Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Youri Tielemans proved why Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was ‘right’ about Manchester United’s best performer against Manchester City in Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League win.
Manchester United have managed only four Premier League points from their opening four league matches under Red Devils head coach Michael Carrick.
Michael Carrick watched on from the Old Trafford dugout in the first Manchester derby of the season and the United legend was left deeply frustrated after the result.
The 45-year-old United manager’s disappointment at Man City’s Premier League victory was equally mirrored by Red Devils summer signing Youri Tielemans.
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Youri Tielemans pinpoints Man Utd’s creativity problem and reaffirms Gary Neville’s Kobbie Mainoo validation
Youri Tielemans started in the midfield pivot alongside Kobbie Mainoo and played 67 minutes before he was subbed off and replaced by striker Benjamin Sesko.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring for Manchester City against Manchester United and the 26-year-old Norwegian striker was the difference-maker on Sunday evening.
Following United’s defeat to Man City, Tielemans expressed his ‘disappointment’ and highlighted that the Red Devils did not unlock the right spaces in the final third.
“We didn’t use the right spaces; we made mistakes in our passes and maybe rushed it a bit too much,” he told MUTV, as per Manchester United’s official website.
“We didn’t make the right last pass in the final third to create enough chances to score.”
United failed to capitalise on their chances in the line-up that Michael Carrick deployed, but Gary Neville thought there was only one standout for the Red Devils.
Neville admitted that Kobbie Mainoo was United’s major highlight against Man City after he played in the midfield pivot alongside Tielemans at the start of the match.
“But from that, I don’t think, I don’t think any of United’s front six, maybe Mainoo, I think probably Mainoo was the one I thought that, to be fair, that deep line position looked like he played pretty well,” he said on Sky Sports’ The Gary Neville Podcast.
“But the other front five, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Cunha and Bermo, they were poor. They were really poor today.”
READ MORE: Man Utd fans all react to Kobbie Mainoo’s performance against Man City as Elliot Anderson argument is made
Youri Tielemans of Manchester United during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Ipswich Town at Old Trafford on August 30, 2026 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Kobbie Mainoo’s Man Utd performance against Man City stood head and shoulders above the rest
Kobbie Mainoo once again proved his crucial linchpin midfield influence for the Red Devils after his performance across the 90 minutes against Man City on Sunday.
The 21-year-old England international was denied the opener for United in the second half after his long-range superb strike was only denied by the post.
Mainoo’s presence was felt for Man United and he remained a lively figure from the Red Devils’ front six, despite 10-man Man City coming out on top at Old Trafford.
If only more Man Utd players had stepped up in the way that Mainoo had done, then Tielemans’ disappointment would not have been aired in the way that it was.
Neville also hit the nail on the head as well after singling out Mainoo’s performance as the best compared with the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha.