Manchester United earned a dramatic comeback victory over rivals Manchester City with two late goals to secure a 2–1 win at the Etihad Stadium.
After a cagey opening half-hour at the Etihad, Joško Gvardiol’s first-half goal gave the home side the lead in this Manchester derby when the Croatian defender planted a header past goalkeeper André Onana.
The away side rallied in the second half and had two great chances to equalize when Amad Diallo’s header was tipped around the post by City goalkeeper Ederson, before Bruno Fernandes failed to convert a very promising one-on-one opportunity.
With City set to claim all three points, Fernandes levelled the scoring in the 88th minute after a poor backpass and challenge from Matheus Nunes. And in the 90th minute, Diallo stole all three points for United when he burst behind City’s backline and prodded the ball into net after rounding Ederson.
Manchester City have now won just one of their past 11 matches in all competitions and remain fifth in the table, while United’s first away win at the Etihad in over three years has lifted the team up to 12th.
Here's what we learned from the derby:
Amorim’s bold pre-match decision pays off
United head coach Rúben Amorim’s bold decision to leave out attackers Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the squad dominated much of the pre-match discussion for this fixture. The Portuguese asserted the pair were not injured, but were omitted due to his own selection choices, and the team’s spirited performance suggested this surprise news had not affected its morale before the match.
It did appear United had lacked the killer instinct to put away the openings presented to them by City in the second half, which Rashford or Garnacho could have plausibly provided. However, United’s two late goals clinched an astounding turnaround of events at the Etihad Stadium, albeit with a huge helping hand from City. If Amorim intended before the match with his selection choices to send a message to his players that no player is indispensable from his team, this final result on Sunday may have vindicated his brave decision in a big way.
Diallo dazzles in dynamic display
Diallo shouldered the attacking burden for Manchester United in this fixture, in Rashford and Garnacho’s absence, and the 22-year-old met this challenge with a very impressive performance in this match. The Ivorian forward constantly provided the away side with a discernible threat with his driving runs on the right-hand side, constantly troubling Nunes who began the match as City’s left back.
Diallo grew in confidence throughout this match, and was unlucky not to score when his header was well saved by Ederson in the second half. It was then unsurprising that he was the one who scored United’s 90th-minute winner, with a superbly taken goal that may provide fans with hope of a bright future without Rashford or Garnacho at Old Trafford.
Man City crisis continues with incredible capitulation
Manchester City, despite not being at their best on Sunday, looked set to emerge with the spoils in this Manchester derby, but their recent fragility was perfectly underlined with an insane two minutes of madness to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Nunes’ costly mistake gifted Fernandes his equalizer from the spot, and City wilted in the moments before Diallo’s winner with no player daring to apply any pressure towards United defender Lisandro Martínez before his ball for Diallo’s winner. City look bereft of any confidence at the moment, and the reigning Premier League champions have never looked as vulnerable under manager Pep Guardiola as they are at present.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man United Snatches Last-Gasp Win Over Man City in Thrilling Manchester Derby.
