Otamendi the hero as record-breaking City move eleven points clear

United went into the game defending their 40-game unbeaten run at home and looking to close the gap on City at the top of the Premier League, but ultimately came up short on both fronts.

Jose Mourinho named an attacking side, with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford being picked alongside Romelu Lukaku in attack.

However, there was no real sign of those players combining and causing City problems during a pretty dour first 40 minutes or so at Old Trafford.

As predicted pre-match, City dominated the ball early on, with United content to sit in and try to frustrate their city rivals.

Gabriel Jesus, preferred up front to Sergio Aguero, wasted a decent chance when he looked to flick the ball into the path of David Silva after being found by Raheem Sterling with 10 minutes on the clock, when he may have been better served going himself.

Sterling was the next to threaten for City, exchanging passes with Jesus on the edge of the box before firing a tame effort straight at David De Gea.

Jesus did likewise seconds later, gathering Fernandinho’s ball into the channel and sitting Marcos Rojo down with a few step-overs but once again his left-footed effort failed to trouble United’s goalkeeper.

The game sparked into life just before half-time though, first Leroy Sane tested De Gea with an effort from a narrow angle, before City took the lead from the resulting corner.

Much had been made pre-match of the height difference between the two sides and Mourinho’s scepticism that their height would give United an advantage was proven correct. Nicolas Otamendi rose to head Kevin De Bruyne’s corner from the right down and Silva reacted quickest to hook home the loose ball and give City the lead.

United reacted well though, threatening for the first time in the half. Martial saw a low effort gathered by Ederson before the hosts were handed a way back into the game.

Both Otamendi and Fabian Delph failed to deal with a routine ball forward and Rashford ghosted in behind the latter to stroke the ball across Ederson and into the far corner to level things at the break.

Both sides made defensive changes at half-time, but the second half began in much the same way as the first one had, with City controlling the ball without really slicing United open.

Sane cut in from the left and blazed over before City were gifted the lead, once again from a set-piece.

Silva’s ball to the back post looked to be no problem at all for United, with Romelu Lukaku there to clear. However, the Belgian could only smash a clearance against team-mate Chris Smalling and into the path of Otamendi, who gobbled up the chance from six yards, barely able to believe that a Jose Mourinho side had conceded twice from set-pieces.

The visitors looked content to see the game out from that point on, safe in the knowledge that the win would send them eleven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Lukaku lashed high and wide on the counter as he looked to make amends for his earlier error, before Rashford flashed a free kick over the bar from 25 yards.

There was still plenty of drama left in the game though, first De Gea had to make a fine low save down to his right to deny Silva from doubling his tally for the day, before Rashford thumped an effort at Ederson from the edge of the box.

Ander Herrera thought he had won his side a penalty with 78 minutes on the clock after he nicked the ball off Otamendi before going to ground, but the referee was unmoved and to rub salt into the wound, booked the former Athletic Bilbao man for his protests.

Lukaku did have one final chance for redemption with five minutes to play, but he was denied by a superb save from Ederson after meeting Martial’s low cross from the left, before the Brazilian got back to his feet to keep out Juan Mata’s follow-up.

City managed their way to victory from that point to end United’s 40-game unbeaten streak at home and move eleven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

In beating United, Pep Guardiola’s side also became the first team to win 14 straight Premier League games in a single season.