Manchester United clinched a thrilling 2-1 win over Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday, scoring twice in the final three minutes to inflict more misery on the Premier League champions.
City’s recent struggles continued as they have now won only once in their last 11 matches, a run that includes eight defeats.
Josko Gvardiol’s first-half header gave City the lead, but United responded dramatically in the dying minutes.
Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty to equalize before Amad Diallo sealed the victory with a narrow-angle strike in the final moments of regular time.
The defeat leaves City in fifth place, nine points behind leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.
United, on the other hand, moved up to 12th, just five points adrift of their local rivals.
The victory could be a turning point for Ruben Amorim, who has only had one win in his first five league games in charge, and may signal a shift in the balance of power in the Manchester derby.
Amorim made the controversial decision to leave Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out of the squad, a decision that came under scrutiny when Mason Mount was forced off with an injury in the 12th minute.
Both sides appeared low on confidence in a cagey first half, with Phil Foden’s volley being the first shot on target in the 20th minute.
United’s defensive issues on set-pieces resurfaced when Gvardiol found the net with a header from a Kevin De Bruyne cross in the 36th minute.
The match then briefly sparked into life when Kyle Walker and Rasmus Hojlund clashed, earning yellow cards for both.
City, struggling to find their rhythm, were unable to convert their chances in the second half.
Foden, who has struggled for form this season, came close to doubling City’s lead with a deflected shot but could not find the net.
United, who failed to register a shot on target in the first half, showed more ambition after the break. Fernandes missed a great opportunity to level the scores when his chip went wide with Ederson to beat.
However, City’s defensive errors allowed United to take advantage.
Matheus Nunes’ poor backpass allowed Diallo to pounce, and after being fouled by Nunes, Fernandes coolly converted the resulting penalty to make it 1-1.
United’s winner came in the final minute when Lisandro Martinez’s long ball found Diallo, who rounded Ederson to score and seal a remarkable turnaround.
