Manchester United came from a goal down to claim a 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Substitute Jack Grealish put the Citizens in front on the hour mark in a tense Manchester derby.
However, Bruno Fernandes scored in the 78th minute amid VAR controversy, earlier Marcus Rashford scored what turned out to be the winning goal in the 82nd minute of the contest.
Saturday’s win, Manchester United’s ninth on the bounce in all competitions, has moved them into third place in the table, just one point behind second-placed City.
Erik ten Hag’s men are now just six points behind leaders Arsenal, who will be happy with the result from Saturday’s early kickoff.
City sit five points off the summit, with the Gunners in action against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby on Sunday.
Summary
United started the match the brighter, with the first chance of the match coming in the 11th minute when Christian Eriksen found Fernandes inside the City box, but the Portuguese dragged his effort just wide of the goal.
After some early moves by United, City also tried to break the deadlock in the 24th minute. Erling Haaland’s first chance on goal was blocked by Casemiro and Raphael Varane.
Rashford had a good chance to send the home side through in the 33rd minute, but City’s defenders surrounded him before Kyle Walker made a crucial block to deny the hosts the lead.
Rashford had another chance in the 37th minute when he ran past Rodri before heading into the Man City box, but the Englishman’s final touch was too heavy, allowing Ederson to come out and make the block.
As hard as both teams tried in the first half, there were no goals to show for their efforts.
United made changes at the interval. Anthony comes in for Anthony Martial, who was a doubt before the Manchester derby due to a foot problem.
Both teams had good efforts on goal and shouts for penalty kicks were awarded by the referee.
Pep Guardiola, in the 57th minute, pulled Phil Foden and replaced him with Jack Grealish.
It proved to be a smart move, as the England international scored three minutes later. He headed Kevin De Bruyne’s cross into the back of the net from close range.
After going behind, United continued to find openings in the City defence, and their persistence paid off in the 78th minute when Fernandes swept the ball into the bottom corner to level the scores.
An offside flag was initially raised in Rashford’s position, but the Englishman did not touch the ball, so the goal was allowed to stand.
Also read: Europa League: Rashford, Martial seal another win for United in five-goal thriller
Just when one expected the derby to end in a stalemate, the Ten Hag team took the lead in the 82nd minute.
Rashford must have been lively all day as the ball went through Ederson’s legs after meeting Alejandro Garnacho’s low cross.
Haaland wanted a penalty in the 86th minute after a challenge from Casemiro, but VAR favored the referee’s call, much to the blue team’s frustration.
As expected, Man City applied the pressure in the closing stages, but United valiantly defended their slim advantage until the final whistle.
Next up for the Ten Hag side in the league is a trip to London to face Crystal Palace on Wednesday, while Man City have a tough game against Tottenham on Thursday.
Support the integrity and credibility of PREMIUM TIMES journalism
Good journalism costs a lot of money. But only good journalism can guarantee the possibility of a good society, responsible democracy, and transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country, we ask that you consider making a modest contribution to this noble effort.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you help keep journalism relevant and ensure it remains free and available to all.
contribute
AD TEXT: Call Willie – +2348098788999
