Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden efforts sum up dismal Man City in derby loss

Manchester City were not good enough from start to finish against Manchester United as they failed to do even the basics right

Manchester City got cup fever in the last week but their return to Premier League action will have made them sick. All the momentum that had been gained from sticking 10 past Exeter and winning away at Newcastle in midweek was instantly lost in a limp Manchester derby defeat that sees them gift Arsenal an opportunity to pull further ahead in the title race.

If Tuesday was one of the best performances of the season, this felt like one of the worst from the outset. City just didn't look themselves, not least young defender Max Alleyne being so skittish passing out from the back when he had oozed calm in the north-east.

It would be wrong to dwell on a youngster though when nothing seemed right with more senior colleagues. Rodri nearly gifted United a first-half lead with a needless flick straight into the path of Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the City box and Erling Haaland did not show any evidence of rising from his recent slumber.

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Some of the most unforgivable play came from set-pieces. Jeremy Doku hit a corner so bad in the first half that most of the Stretford End would have done a better job, while Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva also wasted opportunities when they took over duties.

It was fitting that when United did eventually take the lead after 65 minutes, it came from a City free-kick. Rayan Cherki was supposed to find a teammate in the United box but his delivery came straight back past him and Bruno Fernandes set Bryan Mbuemo free to score past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Cherki and Nico O'Reilly had both come on at half-time to try and change the game for City, but it only made them worse. Matheus Cunha got the better of O'Reilly out wide and Patrick Dorgu caught Rico Lewis on his heels to add to a miserable afternoon for the Blues.

Thousands in the away end were already on their way back into town when the final whistle blew, and while they have been spoiled at Old Trafford in recent years that has made the defeats sting harder.

City may as well have been back on their bus by then. When there are 10 minutes left in a game City are losing and Haaland and Rodri are being taken off, that is as big a white flag from Guardiola as you can get as they now head to Norway for a Champions League game where they cannot afford to be this bad.

Guardiola's task over the next weeks is to ensure that City make the considerable improvements necessary to ensure they are not waving one for Arsenal before the business end of the season even gets going.