LONDON — Manchester United scored twice in the final three minutes to deepen English Premier League champions Manchester City’s crisis with a 2-1 win at the Etihad.
Josko Gvardiol’s first-half header had put Pep Guardiola’s men in front. But United hit back for just Ruben Amorim’s second win in five league matches since taking charge last month.
Bruno Fernandes’ penalty levelled before Amad Diallo squeezed home the winner from a narrow angle in the last minute of regular time.
Ruben Amorim’s side was heading for a third consecutive league defeat as they trailed to Josko Gvardiol’s header.
But a scrappy derby short of quality had a stunning late twist as a mistake by Matheus Nunes led to a penalty which allowed Fernandes the chance to level from the spot in the 88th minute.
City had hardly got over that shock when seconds later Diallo sent the visiting fans into delirium with a superb finish from the tightest of angles.
City has now won only once in 11 games in all competitions and stay fifth in the table. Man United moved up to 12th.
Neither side started the game brimming with any fluency after bleak recent results as United did not have a shot on target before the interval, Reuters reported.
United manager Ruben Amorim flexed his muscles ahead of his first Manchester derby, leaving Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out of his match-day squad and he was then forced to make an early switch as Mason Mount hobbled off after 14 minutes to be replaced by Kobbie Mainoo.
It took 20 minutes for City to muster a shot at goal as Phil Foden’s half-volley went wide. At the other end Diallo struck the outside of the post with a shot but he was offside anyway.
City’s fans were becoming restless but the tension lifted around the Etihad Stadium in the 36th minute as, from a short corner, De Bruyne’s cross was deflected and dropped invitingly for Gvardiol to guide a header past Andre Onana.
It was the eighth goal United have conceded from a corner this season, a figure only topped by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Tempers boiled over soon afterwards as City’s Kyle Walker and Rasmus Hojland came together like two rutting stags and Walker fell theatrically to the ground, earning both players yellow cards after a melee involving several more.
United kept themselves in the game in the second half and should have equalised when Bruno Fernandes was played through on goal but his dinked finish drifted agonisingly wide.
City failed to even have a shot on target after the break and was left devastated as their world collapsed around them.
Nunes’s terrible back pass was seized upon by Diallo and he then compounded the error by hacking down the United player.
Fernandes tucked away the penalty, but worse was still to come for the hosts as Diallo nipped in to grab the winner.
Burnley, meanwhile, beat Norwich 2-1 to climb to third in the English Championship as Watford overcame West Brom by the same scoreline, AFP reported.
Norwich defender Jose Cordoba headed home his first goal in English football in the second minute but Scott Parker’s team hit back strongly after the break.
Substitute Zian Flemming’s brilliant long-range strike levelled it for the Clarets midway through the second period and an emphatic finish from Josh Brownhill eight minutes later proved to be the winner.
Burnley, seeking an immediate return to the Premier League, is just one point behind second-placed Leeds, with the top two teams gaining automatic promotion.
Sheffield United tops the table with 45 points, three clear of Leeds after 21 games.
Earlier, two sweetly taken goals by Vakoun Bayo gave Watford a 2-1 victory over West Brom at Vicarage Road that lifted Tom Cleverley’s side back into play-off contention.
Discussion about this post