Manchester City secured a dominant 3-0 victory over local rivals Manchester United in the 197th Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The win was made all the more poignant by a heartfelt pre-match tribute to 'the Hitman' Ricky Hatton, a beloved Manchester icon and boyhood City fan, who had sadly passed away earlier that day. The emotional minute's applause brought Pep Guardiola close to tears, as City's players, particularly two of their own academy products, delivered a performance Hatton would have undoubtedly cherished.

Phil Foden, a self-proclaimed boxing fan and product of City’s academy, opened the scoring with his first goal of the season. After 18 minutes, Jérémy Doku displayed a moment of brilliance, surging into United’s penalty area and delivering a cross that Foden expertly headed past Altay Bayindir. This early goal set the tone for City’s control over the game, which remained 1-0 until halftime, despite Erling Haaland almost scoring inside 20 seconds and later hitting the post.

The second half saw City further assert their dominance, with Erling Haaland adding two more goals to his tally. Haaland, a lifelong City supporter, made it 2-0 after the break, converting a through pass from Doku. His second goal, and City's third, came in the 69th minute. After a sloppy turnover from Harry Maguire, Bernardo Silva sent Haaland racing clear from the halfway line, and the Norwegian clinically slotted the ball past Bayindir. This marked Haaland’s seventh derby goal against United, a painfully familiar tale for the Red Devils.

City’s new signing, Gianluigi Donnarumma, making his debut after a deadline day arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, also played a crucial role. He pulled off a world-class, one-handed save to deny Bryan Mbeumo’s volley, a moment Guardiola had anticipated given Donnarumma's 6ft5 frame. This save proved to be a key turning point, preventing United from getting back into the game and reinforcing the value of City’s decision to sign a proven quality goalkeeper.

Conversely, Manchester United faced heavy criticism for their performance. Luke Shaw was singled out by Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane for