City were on the backfoot from the off, a fact not helped by injuries to John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, and Ruben Dias. Before they can confirm Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi's arrival, the visitors fielded a backline with two 21-year-olds and a 20-year-old, and it showed when Harry Maguire's early header hit the bar from close range before Patrick Dorgu forced a good save out of Donnarumma.
City were also indebted to the offside flag on two occasions in the first half when goals from Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes were chalked off, but the regularity with which United were getting in behind was cause for alarm for the away fans.
After a very sloppy and underwhelming first half, City improved ever so slightly after the break, but had it not been for Donnarumma making a flurry of quickfire saves from Amad and Casemiro, the game could have been over. The Italian came to the rescue again to beat out Mbeumo's effort, but the Cameroon international finally beat the ex-Paris Saint-Germain star with a smart finish on the counter-attack in the 65th minute.
From there, City were run ragged, and in the 76th minute, it was 2-0 when Dorgu pickpocketed Rico Lewis to stab home. Amad nearly scored a wondergoal, only for his strike to hit the post and then United had a third goal ruled out for offside from Mason Mount, but it mattered little. City could fall nine points behind Arsenal if the Gunners win at Forest after this capitulation.
GOAL rates Man City's players from Old Trafford...
