From the very first whistle, you could tell this Manchester derby wasn’t going to be business as usual.
Just 18 seconds in, Erling Haaland had already come close, his left boot sending the ball just wide of Altay Bayindir’s far post.
The Etihad roared in approval—not for a goal, but for City’s unusually aggressive start. It was all energy, physicality, and urgency.
Not exactly the trademark Guardiola style, but given the weight of the occasion, nothing was being left to chance.
This wasn’t just about three points. The emotional backdrop of Ricky Hatton’s passing added an extra layer to an already charged derby.
Inside the club, the feeling was clear: this was a “must not lose” kind of game.
Guardiola’s State of Mind
Only two weeks ago in Brighton, Pep Guardiola had looked a man drained of ideas, watching City get sliced apart without answers.
It wasn’t pretty—slow, sloppy, and fragile at the back. But Guardiola is not one to let things stew without action.
Even while appearing relaxed—spotted at the BMW PGA Championship and at the US Open final—he was clearly plotting.
His planning showed. City broke routine in several subtle but significant ways.
For instance, they trained at the Etihad on Saturday, something Guardiola almost never does.
Then, on matchday, the team bus arrived half an hour earlier than usual.
These small disruptions weren’t random; they were deliberate attempts to shake his players out of their slump.
A High-Octane City Performance
From kickoff, the changes showed. Haaland wasn’t just scoring twice; he was throwing himself at crosses in his own box as well.
Bernardo Silva was so fired up that Guardiola had to tell him to calm down in the middle of a counterattack.
City played at full throttle, and rightly so. With Arsenal looming and the possibility of four defeats in five games hanging over them, this derby carried added weight. Losing simply wasn’t an option.
At full time, Guardiola and his players broke tradition again, taking a rare lap of appreciation around the pitch.
He praised his side’s “unbelievable” body language and fighting spirit, signs that City were determined to reset their season.
Foden’s Turning Point
Phil Foden, who scored a crucial header, admitted the international break had helped the team regroup.
But he also pointed out something telling: City had finally mixed things up.
“Maybe in the past we have not done that,” he said, hinting at Guardiola’s tactical tweaks.
For Foden, this derby felt like the kind of game that could spark a run of better form—not just for him, but for the whole team.
Pep’s Tactical Masterclass
Behind the scenes, Guardiola was working overtime. On Gianluigi Donnarumma’s first day at the club, he skipped training altogether, leaving it to his assistants while he holed up in his office, sketching out tactics.
The following day, his press conference started 24 minutes late because his staff meeting simply wouldn’t end.
The focus? Manchester United and how to expose their weaknesses. Guardiola identified the center of midfield as the key battleground.
He experimented with a diamond shape before settling on a midfield “box,” designed to free up space for Jeremy Doku.
The Belgian didn’t disappoint. Drifting centrally and often pushing up next to Haaland, Doku’s unpredictability caused chaos.
He grabbed two assists and justified Guardiola’s gamble.
What City Still Need to Fix
Despite the impressive win, Guardiola wasn’t fully satisfied.
Late in the game, his frustration showed as defenders cleared their lines aimlessly under pressure.
City could have easily scored six but still showed cracks at the back that need tightening.
Still, Guardiola’s plan—to treat this derby as a launchpad—seems to have worked.
Whether this intensity carries into their clash with Arsenal will tell us if this was just a one-off burst or the start of City’s real revival.