Premier League
Man City2Man Utd3

Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United

Chris Smalling and Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba (right) and Chris Smalling scored the goals in an astonishing Manchester United fightback

Manchester United staged an incredible second-half comeback to beat Manchester City and delay their rivals' Premier League title celebrations at Etihad Stadium.

Paul Pogba scored two goals in two minutes to overturn City's first-half lead before Chris Smalling's header completed the dramatic turnaround.

Vincent Kompany had scored a thumping header before Ilkay Gundogan's sublime skill and precise finish doubled City's lead.

But City, who would have been crowned champions with victory, will have to wait as second-placed United narrowed the gap to 13 points ensuring there were no celebrations on derby day.

Manchester City will need to win at Tottenham next Saturday and hope Manchester United drop points at home to West Brom the day after to be confirmed as Premier League champions next weekend.

And the hosts should have been away after a blistering opening period saw them tear United apart and hold a comfortable lead going into the second half.

They could have had a penalty within five minutes when Ashley Young slipped and appeared to touch the ball away from Raheem Sterling after David Silva had crossed in from the left.

Bernardo Silva was inches away from poking home shortly afterwards but he failed to get enough on the ball to beat the outstretched leg of David de Gea.

Kompany then made no mistake when he leapt highest and beat Smalling to head home from a corner and give City a deserved lead, before Gundogan turned away from Smalling in the box to make it 2-0.

Sterling should have scored twice but he fired both efforts over the bar and Gundogan also had a free header from eight yards out which he squandered - all missed opportunities in the first half.

City then started the second half in similar fashion as Gundogan clipped the post with a curling effort but Pogba's quick double interrupted their rhythm and reversed the momentum.

Smalling, who had been at fault for both goals in the first half, then directed his header past Ederson to round off a tremendous comeback in the 69th minute.

That was not the end of the drama, though, as substitute Sergio Aguero had a strong claim for a penalty turned down after a challenge by Young - and moments later players from both sides clashed as tensions boiled over.

De Gea then pulled off a sensational save in the 89th minute to deny Aguero a late equaliser, before Sterling saw the ball ricochet off his hip and almost squeeze in before the keeper palmed it away.

Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero thought he had scored a late equaliser but was denied by a sensational save from David de Gea in the 89th minute

What's next?

Manchester City welcome Liverpool for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday (19:45 BST kick-off) before travelling to Wembley to take on Tottenham in the Premier league on Saturday (19:45).

Manchester United host bottom side West Brom to Old Trafford in the league next Sunday (16:00).

Line-ups

Man City

  • 31Ederson
  • 3DaniloBooked at 90mins
  • 4KompanyBooked at 90mins
  • 30Otamendi
  • 18Delph
  • 8GündoganSubstituted forAgüeroat 76'minutesBooked at 79mins
  • 25FernandinhoBooked at 79mins
  • 21SilvaSubstituted forDe Bruyneat 72'minutes
  • 20Bernardo SilvaSubstituted forJesusat 72'minutesBooked at 90mins
  • 7SterlingBooked at 63mins
  • 19Sané

Substitutes

  • 1Bravo
  • 2Walker
  • 10Agüero
  • 14Laporte
  • 17De Bruyne
  • 33Jesus
  • 42Y Touré

Man Utd

  • 1de Gea
  • 25A Valencia
  • 3Bailly
  • 12Smalling
  • 18Young
  • 21HerreraBooked at 37minsSubstituted forLindelöfat 90+4'minutes
  • 31Matic
  • 6PogbaBooked at 81mins
  • 14LingardSubstituted forMcTominayat 85'minutes
  • 9R LukakuBooked at 45mins
  • 7SánchezSubstituted forRashfordat 82'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Lindelöf
  • 5Rojo
  • 8Mata
  • 11Martial
  • 19Rashford
  • 39McTominay
  • 40Castro Pereira
Referee:
Martin Atkinson

Match Stats

Home TeamMan CityAway TeamMan Utd
Possession
Home65%
Away35%
Shots
Home20
Away5
Shots on Target
Home6
Away4
Corners
Home8
Away4
Fouls
Home17
Away9

Live Text

Match ends, Manchester City 2, Manchester United 3.

Full Time

Second Half ends, Manchester City 2, Manchester United 3.

Attempt missed. Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross.

Substitution

Substitution, Manchester United. Victor Lindelöf replaces Ander Herrera.

Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Leroy Sané.

Booking

Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City).

Ander Herrera (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Booking

Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card.

Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City).

Ander Herrera (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Booking

Danilo (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Foul by Danilo (Manchester City).

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Romelu Lukaku.

Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) hits the right post with a left footed shot from very close range. Assisted by Nicolás Otamendi following a corner.

Attempt blocked. Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross.

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Nemanja Matic.

Attempt blocked. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross.

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Nemanja Matic.

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by David de Gea.

Attempt saved. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Leroy Sané with a cross.

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Ashley Young.

Attempt blocked. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.

Foul by Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City).

Ander Herrera (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Substitution

Substitution, Manchester United. Scott McTominay replaces Jesse Lingard.

Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City).

Ander Herrera (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt blocked. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sergio Agüero.

Attempt missed. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Fabian Delph.

Substitution

Substitution, Manchester United. Marcus Rashford replaces Alexis Sánchez.

Booking

Paul Pogba (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Paul Pogba (Manchester United).

Booking

Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card.

Booking

Fernandinho (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Foul by Fernandinho (Manchester City).

Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Leroy Sané (Manchester City).

goal

As It Stands

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Man City32273290246684
2Man Utd32225563253871
3Liverpool331910475354067
4Tottenham32207564273767
5Chelsea31175953302356
6Arsenal311561058411751
7Burnley32131093128349
8Leicester321110114845343
9Everton33118143853-1541
10Newcastle32108143341-838
11Bournemouth33911134153-1238
12Watford33107164259-1737
13Brighton32811132943-1435
14West Ham3189143957-1833
15Swansea3288162645-1932
16Huddersfield3388172654-2832
17Crystal Palace33710163352-1931
18Southampton31513132947-1828
19Stoke3369183063-3327
20West Brom33312182652-2621
View full Premier League table

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