The first ever Manchester derby to have been played outside of England didn’t go the way the blue half of the city would’ve wanted it to.
But despite their 2-0 defeat to United in Houston, many City supporters will have been encouraged by what they saw of one of their youngsters.
Stockport-born Phil Foden is still just 17 years of age, but his performance against United left his manager Pep Guardiola – a man well qualified to recognise a talented young footballer from his time at Barcelona – almost speechless.
“I don’t have words – I would like to have the right words to describe what I saw,” Guardiola said after the game.
“You are the lucky guys who saw the first game, for the first team for Manchester City, of this guy.
“It’s a long time since I saw something like this. His performance was another level. He’s 17 years old, he’s a City player, he grew up in the academy, he loves the club, he’s a City fan and for us he’s a gift.”
High praise indeed.
Foden, who was called up to City’s Champions League squad against Celtic last season, caught the eye throughout his performance at the NRG Stadium. One short clip from the game – capturing the moment he glides away from Spanish international Ander Herrera – has received plenty of attention on social media in the time since.
.@PhilFoden move to go past Herrera #mcfc #EnglandU17s pic.twitter.com/yOyg2iR9hD
— Barryfrom (@Barryfrom) July 21, 2017
One to watch.
