his 22nd derby appearances, De Bruyne failed to roll back the years in looks set to be his final outing at Old Trafford.

Although the one-time Chelsea misfit might have only notched a pair of top-flight strikes this season in what has been a downbeat campaign, the Belgium superstar deserves his spot as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats.

Spearheading City’s era of dominance over United during the past decade, De Bruyne will leave the Etihad as one of their modern day legends and has reported the club on over 400 occasions.

Breaking a string or records after arriving from Wolfsburg back in 2015, City’s favourite son leaves Manchester having won 16 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.

Match Report

Manchester United: Onana, Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro, Dalot, Dorgu, Casemiro, Ugarte, Fernandes, Garnacho, Hojlund

Subs: Lindelof, Mount, Zirkzee

Manchester City: Ederson, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Gundogan, Silva, De Bruyne, Foden, Marmoush

Subs: Lewis, Grealish, Doku

Goals: N/A

Yellow Cards: Manchester United: Yoro, Dalot, Mount – Manchester City: Silva, Dias

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: John Brooks