Manchester United played smoothly in the first half, and everyone actively rested and adjusted their physical condition at halftime.
Although today was just a League match, the Manchester Derby combined with the battle for the top spot greatly increased the match's value.
After a series of halftime arrangements, both teams returned to the field.
When the Referee blew the whistle to start the match, Manchester United immediately launched an attack on Manchester City's defense.
In the 49th minute of the match, Manchester United attacked.
Rice sent a through ball forward from behind the center circle; Bruno Fernandes, positioned in front of Rodri, quickly shifted the ball, and it rolled to the left wing.
Rashford received the ball and surged forward, dribbling past the defender and cutting inside!
Before Ruben Dias could close him down, Rashford shot directly.
Ruben Dias stretched out a leg and blocked the ball, which rebounded towards midfield.
At this point, it was clear that Manchester United's formation had pushed forward significantly.
Rice pushed Rodri aside, gained control of the ball, and then passed it horizontally to Bruno Fernandes, who sent a diagonal pass to the right wing of the front field.
After attacking on the left, they switched to the right.
Antony received the ball and advanced.
Facing Ake's press, Antony suddenly accelerated, changed direction, and pulled back to the center.
Rodri came up to press, but Antony evaded him with a series of changes in direction.
He glanced at his teammates' positions and then sent a through ball into the right rib area in front of the penalty box.
Gao Nuo, making a diagonal run, smoothly dribbled past Stones and then unleashed a low shot!
The ball flew towards the near post, and Ederson dived across to push it out for a corner.
"Oh—!"
A sigh echoed through Old Trafford.
Gao Nuo slipped after his shot, sitting on the ground and applauding Antony.
That pass was perfect; if not for Ederson's incredibly quick reaction, Manchester United would have already had a two-goal lead.
In the 55th minute of the match, Haaland's shot was saved by Nübel, and Varane then cleared the ball with a long kick.
Mount gained the upper hand in the midfield battle, being the first to control the ball.
Manchester City's transition from defense to offense was very fast.
Mount's route to the wing was blocked, and after assessing the situation, he immediately chipped the ball forward.
Gao Nuo received the ball with his back to goal, expecting only Stones to press him from behind, but Ruben Dias also came to assist in the defense.
Helpless, Gao Nuo could only pass the ball back.
Bruno Fernandes ran to receive it.
"Here!"
Antony's shout came, and Bruno Fernandes turned his body to evade the opponent's press, passing the ball horizontally to the right.
Antony sprinted with the ball, heading towards the right byline.
Ake, increasingly mature, retreated directly instead of pressing, maintaining a reasonable distance from Antony, who was dribbling the ball.
This, in turn, delayed Antony's advance.
After bringing the ball to the right byline, Antony sent a diagonal pass into the penalty area.
Gao Nuo gained position, stopped the ball before Stones, but his shooting angle was completely blocked.
Gao Nuo turned with his back to the goal.
Bruno Fernandes surged forward from the middle, and Gao Nuo's back pass followed immediately.
The rapidly running Bruno Fernandes wanted to shoot directly, but Ruben Dias had already rushed forward and blocked his path.
Seeing this, Bruno Fernandes faked a shot and then pulled the ball, shifting it to the left to evade Ruben Dias, needing only one more dribble to the left to get a shooting opportunity.
But just as Bruno Fernandes was about to continue dribbling, Stones stretched out a leg from the side and poked the ball away.
The poked ball, however, rolled to Gao Nuo's position.
Gao Nuo thought a lot about whether to shoot or pass.
Although Ruben Dias had retreated to the goal, Manchester City's defense was tightening, and another pass would make this attack too drawn out.
So Gao Nuo decisively chose to shoot!
He pushed the ball with his left foot towards the bottom-left corner of the goal!
Due to the long distance, Ederson performed normally, quickly moving and then diving across to gather the ball into his arms!
With another attack failing, both sides temporarily slowed down the pace of the match.
Zhan Jun's voice rang out.
"The top-of-the-table clash between Manchester City and Manchester United at Old Trafford started with a very fast pace in the second half.
Manchester United initiated the offensive, and Manchester City responded with quick counterattacks, giving neither side a chance to control the game."
Zhang offered a professional analysis.
"Eh! Manchester City's midfield pressing is very strong, which means their defensive line has some space.
If Manchester United doesn't exploit it, they might easily be caught out.
Eh, but if the pace of the match keeps increasing, neither side's overall possession advantage can be utilized; instead, it becomes a competition of localized passing and movement."
Zhan Jun responded.
"Yes, we see that both head coaches on the sidelines are giving instructions.
Manchester City and Manchester United have tacitly slowed down the pace of the match.
A reckless exchange of attacks is not cost-effective for two giants like these; overall passing and control are the embodiment of solid, steady play."
Manchester United's strength lies in Gao Nuo's ability to create space in the front field, often drawing local defenders and creating opportunities for his teammates.
In the 72nd minute of the match, Haaland was dispossessed while being sandwiched by Varane and Lisandro Martínez.
Rashford, on the left wing, received a pass from Rice and feigned a sprint forward.
After the opponent rushed towards him, Rashford laid the ball back.
Alejandro Balde, following up, tapped the ball horizontally to the middle.
