The Manchester derby can show football at its most illogical. And so it was when Manchester United's hopes of a third late equaliser in the space of a fortnight disappeared as Angel Di Maria took two of the worst corners imaginable from the most expensive player in the history of English football.
United fielded the most expensive starting XI in the history of this fixture, an outfit that cost almost a quarter of a billion pounds. They ended without the remotest semblance of a senior centre-back, saw their losing run to Manchester City extend to a fourth successive game -- their worst streak in 44 years -- and, with different refereeing, could conceivably have conceded three penalties and seen a second man sent off.
Yet there were elements of the match that were oddly heartening. In their all-conquering days, United rarely needed to take encouragement in defeat. Now, Louis van Gaal surveyed his audience in the bowels of the Etihad Stadium and declared: "As a manager, you can be proud of the last 20 minutes because they showed unbelievable willpower. I said to the players that was fantastic. We could have scored at that moment."
The hosts had the first-half chances, in part, Van Gaal felt, due to some careless passing. "We give too easy the ball away to Manchester City and in unnecessary situations," he said.
But a game that had begun with illustrations of excellence from one goalkeeper, David de Gea, may have finished with a City win because of the defiance of the other. Joe Hart's outstanding save from Di Maria, following a marauding run from Wayne Rooney, showed the narrowness of the final margin.
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