The manager of Manchester United cited ιnjᴜries and referenced “narrow margins” in the aftermath of their 3-1 defeat at the Etihad. Despite Marcus Rashford providing an early lead with an impressive long-range goal, City exerted control from that point onward, securing victory in the derby with three goals in the second half.

However, speaking after the game, Ten Hag insisted that the result and City’s supremacy in the game did not reflect an overall gulf in class between the Manchester гιᴠals.

“No, I don’t think so, absolutely not,” he responded when asked if there was a clear gap between them.

“We have many problems in ιnjᴜries and still we had an opportunity. Really small margins, we could have scored the second goal in a debatable moment [when Rashford went down before City’s equalizer].

“We can be competitive and we showed in the FA Cup final against them when it was close but City is in this moment, don’t forget this; they are the best team in the world.”

City outperformed their гιᴠals across nearly every statistical measure, intensifying the pressure after conceding early to Rashford’s goal. Ten Hag’s team only managed 26 percent possession, had 60 fewer touches in the opposing penalty area, and attempted just one shot after the 23rd minute. Additionally, they completed 223 fewer passes than their counterparts, as reported by Opta.

Following this outcome, United finds themselves in sixth place, trailing by 11 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with 11 games remaining. This situation poses a considerable challenge for United in their pursuit of a Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, City holds a substantial 18-point lead in the second position.