Rasmus Hojlund has continued his feud with Kyle Walker on social media following Manchester United's incredible 2-1 victory at Manchester City during the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon. The pair were involved in a heated clash at the Etihad Stadium, where Walker shoved Hojlund to the ground. Referee Anthony Taylor booked both players after Walker theatrically fell to the turf following face-to-face exchanges with Hojlund.
United had the last laugh as they snatched all three points, thanks to late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo. Hojlund wasted no time sending Walker a cheeky message on Instagram, sharing a snap of their confrontation along with the caption: "Manchester is red. Violets are blue. What a brilliant performance. But the Oscar goes to..." This post has since fueled the fire of their on-field rivalry.
The tension started during the match when Hojlund confronted Walker after he was fouled, leading to their heated exchange. The incident was criticized by former United captain Roy Keane, who slammed Walker's behavior as 'embarrassing' during halftime commentary. Keane noted, "Look at this! I don’t know the guy and I’m embarrassed for him."
Despite their individual confrontation, Hojlund managed to focus on the game, playing key roles leading up to United’s eventual comeback. Their win marked the first time since 2015 where United avoided losing three consecutive league matches, though the squad still finds itself hovering around 13th place in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, for City, the loss compounded their struggles as they now hold only one victory from their last 11 matches across all competitions. Pep Guardiola’s team sits fifth, trailing league leaders Liverpool by nine points. Guardiola faces additional pressure to turn his team's misfortunes around as they prepare for their next match against Aston Villa.
The incident between Hojlund and Walker hasn’t gone unnoticed. Replays of the moment showed little significant contact after Walker and Hojlund exchanged verbal barbs. Instead, Walker simply slumped to the ground dramatically, drawing the ire of pundits like Gary Neville, who remarked on the show, "It’s poor from Walker. He’ll be embarrassed when he sees this back.”
Criticism poured forth from various commentators. Keane was particularly scathing, asserting, "This is going to happen, but Walker must be embarrassed. I don’t know this guy, but I am embarrassed for him." Even Micah Richards, who once played for City, found it difficult to defend Walker's antics, mirroring Keane's sentiments. Richards stated Walker is "better than this," but Keane challenged, "Is he? I’m not so sure."
Hojlund’s growing reputation for being bold on social media is seen within the footballing community as most welcome, especially among Manchester United fans, who expressed their delight at his Instagram post. Many described it as a perfect encapsulation of the rivalry, adding to the lore of their encounters.
Manager Ruben Amorim, who has made waves due to his squad selections, formerly dropped Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho for the derby, received much credit for his tactics during this match. Amorim noted post-match, "The speed of our runs, we had some opportunities with it. We controlled Erling Haaland and the other guys offensively," illustrating the confidence he instilled in his players.
Hojlund, now 21, appears to be enjoying his ascent at the club, particularly after his Instagram ribbing of Walker, which many fans viewed as righteous payback for the perceived embarrassment created by the defender’s antics. Observers pointed out how this kind of spirit is precisely what United has been missing during their challenging seasons of late.
Despite the positive energy following their latest win, fans are cautious about United's future as the team has been inconsistent throughout the Premier League campaign. The after-effects of the match will linger as they focus on their upcoming Carabao Cup clash against Tottenham.
Meanwhile, both players are likely to put this incident behind them as they prepare to lead their teams with vigor. Football is often regarded as much about the tensions off the field as the skills on it, and as such, this derby clash will be remembered not just for its result, but for the fiery confrontations and social media post-match exchanges.
