Parker: City haven't turned the corner yet
MAN CITY 1
(Sergio Aguero 63)
MAN UNITED 0
Did Manchester City deserve to win?
PARKER: Man United didn't have cutting edge going forward.
They showed a little bit more urgency in search of the equaliser in the last 15 minutes, but it still wasn't enough. So you can say that City deserved the win.
It was a morale-boosting win for City, but I don't think they have not turned the corner yet. In terms of the league title are, Chelsea are still the firm favourites.
Was Chris Smalling's sending-off the turning point in the match?
The red card finished off United.
They were already struggling defensively at that point and, when you lose a natural defender, a centre half no less, of course it made a big difference to the complexion of the game.
Then they lost the other centre back through injury and Louis van Gaal had to play a kid (Patrick McNair) and a midfielder (Michael Carrick) in the heart of their defence.
It was an embarrasing sending-off for Smalling. It was stupidity, naivety and everything that goes with it.
Van Gaal called Robin van Persie "stupid" for taking his shirt off in celebration after scoring the equaliser against Chelsea last weekend.
I'm waiting to hear what he will say about Smalling's red card. The defender should be fined.
With Marcos Rojo picking up a serious-looking injury, United find themselves in a defensive crisis again. Did van Gaal make a mistake in the summer by not signing enough quality defenders?
In hindsight, it's easy to say that now. But he definitely stocked up on the front six positions, didn't he?
To win titles, you need balance between attack and defence. Maybe he thought he could get by until January, before deciding if he should make more signings.
Yaya Toure picked up the Man-of-the-Match award. Do you think he silenced his critics?
I don't think he was that good against United, to be honest.
He came into the game only when United were down to 10 men. Apart from that, he was ambling all over the pitch. He was certainly nowhere near his best.
Were United lucky not to give away a penalty?
If you ask me, City's penalty appeals were all just little shouts. They might argue about them, but it's touch and go.
United are experiencing their worst start in Premier League history. How can their fans stay positive?
If you look at the table, they have one point less than what they had at the same stage last season.
But the brand of football the team are playing gives fans much more optimism than last year.
The squad definitely need more additions in January. They must do whatever it takes to qualify for the Champions League next season.
To not play Champions League football for two seasons would be a real crisis.
Everybody knows how long Liverpool have had to wait for success.
So what kind of players do you think van Gaal should sign?
They definitely need a centre half with more experience.
And a right back who has defensive quality and is disciplined. And maybe even in the centre of midfield too.
Long term, I'd say United also need a top striker to replace van Persie, who's not exactly a spring chicken any more.
They need a world-class player at his peak, like City's Sergio Aguero.
- Paul parker is an ex-England and Man United defender who won two EPL titles and earned 19 caps for his country. He is now a football pundit with Fox Sports.
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