STILL SO FAR TO GO FOR AMORIM

MIDWAY through the firsthalf, with Manchester United trailing, Ruben Amorim slapped his thighs in frustration over the failure of his players to carry out his instructions.

- BY DAVID McDONNELL X@DiscoMirror

The image of Amorim as a tortured soul has been a recurring one over his 10 months in charge, with eight wins from 31 Premier League games yielding little joy for the United boss.

It was a familiar story here, despite Amorim claiming ahead of the game that United were a "better team" than last season, his players reverting to type and again failing to deliver when it mattered.

United may have gone into the derby above City in the table for the first time in five years, but Pep Guardiola's side, who suffered a poor start to the season with back-to-back league defeats, provided a sobering reminder of the enduring gulf in class between the teams with a ruthless demolition of their local rivals.