Manchester United finished the Manchester United vs Manchester City derby with only three shots on target and 0.95 xG, even after Phil Foden was sent off in the 23rd minute for violent conduct. Manchester City still edged the expected-goals count at 0.99 and won 1-0 through Erling Haaland, so the complaint cannot stop at the VAR noise around the goal.

Carrick's post-match line

Michael Carrick told independent.co.uk: "I can’t be too critical of the players and I won’t be"

That reaction fit the mood after a derby that swung on more than one moment. Carrick also told Mirror: "It's a staggering decision," a clear reference to the officiating controversy around Haaland’s winner. But the harder part for United is the one the scoreboard does not hide: they had the extra man for most of the game and still produced very little.

City were not overwhelmed. Enzo Maresca said, "We had a plan and after the red card it completely changed", and added that "The game was more difficult for us but also for them." Those lines match the numbers. United's three shots on target and 0.95 xG were a poor return in a match where they should have asked more questions, while City still finished slightly ahead on xG.

United's chance creation after the red card

The red card should have forced Manchester United into a more aggressive attacking shape. Instead, the chances never really piled up. Erling Haaland's goal was initially ruled offside before VAR confirmed it, and by then United had already spent too long without making the advantage count.

Michael Carrick's broader problem is not that his side were unlucky on one decision. It is that the response after the dismissal was too blunt, with Manchester City still finishing the derby with a 0.99 xG return despite playing with 10 men. United now have a defeat that will keep the officiating debate alive, but the more awkward fact is the one from the match itself, not the review room: three shots on target were never going to be enough.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →