Man City pay perfect tribute to Ricky Hatton with dominant Man Utd derby win

This was the best possible tribute Manchester City could have paid to Ricky Hatton. The Etihad rose as one before kick-off with a highly emotional and moving minute’s applause in tribute to the boxing hero and City fan after his untimely death.

Then City delivered a performance which would have made Hatton proud as they blew bitter rivals Manchester United away on the day they lost one of their greatest supporters. Fittingly, Phil Foden, also a boyhood City fan, was at the heart of the victory as he had promised before kick-off to win the derby for Hatton - and duly delivered.

Erling Haaland scored twice as his strength and finishing destroyed United’s creaking defence and, incredibly, the giant Norway striker is into double figures for club and country this season. Eleven goals and it’s still only September!

It was Foden who got the opener and you could tell the way he celebrated by running to the crowd that it was a particularly poignant moment for him.

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We have been here far too many times with City already to suggest they are back to their best, especially on the back of one performance in an otherwise indifferent start. But you cannot underestimate the importance of £27m signing Gianluigi Donnarumma because suddenly they have a keeper to be reckoned with and immediately looked better at the back.

While United continue to mess around with dodgy keepers, Donnarumma showed his quality with one outstanding save from a Bryan Mbeumo volley and his mere presence gave City confidence.

Meanwhile, United keeper Altay Bayindir started ahead of deadline day signing Senne Lammens - another bit-part signing - and looked an absolute shambles. Bayindir should be nowhere near a United first team and, sure enough, his poor control early on nearly let in Haaland and his sloppiness spread and reduced his defenders to a bag of nerves.

United blew all their big money on forwards and yet it was another blank day for Benjamin Sesko who was hauled off and, despite all the optimism before the season, Ruben Amorim looks as far away as ever.

Frankly, if ever you need an opponent to boost confidence then United are the perfect tonic. Even Mbeumo missed a sitter in the closing stages. That is what United does to players: it ruins them.

City, meanwhile, were fast, intense and up for the fight. They were ahead after just 18 minutes. Rodri had his best game since returning from injury and started the move by feeding Jeremy Doku who was electric on the wing. When Doku’s first cross was blocked, he refused to give up and supplied another and there was Foden to glance home with real style. It is a big season for Foden - and he sparkled.

City took charge eight minutes after the restart. Doku supplied his second assist of the game by threading it through for Haaland who burst between Luke Shaw and Matthijs de Ligt and then lifted the ball over the keeper.

Haaland will still be wondering how he missed an even easier chance when he hit the post soon after. But he soon made up for it.

United failed to clear their lines, substitute Harry Maguire’s ball went straight to Bernardo Silva and his pass released Haaland and he raced clear before slotting his 11th goal of the season. City were now in cruise control. They could - and should - have scored more. Tijjani Reijnders went through but fired wide.

By the final whistle, the away end was virtually empty as the United fans had long since given up on their team. They have admirably stuck with Amorim but you have to wonder how long can their blind faith last.

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