Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, has blasted Chris Smalling for costing his side three points in Sunday’s Manchester derby.

The defender picked up two yellow cards in the space of ten minutes, to leave his side reduced to 10 men.

Michael Oliver had previously booked Smalling for obstructing Joe Hart, before the United player slid into James Milner.

“Yes [the sending off influenced the game]. That is always like that. It had a big influence on your opponent but also ourselves,” Van Gaal told BBC Sport.

“Despite having 10 man we played better in the second half than the first and that is because of the willpower of the team. We created a lot of chances, they fought until the last moment but City had a very good goalkeeper. We are very close but we have to improve.

“The sending off is not one of those things. As a player you have to control your aggression. I didn’t see the first yellow but the second you know as a player you have a yellow, so you have to handle it differently. I said that to the players. In the derby you have to be careful. The second yellow card was stupid.”