Manchester United are back on track with a Premier League win after two defeats. And what a win it was.
Manchester United piled the pressure onto Manchester City with a stunning 2-1 win at The Etihad, thanks to late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad.
City did not look ‘at it’ at all during the game, and despite going 1-0 up, they were there for the taking. It just needed somebody to step up, and Amad obliged.
Here is a look at the winners and losers from Manchester United’s win…
Winners
We could go on and on and have had to condense this section to just four…
Amad Diallo: The only place to start is with Amad Diallo, who won the penalty for Manchester United to equalise. And then his wondrous goal was reminiscent of Paul Gascoigne for England at Euro ’96.
For Amad to produce his moment of magic at the home of United’s rivals to win the game in injury time, speaks volumes of his ability and mentality.
Amad was tireless off the ball and has become the first name on the teamsheet. He now has winning goals against City and Liverpool to his name in 2024, and is becoming a key player at only 22.
Manuel Ugarte: Manuel Ugarte is really looking settled in now at Manchester United, thriving under the head coach who made him a star at Sporting.
The Uruguayan midfielder helped United to win the midfield battle against City, looking tidy in possession by completing 95 per cent off his passes.
Right now Ugarte is entrenched as a big-game starter for United, and it is just a case of who partners him in midfield.
Manchester United’s back three: We could select any of Manchester United’s three defenders in this spot.
Lisandro Martinez completed 60 of 61 passes and provided the assist for Amad’s late winner with a searching, direct forward pass.
Harry Maguire was effective in the penalty box, helping to shackle Erling Haaland, while winning four of four duels on the ground. United fans were impressed.
Matthijs de Ligt was able to celebrate his first Manchester derby with a win, he won four of five aerial duels he competed for.
Leny Yoro is the future and came on late to see out the win, as did Victor Lindelof, but this back three will take some dislodging.
Ruben Amorim: Ruben Amorim has now beaten Pep Guardiola twice in two months, and he was won his first Manchester derby on the first attempt. Erik ten Hag’s first visit to The Etihad was a 6-3 hammering, by comparison.
Amorim has never lost three straight league games in his career, and he not only avoided this, he went on to see his side score a statement victory.
United are still rooted 13th in the table – but Amorim is onto something and his players are buying in, evidenced by them winning while leaving out two key players.
Losers
We have picked out the losers from Manchester United’s victory…
Mason Mount: This was a nightmare for Mason Mount. Finally entrusted to start a key game, the midfielder lasted just 12 minutes.
United had been easing him back into action carefully and limiting his minutes. He barely got going in this one.
Mount had touched the ball only nine times before being substituted with what looked like a recurrence of a calf injury.
Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford: The talk before the game was the shock exclusion of Manchester United duo Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford.
Ruben Amorim explained he wanted to see improvement from both of them, and Ineos are prepared to back the head coach.
Rashford did celebrate United’s win after the game, but United’s victory without them was a stark warning – life goes on.
Pep Guardiola: We can’t ignore how chastening this loss will have been for Pep Guardiola, who is in the biggest crisis of his managerial career.
He has only one win in City’s last 11 games. Ruben Amorim has two wins over City during that time period.
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