EPL Review: Man United's patience rewarded in crisis derby

Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points to emerge from the slate of matches. Below, we dissect Matchweek 16 of the 2024-25 season.

Man United let City beat themselves

Manchester United could've sensed blood in the water and tried their hardest to embarrass their already wounded rivals. Manchester City entered Sunday's derby with just one win in 10 matches across all competitions and seemed there for the taking.

Instead of trying hard to make City look bad, United waited for them to do something stupid enough to lose the game. City have lost their heads so many times over the last few weeks. Self-sabotage has become their thing.

Perhaps that's why United boss Ruben Amorim seemed happy enough to leave Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho at home. Maybe he knew he didn't need a lot of firepower. It was worth sending a message here to keep standards high.

United weren't spectacular Sunday. It felt at times like they were playing with the hand brake on. Rasmus Hojlund made a number of penetrating runs that could've floored City's defenders. His teammates just didn't seem comfortable enough to release him into space. United preferred to keep things under control. They played more high-percentage passes and broke up the game when City began to gain a foothold. Amad Diallo, the 22-year-old winger who has benefited the most from Amorim's arrival, was dangerous enough on his own to keep City on their toes.

City didn't look confident either. How could they be? They had kept only two clean sheets in their previous 14 Premier League matches. City retreated as the contest wore on and defended with as many as six men at the back. They didn't record a single shot on target in the second half. Erling Haaland had just two touches in the penalty area all game.

Pep Guardiola's side was trying to nurse the 1-0 lead. When does it nurse anything?

Diallo caught City just as they were doubting themselves, drawing a penalty off of Matheus Nunes' feeble back-pass and hopeless tackle before splitting the defense for the winner. Diallo profited off the nervousness at the Etihad with the kind of incisive play Amorim has unlocked in his short time there.

United played the percentages perfectly. Individual errors have cost City dearly over the last few weeks and were always likely to rear their ugly head again Sunday. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is let your opponent beat itself.

"It's not about luck," City midfielder Bernardo Silva told Sky Sports. "It's the decisions you make. Today, in the last minutes, we played like Under-15s, and we paid the price."

Quick free-kicks 📝

Jota's return boosts Liverpool

Under normal circumstances, a 2-2 draw against Fulham at Anfield would be viewed as two points dropped by Liverpool. But context is important. The Reds played Saturday's frenetic match with 10 men for over 70 minutes after Andy Robertson's early red card, and they fought back twice to earn a point. Diogo Jota, back from injury for his first match in nearly two months, came off the bench to score a lovely late equalizer. The Portuguese forward's return is huge for Arne Slot. Mohamed Salah has 22 Premier League goal involvements this season, but no other Liverpool player has reached double figures. At some point, the Egyptian will need some help. Jota, who has more goals off the bench than any player in the league since he joined the Merseyside outfit in 2020, gives Slot a true secondary scoring threat, especially as Darwin Nunez continues to misfire in front of goal. Whether Jota can stay fit enough to help sustain Liverpool's title push is another matter.

Gunners need more firepower

Despite Mikel Arteta's suggestions to the contrary, Arsenal should invest during the January transfer window to ensure their title bid doesn't fizzle out. The north London side hasn't scored a goal from open play in three Premier League matches, and Arteta's lack of attacking solutions off the bench was laid bare in Saturday's dull goalless draw with Everton. His "tactical" decision to substitute captain and chief playmaker Martin Odegaard backfired, in part because his options are limited. Ethan Nwaneri is immensely talented and looks like a future star, but he's still only 17. Gabriel Jesus, who also came on, hasn't scored a league goal since January, while Leandro Trossard hasn't been the same impact substitute as he was in previous years. Odegaard and Bukayo Saka can carry the attack, but some help would be welcome for days like Saturday when things aren't quite clicking.

Newcastle's set-piece prowess

Who needs Nicolas Jover? Arsenal remain the Premier League's set-piece kings, but Newcastle have clearly been working on dead-ball situations on the training ground. It paid dividends in Saturday's 4-0 hammering of Leicester City, as the Magpies scored a pair of goals through set-piece routines that were clearly rehearsed. Leicester didn't exactly make it difficult for them - there's a reason why the Foxes have conceded the second-most goals in the league - but the tallies were a clear sign of progress for a Newcastle side that went into the match with just three goals from set pieces, one of the worst returns in the division. Saturday's goals, together with a similarly well-worked marker in last month's draw against Crystal Palace, are signs of progress and worth monitoring. The coaching staff will be delighted.

O'Neil loses control of Wolves

Things change quickly in the Premier League. Gary O'Neil and his staff signed four-year contract extensions in August, with the Wolves brass seemingly confident he could build on last season's 14th-place finish. Instead, things devolved rapidly in the other direction. Wolves have won just two league matches this campaign, and Saturday's crushing late loss to fellow relegation battlers Ipswich Town was the last straw, resulting in the 41-year-old bench boss being fired. Results were only part of the issue. O'Neil had clearly lost the ability to handle the spiraling situation, as each of the team's last two defeats were followed by on-pitch meltdowns from players. In predictable fashion, Wolves are reportedly eyeing a Portuguese tactician, Vitor Pereira, to step in and lift the team out of the relegation zone. Restoring discipline will be the first task for whoever comes in for this rescue mission.

Star performer 🌟

Amad Diallo (Manchester United)

Why has it taken so long for someone to trust Diallo? United boss Ruben Amorim immediately identified the right-winger as one of the club's most interesting players, trying him out at the wing-back position before restoring him to his natural attacking role this week.

Diallo's incredible run of form culminated in a match-winning effort against Manchester City on Sunday. He was the most dangerous player in a match low on individual quality. He routinely made runs behind City's defense, forced the penalty that leveled the match, and scored the winner in the 90th minute.

There's no way Diallo would've evolved under Erik ten Hag. He rarely completed a full 90 minutes and never had a significant run of matches under the Dutch coach. Ruud van Nistelrooy seemed to notice something in Diallo once he took over as interim manager, and Amorim built on Van Nistelrooy's discovery, finding utility in his breathless work rate. Diallo is willing to play anywhere, and perhaps that's because he appreciates how difficult it is to get playing time at a club like United. Being sent on loan to Rangers and Sunderland can certainly humble a player.

Best XI 😎

(Source: FotMob)

Highlight of the weekend 🎥

We're not going to let Aston Villa's loss against Nottingham Forest distract us from this otherworldly one-handed save by Emiliano Martinez.

Stat of the weekend 🔢

Extend the man's contract already, Liverpool.

Social media moment 📱

Sean Dyche walked so Mikel Arteta could run.

Where we stand 👀

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