Manchester United midfielder Youri Tielemans has acknowledged the team’s disappointing performance in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, stressing that the outcome was not solely due to controversy surrounding the winning goal. The Premier League derby, marked by a contentious decision involving Erling Haaland’s late strike, has drawn scrutiny from officials and fans alike. However, Tielemans insisted that United’s shortcomings on the pitch were the primary reason for the loss.
The defeat leaves Manchester United with just four points from their first four league matches, continuing a sluggish start to the season that includes earlier results such as a loss to Hull City, a win against Ipswich Town, and a late draw at Everton. Despite City being reduced to 10 men following Phil Foden’s dismissal for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes midway through the first half, United were unable to capitalize on their numerical advantage.
After the match, the refereeing body, Pro Ref, acknowledged an error in judgment regarding the offside decision that allowed Haaland’s goal to stand. They noted that the referee, Michael Oliver, should have conducted an on-field review given Enzo Fernandez’s interference with play. While Manchester United expressed frustration over this ruling, Tielemans emphasized that the team’s lackluster display was the key factor.
“It’s disappointing, so everyone is disappointed and frustrated because we know we can play so much better,” said Tielemans, who joined United in the summer. “We want to do things well, it didn’t happen like we wanted.”
United had some late chances to break the deadlock, with Marcus Rashford hitting the woodwork from a free kick and Kobbie Mainoo striking the post. Despite these efforts, City managed the remainder of the game effectively after Foden’s red card.
Tielemans highlighted several areas in need of improvement, including the failure to exploit spaces, passing mistakes, and rushed play in the final third: “We didn’t use the right spaces, we made mistakes in our passes, maybe rushed it a little bit too much. We didn’t make the right last passes in the final third to create enough chances to score.”
With the Premier League campaign proceeding at Fulham on Sunday, followed by a Carabao Cup third-round match against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Tuesday, Manchester United are facing pressure to reverse their fortunes. Tielemans stressed the importance of regrouping and focusing on the next fixture.
“The process is trying to get our heads together and react in the next game. That’s the only thing that we can do, that we can control,” he said.