IT'S EIGHT DEFEATS IN 11 BUT THIS WILL STING MOST...

PEP Guardiola turned to his bench and covered his face with his hands.

- TYRONE MARSHALL

If City's collapse against Feyenoord had forced him to scratch at his head, Matheus Nunes' five seconds of madness on derby day would have made him want to rip it clean off. Nunes' or his own.

City had been poor, but it was there good fortune to be playing a United side who were worse.

There was little to like from the home side's performance, but with five minutes to go they were close to a morale-boosting victory that would have propelled them level with Arsenal in the Premier League table.

Then, that familiar collapse. United's toothless attack had never looked like scoring, but then this is the season for giving and City delivered a present giftwrapped and with a bow on top. Nunes' poor back pass played Amad in but Ederson had stalled him, only for Nunes to clumsily and foolishly barge into the attacker.

It was as blatant a penalty as you will see and Guardiola could not believe it. He probably could believe what came next, because it's been happening for nearly two months.

Once Bruno Fernandes' penalty hit the back of the net, the collapse was about to become total.