Foden's timely response after England frustration
Manchester City's football was slick, incisive and ruthless in its execution as Erling Haaland claimed his third hat-trick in eight league games and Foden netted his first Premier League treble on a humbling afternoon for United.
That is not a lot more you can say about Haaland, even when he continues to break new ground, but for Foden this was a fully coming-of-age performance and one he described as a "dream come true".
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The first Mancunian in City sky blue to score a Premier League hat-trick against the local rivals, he scored his 49th, 50th and 51st goals for Manchester City in all competitions - his first ever senior hat-trick.
Haaland's relationship with Kevin De Bruyne has been telepathic from pretty much the first time they took to the pitch, but Foden's own understanding with the striker now isn't too far behind.
Aged 22 years and 127 days, he became the youngest player to reach 50 goals under Pep Guardiola, surpassing Lionel Messi. It was he who walked off with the match ball (Haaland had to make do with one Ilkay Gundogan chucked his way off a ball boy), and this was the perfect response after underwhelming performances on England duty.
For City, this was a response to Arsenal. For Foden, this was a response to Gareth Southgate and those who may have started to doubt his inclusion from the start against Iran. It is on Southgate to conjure such lethal displays out of him in an England shirt.
Ben Grounds
Another first-half horror show from Man Utd
Manchester United conceding four goals in the first half of a Premier League game in October is becoming an annual tradition. It's like an early Halloween horror show for their supporters. First it was Tottenham in 2020, then Liverpool in 2021 and now the first in the series away from home at Manchester City.
There aren't many football supporters across Europe who can play the painful game of ranking their four-goal first-halves from the past two years but for the United fans trudging out of the Etihad before half-time on Sunday, at least they can comfort themselves that this wasn't the worst 45-minute mauling they've had recently.
The October-busting bonus 4-0 scoreline at the break at Brentford probably takes top spot, such was the awfulness of that display and the way it crushed the early optimism of the Erik ten Hag era. This was another brutal reality check about the ground United have to make up if they are to seriously rival the Premier League's best again.
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The four-game winning streak in the Premier League since that nightmare in west London had hinted at signs of a recovery and a growing understanding under the new coach but that optimism was swiftly blown out of the water by first-half doubles from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland.
Gary Neville described his former side as "anxious and nervous on the ball" while another former United captain Roy Keane said "it's like the game is too big for them". If United were daunted by the challenge, it certainly showed in a tentative, tame and uncertain opening. A slow start became a bad one and soon there was no way back.
The discussion before the match was whether United would sit deep and aim to counter-attack - or whether they should be brave and take the game to City. It appeared United had leaned towards the former approach but a lack of solidity and organisation left the defence badly exposed - Diogo Dalot in particular - and there was zero composure on the ball, with United passing up any openings they did have to trouble City in transition.
Ten Hag has many problems to fix at Manchester United. There have been signs in recent weeks that he is working through that long to-do list. But the mental approach to first halves - and delivering his game plan purposefully from the very first whistle - remains a glaring issue which will continue to hold the team back until it is resolved.
Peter Smith
Haaland redefining what's possible
Manchester City didn't have a holding midfielder, a late injury causing Rodri to join Kalvin Phillips on the sidelines. Their centre-backs, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji, had never played a Premier League game together. Their right-back, Kyle Walker, had to be withdrawn with an injury in the first half.
In the end, though, none of it mattered.
All that matters for City right now is that Erling Haaland plays. Because when he does, he scores.
With his demolition of Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, the Norwegian became the first player in Premier League history to score hat-tricks in three consecutive home games.
The numbers are extraordinary.
In the first eight Premier League games of the season, he has scored more goals than 14 teams, his total of 14 twice as high as any other player's. Harry Kane is averaging roughly a goal a game for Spurs and yet he is fading from view in Haaland's wing mirrors.
With 30 games of the campaign still to play, Haaland only needs to score nine more goals to match the tally that clinched Mohamed Salah and Heung-Min Son the Golden Boot last year.
At his current rate, he will do it before the end of October. Salah's 32-goal Premier League record will fall in early January - and that's with a six-week break for the World Cup factored in. By the end of the season, he will have scored 71.
Of course, it would be fanciful in the extreme to expect him to continue quite like this until then but what is already clear is that he is moving the boundaries around what is possible in this division.
Haaland has scored as many hat-tricks in eight Premier League games as Cristiano Ronaldo has managed in 232; as many as Jamie Vardy has managed in 277; as many as Frank Lampard managed in 609.
Manchester United simply had no answer to him.
What's next?
Man City host Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday at 8pm, before Man Utd travel to Omonia in the Europa League on Thursday at 5.45pm.
City then host Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday at 3pm, before United travel to Everton on Sunday at 7pm.