Erling Haaland scored the winner and Elliot Anderson took the Player of the Match award, but Marc Guéhi’s contribution to City winning Sunday’s Manchester derby shouldn’t be overlooked.
Phil Foden’s red card after 23 minutes changed the game completely and left City facing more than an hour with ten men away to Manchester United.
For Guehi and Ruben Dias, it meant plenty of defending.
Guehi stands up after Foden red card
United had their moments. Marcus Rashford hit the post before half-time, Kobbie Mainoo did the same after it, and Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a big save from Bryan Mbeumo deep into stoppage time.
But City were never pulled apart in the way they might have been after losing a man so early, with Guéhi particularly impressive alongside Dias in the middle of the defence. His words at half-time were revealing too.
“We’ve reacted well,” Guéhi told Peacock. “Clean sheet so far, so hopefully we carry on. Moving on as quickly as possible and focusing on the next action.”
There wasn’t much more to it than that, and there didn’t need to be. Guehi kept winning headers, making clearances and getting himself in the way when United did threaten. When Matheus Cunha crossed in stoppage time, it was Guéhi who came across to head clear with the home side desperately searching for an equaliser.
City knew all about his ability on the ball before signing him, but the circumstances of Sunday’s derby demanded something different. For much of the afternoon it was about concentration, positioning and dealing with whatever United threw into the box.
Guehi did it very well. It is still early in his City career, but this was probably his best performance so far and certainly his toughest afternoon.
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