Bruno Fernandes then sent a through ball, and Gao Nuo, after stopping it, feigned a pass to Antony.
As Ake moved to block his passing lane, Gao Nuo pulled the ball back and turned from the other side, his movements quick and fluid.
Turning to face Manchester City's penalty area, Ruben Dias, who came up to defend, was calm and composed, forming a pincer movement with Stones behind Gao Nuo.
Gao Nuo continuously pulled and stepped on the ball with his feet, extracting it from the encirclement of four black boots.
A shooting opportunity at the top of the penalty arc!
Ederson did not sit idly by; he decisively rushed out of his goal towards Gao Nuo.
Gao Nuo was in a difficult position, unable to find a passing lane, and could only choose to push the ball towards the far corner of the goal from a very tight angle.
Ederson's blocking left hand failed to touch the ball, and he turned his head to watch.
The ball rolled just wide of the right post and out for a goal kick, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Gao Nuo's shot inside the box goes wide! Manchester United missed another great chance to extend their lead!
Manchester United played with great momentum at home today; whenever there's an opportunity, they don't hesitate, and their attacking ideas are very clear, revolving around Gao Nuo in Manchester City's central area.
Bruno Fernandes's passes were very threatening today!"
"Eh! That's right, Manchester United's play today emphasized speed while also trying to make their attacking combinations simple and direct.
This also suits Gao Nuo's characteristics; as long as he finds a gap, he can quickly accelerate, only needing his teammates to deliver the ball accurately!"
As the match progressed, the two commentators also grew tense.
Manchester United's one-goal lead was not secure, and a new situation could arise on the field at any moment.
Gao Nuo was out of luck today, only providing one assist and repeatedly missing scoring opportunities.
Michael Carrick pondered for a long time on the sidelines before making his first substitution.
Neymar stood up from the bench, walking towards the sideline and taking off his training top.
In the close-up shot, the seriousness on Neymar's face was clearly visible.
Evidently, losing his starting position due to frequent injuries was difficult for Neymar to accept.
Antony gave Neymar a big hug as he left the field; age is always a hurdle for athletes.
Time was running out, and Manchester City began to rush, pushing their formation forward and pressing more aggressively in the midfield and front field.
In the 81st minute of the match, Manchester United suddenly launched a strong attack through the middle.
Mount, under pressure from an opponent, passed the ball horizontally to the left wing, making it seem like Manchester United was about to switch to a fast-paced wing attack.
However, Alejandro Balde, after receiving the ball, immediately tapped it back horizontally to the middle.
Rice followed up and quickly advanced, playing a wall pass with Bruno Fernandes to break through Manchester City's midfield defense.
At this moment, Manchester City's defensive midfielder Rodri did not dare to push forward and defend, knowing that doing so would likely allow Manchester United's passing and movement to pierce their defense.
Rodri maintained a reasonable distance from the defenders, and after Manchester United's attack reached the edge of the penalty area, Manchester City's defense had already tightened in the middle.
Gao Nuo saw his two central midfielders surge into the middle and immediately pulled wide to create space on the left side of the penalty area.
On the right side of the penalty area, Bruno Fernandes and Rodri engaged in a close battle.
Mount did not push forward; he needed to cover the midfield space left by Rice's advance.
Rice, with the ball, faced Stones's press and, without hesitation, passed the ball to the left side of the penalty area.
Gao Nuo, facing Ruben Dias, shot directly without taking a touch.
Ederson had maintained his position in the center of the goal.
Only after Rice made his passing choice did Ederson move towards the left side of the goal.
Like a food chain, Gao Nuo saw Ederson's direction of movement and struck the ball towards the bottom-right corner of the goal.
No matter how quick Ederson's reaction, he could not defy the laws of physics, moving his body against the direction of inertia.
From the live broadcast, Ederson appeared to be frozen in place, allowing the ball to enter the goal.
Manchester United 2 : 0 Manchester City.
"Roar—!!!"
Old Trafford finally erupted in a huge cheer.
After repeatedly missing chances, Gao Nuo finally seized an opportunity in the final stages of the match to break through the opponent's goal.
The familiar passionate knee slide.
The familiar two stripes.
The familiar sight of teammates celebrating together.
Barring any surprises, in 10 minutes, Manchester United will be at the top of the Premier League table.
Zhan Jun's tone rose, "Manchester United has a two-goal lead, which is much more secure now.
On New Year's Day, Gao Nuo delivered a goal, sending a holiday blessing to Chinese fans."
"Eh, Manchester United's tactics are very clear; the entire team plays around Gao Nuo, and Gao Nuo's performance in the middle is also excellent, with one goal and one assist, a perfect performance."
"That's right, and Zhang, we saw that even after Gao Nuo missed several shots, his Manchester United teammates still firmly passed the ball to him, which led to this goal."
"Eh, yes, for a striker, being out of luck is very normal, but a player of Gao Nuo's caliber never shies away from opportunities, and even if he misses repeatedly, he will always shoot with conviction."
The two spoke with great enthusiasm, and the final moments of the match gradually faded away.
The full match ended, with Manchester United defeating Manchester City 2 : 0.
While securing a Manchester Derby victory, they also surpassed Manchester City by 1 point in the Premier League standings, taking the top spot!