City’s Early Dominance and Gvardiol's Header
City dominated possession early on, dictating the tempo of the game with fluid attacking play. Their efforts paid off in the 55th minute when Josko Gvardiol found the back of the net with a powerful header from a Kevin De Bruyne corner. At that point, it seemed like United would struggle to mount a comeback, as they had rarely threatened Ederson’s goal throughout the match.
Pep Guardiola’s men appeared to have the match in hand, having controlled much of the game. However, what followed was an extraordinary series of events that completely turned the match on its head.
Nunes’ Mistake and United’s Equalizer
The turning point came in the 85th minute, as former Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes, under pressure from United’s high press, played a disastrous underhit back-pass to his goalkeeper, Ederson. The Brazilian keeper was forced into a desperate clearance attempt, but as he scrambled to recover the situation, he fouled United's Amad Diallo inside the penalty box.
The referee had little choice but to point to the spot, and Bruno Fernandes stepped up with typical composure, converting the penalty with ease to level the score at 1-1. It was a moment of madness from Nunes that allowed United back into the game, but the drama was far from over.
Late Drama and Amad's Winner
Just moments after Fernandes’ equalizer, United’s remarkable turnaround was completed in the 88th minute. Lisandro Martinez played a perfectly timed long ball over the top, finding Amad Diallo, who showed remarkable poise to flick the ball over Ederson and into the net. The Etihad erupted in disbelief as Amad, with the calmness of a seasoned pro, nudged the ball into the empty net to give United the unlikeliest of leads.
United’s 2-1 victory was confirmed moments later, as they saw out the final minutes of the game to claim a memorable derby win. The away fans in full voice, while City players and supporters were left stunned, unable to comprehend how their team had thrown away a match they seemed to have under control.
Historic Significance of United’s Victory
This win was particularly significant for United, as it represented their first derby victory in recent history where they had been trailing into the final stages. The result continued an unusual trend in 2024 Premier League Manchester derbies – the team leading at halftime has now lost both encounters this year (City in March and United in December), with no previous encounters in the competition seeing as many comebacks from teams trailing at halftime.
Amad Diallo’s late winner also etched its name into Premier League history, as it became the seventh 90th-minute winner scored against the reigning champions, and the second scored by a Manchester United player, after Robin van Persie’s iconic goal in December 2012.
City’s Struggles Continue
The defeat means Manchester City’s struggles continue, with the reigning champions now having just one win in their last 11 matches across all competitions. Despite their dominance in possession and attacking play, City once again failed to convert their superiority into a victory, managing only 0.91 expected goals (xG) compared to United’s 1.99.
Guardiola will undoubtedly be perplexed by his side’s inability to put games to bed and address their ongoing inconsistencies, as City now find themselves nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, sitting in fifth place.
United Look to Build Momentum
For United, this victory provides a significant confidence boost as they look to climb further up the table. The win lifts them to 12th, but manager Ruben Amorim will now turn his attention to a crucial EFL Cup quarter-final clash against Tottenham on Thursday. If United can build on this result, they will hope to further establish themselves as genuine contenders in the season’s latter stages.
What's Next?
Manchester City will be hoping to bounce back quickly when they travel to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday, as they look to end a run of disappointing results and get their title defense back on track.
In what has already been a dramatic season, the 2024 Manchester derby will go down as one of the most memorable, as United’s late show proved that anything is possible in this fiercely contested rivalry.
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