Erling Haaland scored a brace as Manchester City beat close town rivals Manchester United 3-0 in the Manchester Derby staged on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium.
City had suffered back-to-back defeats before the international break but any fears of another loss were allayed with goals from Haaland and Phil Foden.
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City paid tribute to former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton before the game with the home side not looking back from the first whistle.
Winger Jeremy Doku was pivotal for the first two goals, jinking through with quick feet to pull the ball back for local boy Foden to head home the opener on 18 minutes. City doubled their advantage on 53 minutes when star striker Haaland latched on to Doku’s pass before holding off Luke Shaw and dinking in a sumptuous finish.
Haaland, who pulled narrowly wide in the opening 10 seconds, should have scored a second immediately after netting when he took the ball round Altay Bayindir but somehow sent the ball against the post with an open goal gaping in front of him.
But the 25-year-old was not to be denied on 68 minutes when he ran clear from the halfway line and made no mistake with an unerring finish past the Turkish keeper.
The game saw goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma thrown straight in for his City debut after the deadline day move from Paris St-Germain and the Italy captain made a superb save at full stretch to deny Bryan Mbeumo’s volley.
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