Manchester United pulled off a remarkable late comeback to beat fierce rivals Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium in a nail-biting Premier League derby.
Man City headed into the game amid the club’s roughest patch under Pep Guardiola, seeking redemption for a 2-0 defeat at Juventus in midweek Champions League action.
Liverpool’s home draw against Fulham opened the door for the perennial champions to return to the Premier League title race with a fourth straight home league win against Man Utd for the first time since 1955.
On the other hand, United entered the fray in pursuit of their first league win outside Old Trafford since mid-September after a come-from-behind Europa League triumph at Viktoria Plzen.
Ruben Amorim humbled the Cityzens 4-1 down the final stretch of his trophy-laden tenure at Sporting CP. However, replicating that feat with this Red Devils side was always going to be an uphill battle.
Given the stakes, an uneventful start to the game was unsurprising, with neither side attempting a shot on target in the opening 30 minutes of play.
However, Man City broke the deadlock from the first presentable opportunity as Josko Gvardiol headed the ball home from close range after being left unmarked inside the six-yard box.
It was the only goalscoring chance in an otherwise erratic first half, plagued by numerous tactical fouls and disjointed sequences from both teams.
Despite Man Utd’s more aggressive approach in the second half, Amorim’s side had to wait until the 62nd minute for their maiden attempt on target.
Bruno Fernandes whipped the ball into the box, but Amad Diallo’s header from the penalty spot posed no threat to Ederson.
United could and should have drawn level in the 75th minute when Rasmus Hojlund set Fernandes one-on-one with Ederson with an inch-perfect through ball.
However, the Portuguese superstar fluffed his lines, sending his attempted lofted finish wide of the far post.
While he couldn’t convert a clear-cut chance, the Red Devils talisman made amends from the spot in the 88th minute after Matheus Nunes gave away a mindless penalty.
Only two minutes after drawing a penalty, Diallo pounced on Lisandro Martinez’s hopeful long ball, chipping it over Ederson before finishing with a clumsy shot.
Amorim didn’t mind as he became only the second manager to beat defending Premier League champions in one season with two different clubs.
Manchester City
Ederson – 5
Unchallenged before the break, the Brazilian made a comfortable diving save to thwart Diallo’s fragile header midway through the second half.
Josko Gvardiol – 7
A goal-getter trapped in the body of a central defender, the Croat demonstrated his tremendous scoring capacity with another thumping header.
Ruben Dias – 6
Guardiola trusted the Portuguese centre-back to command his backline, and the latter did his job to a ‘T,’ producing a defensive masterclass until everything fell apart at the final stretch.
Kyle Walker – 7
Defensive-wise, it was a field day for the Man City veteran as United forwards couldn’t cope with the Englishman’s strength and pace.
Bernardo Silva – 6
His safe pair of legs proved crucial for the home side’s effort to retain possession. But apart from locking the ball in a vault and drawing several fouls, he didn’t provide a spark in the vital areas.
Ilkay Gundogan – 6
Calm and collected in possession, the German playmaker kept the ball moving around with pinpoint precision, albeit without creating any decisive chances in the front third.
Matheus Nunes – 2
He seemed a bit lazy at times. That eventually backfired as he gifted the ball to Diallo before bringing him down in the box to send Fernandes to the spot.
Kevin De Bruyne – 6
Not a shadow of a player who used to unlock Premier League backlines at will, he picked up an assist, but only thanks to a fortunate deflection.
Phil Foden – 6
Heavily involved in almost every offensive play, last season’s MVP came close to doubling Man City’s lead on the stroke of half-time with a decent mid-range effort.
Jeremy Doku – 4
All the tricks and flicks couldn’t make any difference as a miserable final touch continues to let down the diminutive winger.
Erling Haaland – 3
The back-to-back Premier League top-scorer lived up to his critics’ label as a ‘big-game flop,’ delivering another near-anonymous performance in a high-octane fixture.
Substitutes
Mateo Kovacic on for De Bruyne – 68′ – 6
Jack Grealish on for Doku – 77′ – 5
Savinho on for Gundogan – 89′ – N/A
Manchester United
Andre Onana – 6
It’s bizarre, yet other than the goal, where could’ve done nothing, he only had to make one save to deny Mount’s effort from outside the box.
Lisandro Martinez – 7
Over-zealous and often mistimed tackles from the Argentine star resulted in numerous threatening set-piece situations around Man Utd’s box.
Harry Maguire – 8
Back to the starting line-up, the former skipper came off better in a daunting match-up against Erlin Haaland, keeping the Norwegian at arm’s length.
Matthijs de Ligt – 8
He was superb all game, never putting his foot wrong before being replaced in the 79th minute.
Diogo Dalot – 6
His overlapping runs were nowhere to be seen, especially before half-time, while he frequently gave away possession way too cheaply.
Manuel Ugarte – 7
Despite holding up his end of the bargain at the back, the ex-Paris Saint-Germain midfielder offered nothing in the build-up.
Bruno Fernandes – 7
Like his colleague in the double pivot, the Man Utd captain had a frustrating afternoon for his high standard, struggling to gain a foothold in the game. There’s no excuse for missing a chance like that, but he atoned from the spot.
Noussair Mazraoui – 6
Though he fared reasonably well against Doku, the Moroccan did nothing noteworthy in the opposition’s half.
Amad Diallo – 9 *MOTM*
A complete absence of concentration saw him caught offside as many as three times inside the first 35 minutes alone. However, he was a source of threat in the second half, ultimately turning the game on its head by himself. Drew a penalty and scored a match-winner in two minutes.
Mason Mount – N/A
Amorim deeply regretted his decision to bench Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford as the Englishman suffered another injury setback after only 14 minutes.
Rasmus Hojlund – 5.5
Nearly invisible in attack, he let Gvardiol slip his mark and beat Onana from point-blank range. Teed up Fernandes with a defence-splitting pass for United’s best chance of the match.
Substitutes
Kobbie Mainoo on for Mount – 14′ – 7
Joshua Zirkzee on for Hojlund – 78′ – 5
Antony on for Mazraoui – 79′ – 5
Leny Yoro on for De Ligt – 79′ – 6
Victor Lindelof on for Diallo – 90+1′ – N/A
