Man Utd and Man City's new realities clear after woeful bore draw - 5 talking points

Manchester United and stumbled to an insipid goalless draw in the latest Manchester derby at n a 90 minute encapsulation of both teams' seasons, the cross-city rivals struggled to create in a drab affair which failed to stir any atmosphere from a barely awake capacity crowd.

Both sides struggled to create any real chances of note in a game that was less than inspiring. A few half penalty appeals came and went for both City and but the referee was unmoved.

If anything, it was a game that perfectly displayed to both managers how far their current teams are from their former glories. Away from the lack of match action, the clash at Old Trafford also saw make his final appearance in the Manchester Derby ahead of his exit this summer.

Here are all of the talking points from Old Trafford:

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Slow start

But for a few bright moments, the latest iteration of the Manchester derby was a game to forget - for the first 45 minutes at least. Both sides struggled to get any momentum together, with clear-cut chances at a premium.

And former Red Devils star thought he knew the reason why. In a short rant before the break, he suggested that sides had become so obsessed with systems and not conceding, that players were afraid to try things off the cuff.

Having sat through a frankly boring first-half at Old Trafford, he might have a point.

Who was the man-of-the-match in the Manchester derby?

Garnacho causes two early yellows

The main talking points between the two sides over the first hour or so were two early yellow cards, withat the heart of both incidents. The Argentine had a great chance early on as he charged towards the box within the opening few seconds only to be hauled down on the edge of the box by Josko Gvardiol.

The Croatian was subsequently booked. And Bernardo Silva had the same fate just moments into the second period as he hauled down Garnacho.

While the United star is still struggling for form, he is clearly still a threat.

De Bruyne's final derby

that he would be leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season, Kevin De Bruyne started and captained City in his final Manchester derby. And having only scored once at Old Trafford previously in his career, the Belgian playmaker struggled to have much of an impact.

To his defence, he was playing in a somewhat unfamiliar position as a central striker. With his City career now into single figures worth of appearances, De Bruyne will certainly be hoping for a more productive farewell.

City slip up in European race

With Guardiola set to lead City to a trophyless season, the only thing they have left to play for is a place in the next season. And with losing and drawing this weekend, they had a real chance to throw down a gauntlet.

But yet more dropped points leaves them vulnerable. They sit fifth and a point behind Chelsea with seven matches left to play. With a favourable run of fixtures coming up, they will hope to not drop any more needless points.

United let golden derby chance go

Across the city, United could well be playing in the Champions League next season - but only if they win the . Their league season has been a severe disappointment.

But heading into this game, they still had the chance to do the double over their neighbours for the first time since the 2019/20 season under . In honesty, neither side really looked like winning the game and as a result, neither side go away with the Manchester bragging rights.

and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our