Man City 1-2 Man Utd: Amad Diallo scores winner as Ruben Amorim’s side stage late comeback to deepen Pep Guardiola’s woes | Football News

Manchester United staged a stunning comeback at the Etihad Stadium as Amad Diallo’s last-minute goal clinched a 2-1 win over crisis-hit Manchester City.

Ruben Amorim’s side were trailing to Josko Gvardiol’s first-half header until the 88th minute, when a tepid derby exploded into life as Matheus Nunes fouled Amad, following a poor backpass, to concede a penalty which was converted by Bruno Fernandes.

Moments later, the excellent Amad was put through on goal from Lisandro Martinez’s ball over the top, touching it around Ederson before steering a superb finish into the net from an acute angle to leave the home supporters in stunned silence.

The result deepens the crisis facing Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, whose side have only won one of their last 11 games in all competitions, continuing the club’s worst run of form since 2006.

For Manchester United, the victory, only their second in the Premier League under Amorim, came after two huge calls by the new boss, who left forwards Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out of his squad, citing selection reasons.

Their absences saw Amad pushed into a more advanced role and he duly punished the out-of-sorts hosts for failing to add to Gvardiol’s opener, which was headed home from Kevin De Bruyne’s deflected cross from one of few chances in the first half.

It appeared Guardiola’s side were going to stumble over the line to victory when Fernandes dinked a one-on-one chance wide after Amad had seen a flicked header pushed around the post by Ederson in the second period, but City’s latest implosion allowed United to celebrate a remarkable victory.

The champions are left in fifth place, behind Nottingham Forest in fourth, and nine points off leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Watch: The all-important goals

Amorim on ‘massive’ win: We deserved it

Man Utd boss Reuben Amorim told Sky Sports: “We have a lot to do but it was massive for our fans.

“Our conversation would be so different without the two goals but the performance would be the same.

“I think the players did a very good job. They were in the game for 90 minutes and that is really important. I think we deserved this win. It was a good day for us.

“You could feel we were near to scoring. We improved our speed when we made more runs. We controlled [Erling] Haaland and the other guys in City’s offense very well.

“When we scored the first one, you could feel it. They wanted it more. Congratulations to the players. We needed it a lot.”

On Marcus Rashford and Alejandro GarnachoAmorim added: “It was nothing special. New week, new life. If they train well, they will compete for a place in the team, if they are better than the other guys in all the situations, inside and outside the pitch.

“They are really talented and we need Garna and Rash a lot. It was not a disciplinary thing. It’s just that we have to improve our standards. They will get used to this.”

Rashford’s reaction: ‘Yesssssssss!’

Fernandes lauds ‘unstoppable’ Amad

Bruno Fernandes hailed Manchester United match-winner Amad Diallotelling Sky Sports: “He has been doing great things and there’s a lot more to come.

“He’s always active, always alive and this is why he gets the penalty and his goal. He’s been brilliant but I shouldn’t say much as we need to keep him going as we need him at this level.

“Like this, he is unstoppable.

“I’m pretty sure he can do this every week. We expect it. He knows the expectation when playing for Manchester United. He’s getting his chance deservedly. When you do the right things at the right moments the rewards are here.”

Hojlund’s love letter to Walker

Rasmus Hojlund and Kyle Walker were both booked following a coming together in the first half, with Roy Keane labelling the City defender’s theatrical reaction to touching heads with the United stiker “embarrassing”.

Hojlund took to social media to taunt Walker aftewards, writing on Instagram: “Manchester is red, violets are blue, what a brilliant performance, but the Oscar goes to…”

Silva: ‘Stupid’ Man City played like under-15s

Bernardo Silva did not hold back on Manchester City’s collapse, telling Sky Sports: “We totally deserved what happened.

“At this level, if it’s a game or two, you can say that they are being lucky. If it’s 10 games, it’s not about that.

“If in the 87th minute of a derby, you are winning 1-0 with a corner for your team and the ball ends up with your ‘keeper and a penalty for them, my friend…

“If you make these kinds of stupid decisions with three or four minutes to go, you deserve to pay for that.

“If you look at the game, there was only one team that could win. But in the end, we lost, and it’s not one game, it’s a lot of games lately.

“We have to look at ourselves. It’s not about luck. It’s the decisions you make. Today, in the last minutes we played like under-15s and we paid the price.”

Pep: We gave it away… I have to find solutions

Man City boss Pep Guardiola told Sky Sports: “This year it happens many times unfortunately. We gave away many things. We are not nice in the way we played. Before it was so fluid, now we’re struggling for different reasons. A lot of defeats.

“We put everything in and the game was almost closed. They had more possession first half but nothing special. We give away two goals, very difficult.

“It is what it is. What can I say? We can not blame this player or that one, it’s not that. It’s the season, a tough season.

“We didn’t play our best. We are not our best and we struggle a bit. Now we don’t play for the week.

“Previously we didn’t lose that many in two seasons. Now we’ve done it in eight games. You have to defend. We have lost a lot of games. It’s difficult. We have to move on and try to find the solution and try to win games.

“I think in nine years it wasn’t the toughest defeat. Champions League defeats were harder. But at the moment, we need results to lift our mood. It’s getting worse and worse. I have to find the solution. So far I didn’t find it and this is the truth.”

Man City’s collapse in stats

• Manchester City were leading until the 88th minute of this match, but ended up losing 2-1 – the latest into a game that a reigning champion has led in a Premier League fixture and lost.
• The team leading at half-time of both Manchester derbies in the Premier League in 2024 has gone on to lose (3-1 to Man City in March and 2-1 to Man Utd in December). This is as many times as the team behind at half-time had gone on to win in all meetings between the two sides in the competition previously (two).
• Amad Diallo’s goal was just the seventh 90th-minute winner scored against the reigning Premier League champions, and the second netted by a Manchester United player (after Robin van Persie against Manchester City in December 2012).
• Manchester City have only lost four of the 105 Premier League home games in which they’ve been ahead at half-time under Pep Guardiola (W94 D7), with half of those defeats coming against Manchester United – 3-2 in April 2018 and 2-1 in this game.

The story of the match

What’s coming up in the Premier League?