Player Ratings: Manchester United 0 – 0 Manchester City

A stale Manchester derby ends in a goalless draw. Both teams are in the midst of a season to forget and you get the feeling that both teams were mainly looking to avoid defeat and were seemingly happy with the point. United were no doubt the better side, and came much closer to a goal, creating a number of decent chances, but face a continued struggle to put the ball in the back of the net.

This is how each player performed from 1 to 10:

Goalkeeper and defence

André Onana: 6

He didn’t have much to do but made some decent saves when he was called into action. His distribution leaves a lot to be desired, especially as that was the reason he was brought in the first place, but he deserves a steady rating.

Harry Maguire: 6

Reliable when called upon. Amorim’s three at the back really suits him as his partners can cover for his flaws whilst he can focus on the strengths he offers.

Leny Yoro: 6

Fairly solid. He had a tough start to his United career, so it’s encouraging to see performances like this from him stack up. He’s really looking to be a valuable addition to the squad.

Noussair Mazraoui: 7

Made a vital intervention in the second half when Foden received the ball in the United box. Probably the player of the match just for the stability he offered.

Midfield

Diogo Dalot: 6

Had a good game. Created a brilliant chance for Garnacho which was squandered. Fans have rightly had reservations about his performances at wing-back, but he played that role well today.

Casemiro: 6

Certainly the better of that midfield two, something that Amorim has recognised as he seems to be first choice at the minute. Can be slow at times but he offers a calmness in midfield. He’s seemingly resurrected his United career.

Manuel Ugarte: 5

A little concerning as he really wasn’t brilliant today. Had a good, albeit awkward chance which he should have done better with. Rightly brought off, especially at that point of the game to bring Bruno into a more central role.

Patrick Dorgu: 6

Far from the finished article. He gets forward very energetically and always offers an option, but his final product leaves a lot to be desired.

Attack

Bruno Fernandes: 7

He is always the man that keeps United ticking. He’s central to every passage of play and every attack seems to come through him. Made some great passes but nothing quite came out of anything he created.

Alejandro Garnacho: 6

An improvement on his Forest performance. Created some decent chances and started to look up to get the ball in the box when he cut in on the flank. Should have scored in the first half but he made it awkward for himself.

Rasmus Højlund: 5

Once again he struggled to get on the ball and didn’t get any chances. It isn’t entirely his fault but surely he can do more. It’s a real issue as United are essentially playing with 10 men when he starts.

Substitutes

Victor Lindelof (58′): 6

Okay when he came on, although City offered very little by the time he got on the pitch.

Mason Mount (71′): 6

Didn’t have masses of time to do much, but he didn’t make an impact at all.

Joshua Zirkzee: (71′): 6

Fashioned a decent chance out of not much. Should start against Lyon on Thursday.

What’s next?

United’s next game sees them travel to France on Thursday to face Olympique Lyon. It’s the crux of their season and all they have to play for. The match today was just a stopgap before this. Lyon aren’t a dominant team, so United should have the opportunity to put out a more aggressive lineup. Bruno should play in the midfield two to allow him to dictate play from the centre, also giving the opportunity to another attacking player to play in the 10, maybe Mason Mount. But the Red Devils really need to be more clinical with their chances, they cannot keep squandering opportunities, as whilst they weren’t punished today, Lyon will be desperate to get an advantage before the second leg at Old Trafford.