Manchester United completed a dramatic late turnaround against crosstown rivals Manchester City, with two last-gasp goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo helping them emerge victorious in the 195th Manchester derby.
Ruben Amorim’s men had trailed at half-time after a deflected Kevin de Bruyne cross was headed home by Josko Gvardiol following a rare defensive lapse by the visitors.
However, the Reds refused to let their heads drop, and after Fernandes had missed a great chance to equalise, the Portuguese playmaker quickly got a second bite at the cherry.
Less than two minutes later, Diallo latched on to a Lisandro Martínez long pass before slotting home a brilliant winner from an acute angle to spark jubilation in the away end.
With much to discuss, here are five talking points from a remarkable Manchester derby.
Diallo flips derby on it’s head
The Ivorian wide-man was the star of the show on Sunday evening, and he changed the course of this game in United’s favour.
First, the former Sunderland loanee won the penalty that Fernandes ultimately equalised from, but it didn’t end there for the tricky 22-year-old.
Only 115 seconds later, he bagged a fabulous winning goal, getting to the ball first before the onrushing Ederson and carefully guiding it to the net for a sensational end to the game.
It’s crazy to think the Ivory Coast international was far from an automatic starter under Erik ten Hag’s reign.
Amorim makes big pre-match selection call
There was plenty of debate before kick-off as the attacking duo of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were both omitted from the matchday squad.
It appears Amorim will not accept passengers in his Old Trafford rebuild job regardless of the name.
With part-owners INEOS continuing their overhaul of the club, no one can afford to be complacent anymore.
As for Garnacho and Rashford, they will now have to show that they are up for the battle of getting back into Amorim’s plans.
Mount suffers yet another setback
It was a bitterly disappointing day for Mason Mount.
The 25-year-old succumbed to injury after barely a quarter of an hour of play before being replaced by Kobbie Mainoo.
Visibly distraught, the attacker was consoled by teammates and management as he left the field.
Having struggled badly with injuries since his 2023 summer move from Chelsea, many had hoped Mount could finally get a consistent run in the side.
Unfortunately, he could be looking at another frustrating spell on the sidelines.
Red Devils look more solid defensively
Apart from the goal, which came from yet another set-piece routine, the United defence deserves applause.
Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire and Martinez were all solid – with the Argentine centre-back claiming a fine assist with his brilliant ball over the top for Diallo late on.
All three men dealt with City’s threat comfortably and kept Erling Haaland quiet.
Furthermore, Andre Onana thankfully looked less shaky than in his previous two outings, and he dealt well with anything that came his way.
This is an encouraging sign for Amorim, who seems to have solidified his new team, but he will be keen to stop conceding so many goals from corners.
Victory offers a platform to build on
It was a thrilling end to a game that was low on quality for the most part, as Ruben Amorim got the better of Pep Guardiola just weeks after his success with former club Sporting Lisbon.
Sunday’s domestic win over their city rivals is something to build upon for the 20-time English champions and an undeniably huge scalp.
Let’s hope it’s a signal of intent, and the club can generate momentum from here as they seek to return to the head of the English table.
How much did you enjoy a glorious Manchester United win over the noisy neighbours at the weekend?
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