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United slump in Manchester derby, Liverpool back atop EPL
James Robson, AAP • September 15th, 2025 8:39 am
Manchester United | Photo: AAP
Manchester City are back to winning ways in the English Premier League. Manchester United are back to square one.
City utterly dominated the 197th Manchester derby on Monday (NZ time), winning 3-0 on another humbling day for United coach Ruben Amorim.
It could have been so much worse for the red half of Manchester, with Erling Haaland hitting the post and Tijjani Reijnders missing the target from close range as City threatened to turn it into a rout at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland scored twice in the second half, making it seven goals in a week following the five he hit for Norway against Moldova on Tuesday.
Phil Foden opened the scoring for City in the 18th minute and Pep Guardiola's team never looked back.
The win ended City's two-game losing run in what has been a tricky start to the season.
Defeat for United, meanwhile, sees Amorim's problems quickly mount in a campaign that has already seen his team suffer a humiliating exit from the English League Cup against fourth-tier Grimsby.
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Amorim has only won eight of 31 Premier League games since he was hired last November and under his watch United endured its lowest finish in the modern era last season when placing 15th.
Amorim admitted afterwards: "It's not a record that you should have at Manchester United.
"When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man. I believe my way and I'm going to play my way until I want to change."
Earlier, Liverpool left it late again and moved back to the top of the table.
The defending champion secured a 1-0 win against Burnley and preserved its 100 per cent start to the season thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from Mohamed Salah.
"We don't give up. We just try to push ourselves and our team to the limit," Salah told Sky Sports.
After late winners against Bournemouth and Newcastle already this term, Liverpool staged another dramatic finale at Turf Moor.
Arne Slot's team looked set to drop points for the first time this season, but was handed a lifeline when Hannibal Mejbri handled the ball in the box and referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot.
Salah did the rest by blasting a powerful shot past Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Salah's goal came in the fifth minute of stoppage time and he took sole possession of fourth place in all-time Premier League scorers. The Egyptian is now on 188 goals — behind Alan Shearer (260), Harry Kane (213) and Wayne Rooney (208).
"We needed a moment of luck, or a moment of magic. We didn't have the magic, but we had the luck," Liverpool boss Slot told the BBC.
