“Enzo, Enzo, Enzo, in your head” was how delirious Manchester City fans regaled Enzo Fernández who after a star role in a memorable victory surely has instant cult hero status.

This 199th derby was won by Erling Haaland’s ninth strike in the fixture but the visitors’ totem was their new No 17. He was the key nuisance in a goal initially ruled out for offside and which video assistant referee overturned when ruling Fernández was not distracting Lisandro Martínez when Josko Gvardiol’s ball came over. The Argentinian, too, was an emblem of the fight Enzo Maresca’s team carried to Manchester United after Phil Foden appeared to turn the game the hosts’ way on 22 minutes.

As he and Bruno Fernandes challenged along City’s right the forward kicked United’s captain around the midriff and Michael Oliver showed a red card, VAR backing the referee’s instantaneous decision.

Except, down to 10 men, Maresca refused to go for the draw, by shutting the back door with a defender for attacker, until late on, after Haaland’s finish – when Nico O’Reilly replaced Fernández to help see it out.

City, surely looking at the film of January’s 2-0 defeat here, wanted a quick start and not to be knocked off the ball as they were in Michael Carrick’s first game in charge of United.

Antoine Sememyo led the charge, losing a tussle with Diogo Dalot before recovering and dispossessing the right-back. It was Dalot who, curving a run, might have tested Gianluigi Donnarumma when a Fernandes chip found him. But a miscontrol meant City’s No 1 gathered. Then, Anderson followed Semenyo when upending Bryan Mbeumo in a foul that might have drawn Oliver’s yellow card.

Toe-to-toe was an apt characterisation of the contest, as Carrick had Matheus Cunha switching from his false No 9 berth with Marcus Rashford on the left, and Maresca instructed Fernández to drift away from his midfield partner, Anderson, out wide.

Having Haaland galloping towards goal is a key City tactic, and when he did a sixth goal in four games beckoned but hesitation cost the striker, as Dalot went close to suffering for the same fault: under a high ball he was unsure and Semenyo, lurking, nearly profited.

Now came Foden’s folly – an act that will have infuriated Maresca and, surely, most of a City stripe. Fernandes might, too, have made contact with a boot first but if so this was in no way as forceful as Foden

City were in a classic twist or stick predicament. A draw was no disaster yet forage a goal then hold on would represent a famous and morale-rocketing result. When Haaland swooped forward and bent a pass into Rayan Cherki – moved from the No 10 slot to Foden’s on the right – you saw why Maresca had decided to twist.

The Italian’s ambition was admirable – as long as United were kept out. Carrick’s team knew this, too, so composure was required, not the wildness that had Fernandes overhitting a simple cross that should have found Rashford ready to pull the trigger.

Maguire’s tilt for glory from 25 yards that smacked into a colleague was also amateurish but as the break neared Rashford’s effort was better. A 20-yard free-kick beat the wall but not the diving Donnarumma’s right post.

Maresca’s move ahead of the second half was to remove Cherki for Iliman Ndiaye’s greater pace along the right – this reinforcing his front-foot mode. Carrick’s instructions had to be simple: go for the jugular and a precious three points that would lift them to fifth, five points behind the leaders, Arsenal. Kobbie Mainoo, anonymous so far, went as close as Rashford when letting fly: again Donnarumma was beaten and again his right post saved City, the rebound hitting the keeper.

United were a red rash all over those in blue. Possession was pinballed about, tackles crashed into, as when Dorgu upended Ndiaye, yet no breakthrough came.

So, next, City’s smash-and-grab dreams were realised when Haaland found the net. The No 9 celebrated with his sit-down zen-like posture but only after VAR overruled the initial offside call. Gvardiol’s cross from the left hit Dorgu’s foot and continued on, passing a diving Fernández (who missed contact, the subject of VAR’s scrutiny) and Martínez, and Haaland rippled the net.

Carrick replaced Youri Tielemans for Benjamin Sesko as United, desperate, required a goal. But this never came – Mbeumo’s added-time effort fierce, but beaten out by Donnarumma. Instead this was City’s day, Fernández decorating his afternoon with a long-range attempt that clipped Senne Lammens’ left post. At the final whistle, Maresca skipped down the touchline: the victory a triumph of his and the players’ courage.