Patrick Vieira’s newly-crowned International Premier League Cup winners knew only win against their old rivals would be enough to keep open the possibility of reining them in but they fell to a 4-0 defeat.
Regular United first-teamer James Wilson gave the side in red the lead with just five minutes on the clock but the 1-0 half-time scoreline wasn’t indicative of the balance of play.
City had bossed possession in the opening 45 minutes and created a series of half chances to equalise but a combination of last ditch defending and snatched-at strikes meant that the hosts went in at the break ahead.
Belgian international Adnan Januzaj doubled the United advantage with a slaloming individual effort six minutes into the second period leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb.
Inevitably, the Blues pushed on to try and make a game of it but they were hit on the break twice on 79 and 83 minutes to end the game as a contest.
First, Ashley Fletcher converted Wilson’s cross from the right, before Matt Willock rounded off the scoring with a long range strike four minutes later to cap off a miserable night for the team is sky blue.
This was a meeting between two of the league’s form teams with United coming into the game on a nine-game unbeaten streak and City having tasted defeat just once in their last eight games at under-21 level.
The eighth game in that run culminated in the first trophy of the reign – the International Premier League Cup, claimed courtesy of a 1-0 win over FC Porto on Friday night.
The Blues boss was able to call upon Seko Fofana and Jordy Hiwula, recently returned from loan spells at Fulham and Walsall respectively, but the away side were undoubtedly the more inexperienced side when it came to first-team professional football.
United included Adnan Januzaj, Tyler Blackett and James Wilson in their line-up – a trio with a combined 57 Premier League appearances between them against a City starting XI without a minute of top level experience between them.
When the sides met in the Manchester Senior Cup final in August, Wilson had proved to be the difference between red and blue, scoring four times to take the trophy back to Old Trafford.
It only took the England u19 international five minutes to score his fifth against City EDS this season on this occasion but Vieira seemed furious that the goal was allowed to stand.
Moments after Ashley Smith-Brown had an excellent chance to put City ahead, Wilson raced onto a sublime Januzaj through ball and fired in the opener at Angus Gunn’s near post.
Vieira’s protestations to the fourth official that the striker was in an offside position when the ball was played fell on deaf ears, meaning it was Warren Joyce’s team who claimed the early advantage.
Despite the early concession, City kept to their possession-based, attacking principles against a United outfit seemingly content to soak up pressure and hit the opposition on the break.
In the opening 25 minutes, Aaron Nemane saw his shot blocked after a jinking run and Angelino’s whipped-in cross just missed Hiwula in the middle but it was United who had the best chance of the game’s second goal in this first third of the game.
Joe Rothwell stole through on goal and looked to stab the ball past the onrushing Gunn but his outside-of-the-foot effort lacked nuance and rolled harmlessly out of play.
On the 30 minute mark, City skipper Kean Bryan hit an excellent dipping volley which had to be tipped wide by a full-stretch Joel Pereira before Angelino’s daisycutter just missed the far post a minute before the half-time whistle.
In the second half, City were fighting to keep their slim hopes of a league and cup double alive.
Defeat at Old Trafford would end hopes of overhauling Chelsea and United, despite still having games in hand to come.
It was imperative to get off to a strong start after the break but the second period had an eerily similar beginning to the first.
Once again, Smith-Brown had half a chance to score before, moments later, Januzaj doubled the home side’s advantage, riding a couple of challenges and sidefooting into the far corner.
Jack Byrne was introduced with City chasing the game and he would have scored with his first touch but the ball just wouldn’t sit for him when he was through on goal looking to lob the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.
Byrne shot wide a few minutes later as City committing men forward to try and halve the deficit but it was United who scored the third and fourth goals when Fletcher tapped home Wilson’s cross with 12 minutes left and Willock curled in a beautiful 20 yard strike three minutes later.
City and United still have a clash to come on a date still to be determined in the coming weeks, so there is one final chance to take a measure of local pride into the summer break.
