Manchester United bounced back to beat Manchester City in controversial fashion in a dramatic Manchester derby.
It is clear that Manchester United are, quite unexpectedly, in the running for the Premier League title.
COMPLETE REPEAT OF THE MATCH
Jack Grealish had put City ahead after coming off the bench, but late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford gave United the win. Fernandes’ equalizer was highly controversial as Rashford was in an offside position and although he did not touch the ball, he clearly seemed to be impacting the game.
The Red Devils have now won nine games in a row in all competitions and five in a row in the Premier League. They have 38 points and are just one point behind second place Manchester City and six points behind leaders Arsenal.
Erik ten Hag’s side are in this title race, while Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions have lost two games in a row to be knocked out of the League Cup and now beaten in the Manchester Derby. They just don’t look like themselves.
[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]
first division news
Brighton crush emaciated Liverpool Southampton seal comeback win at Everton to turn up the pressure on Lampard Chelsea Transfer News, Live! Latest reports, rumors, updates
Offside drama as Red Devils stick to game plan and rise again
Look, by the letter of the law, Marcus Rashford technically could have agreed, but there’s no way it wouldn’t have impacted the positioning of Manuel Akanji and City goalkeeper Ederson. The fact that Rashford ran towards the goal with the ball basically under his feet surely interferes with the game and affects the positions of the others. Still, United’s game plan was excellent against City and completely fooled the reigning champions. Fred was excellent as the extra man in midfield as he and Casemiro shut down De Bruyne and Bruno clipped long balls over the top for Rashford to run towards them. The entire United team went with the plan and Erik ten Hag nailed the substitution with Antony and Garnacho adding extra tricks on the counter-attack in the second half. United are solid defensively and are in incredible shape. Surely now they are in this title race.
the story continues
Erik ten Hag hails Manchester United’s ‘huge’ spirit
Speaking to BT Sport, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag praised his team’s spirit in their comeback win.
“The first half we played very well. We defended very well and broke on good opportunities. We were very happy at half time. After half time we had to substitute Martial, he had some complaints and the game changed. City came in, we were not proactive. They scored. The spirit of the team is so great that there is a belief that the game is 90 minutes and we can counterattack. I am very happy with the performance of the team… The belief has returned and we are in a good direction. You have to work out of possession [against teams like City]. They have qualities in partial moments to score goals. We saw that today. One mistake and they scored”.
Bruno Fernandes: ‘We used to be individuals… but now we are a team’
United’s Portuguese playmaker also spoke to BT Sport and hailed the collective unity, saying they are now a “proper team” who are working together. This feels a bit different from even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s great wins and displays. United still have a lot left in the tank and Erik ten Hag has everyone heading in the right direction.
stars of the show
Mark Rashford: I fell behind so many times and scored once more. Such a threat and in the way of his life.
casemiro: Dominant in central midfield, as he and Fred blocked Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. He is the heartbeat of this team. Big block on Haaland in the first half.
Rodri: He did very well to help City take control of the game early in the second half. Somehow it is still underrated.
Manchester United vs Manchester City live
Whats Next?
Manchester United travel to Crystal Palace on Wednesday 18 January, while Manchester City host Tottenham on Thursday 19 January.
Live analysis of Manchester United vs Manchester City! – By Joe Prince-Wright
Start: 7:30 a.m. ET, Saturday
TV Channel: USA Network
Online: streaming via NBCSports.com
FULL TIME – Big win for Manchester United as they fought back to beat Manchester City 2-1. But everyone will be talking about that equalizing goal. Here is the official ruling from the FA.
Later United hold and brilliant defending from Lisandro Martinez and others.
GOALL! Marcus Rashford finishes home after some excellent work from Garnacho down the left.
GOALL! And great controversy. Marcus Rashford was flagged for offside and Bruno Fernandes’ goal did not stand, but VAR was used and now it stands. That is controversial. Rashford was clearly offside and impacted the game, but he didn’t touch the ball.
United have not really responded to going back. City by clicking the gears now and playing keep the ball. They are in their element.
Simply sublime from Kevin de Bruyne and look at Grealish’s hunger to reach higher and return home. Can United respond?
Phil Foden is out and Jack Grealish is on. A frustrating start for the first. He felt that he was offside most of the time when he tried to get involved in the attacks.
Chance! Varane finds himself at the back post, but pushes his effort just wide. Great opportunity for United. At the other end, Phil Foden goes down in the box under pressure from Casemiro, but that’s not a penalty kick.
Antony is at half time, but for Anthony Martial, not for Rashford. The latter has gotten rid of that fashion problem. Antony is playing up the middle.
Halftime: Man United 0-0 Man City – United have looked good on the counterattack and City haven’t had too many clear chances. A tense but intriguing first half in the Manchester Derby.
Rashford is back for now, but Antony is warming up and has a quiet word with Erik ten Hag. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go on at halftime.
Chance! Rashford goes in again but Ederson comes out and chokes the shot from him. United get way behind Walker.
Chance! A ball over the top sends Ederson running, but Rashford gets ahead of him and circles him. His cross is blocked and then a cross is turned, but Ederson saves the header. Incisive and direct attack from United.
Lots of ball for City, but they’re not doing much with it. It seems that De Bruyne and Haaland have switched positions for a while.
Chance! After a patient game of preparation, City find Haaland in the box, but Casemiro dives in with a good block. Better from the City. Much more I like them.
Cancelo clears after United play a long ball over the top and scores a cross into the box. His plan is working.
Broad! Bruno Fernandes drags a shot wide of the far post after a skilful pass. United settling into the game.
There aren’t any great chances yet, but City dominate possession and United are happy to sit back and play direct. Intriguing tactical battle. Both Pep and ETH have their eyes wide open and look worried on the sidelines. This is going to be a tight and tense game.
Kick off! We are up and running and City are allowed to have a lot of the ball from the start.
For United, Luke Shaw starts at central defender with Tyrell Malacia at left-back, while Fred starts alongside Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in midfield.
As for City, they make eight changes to the squad they lost in Southampton in midweek, as Haaland and De Bruyne are tasked with unlocking this suddenly very stingy United defence. Akanji and Ake in the center of defense have a big task to stop Rashford and Martial.
Hello and welcome! It’s Manchester Derby day and Old Trafford is on. The team news is intriguing, so let’s break it all down.
key stories
United are gathering momentum and Marcus Rashford is leading the charge. He has scored seven goals in his last six games with the Red Devils and looks pretty unstoppable right now. On the other hand, Casemiro dominates the midfield and Lisandro Martínez returns to defense after winning the World Cup. Throughout the field, Untied is brimming with confidence and looks tough to beat.
Pep Guardiola and Man City just haven’t seen themselves before and after the World Cup break and they will be a little worried heading into this clash. They have struggled against United in derby games in recent years, but that was not the case earlier this season when they won 6-3. Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne tore United to pieces in October and City are hoping the duo can connect and control the pace of this game, especially in midfield.
Fit Players to Watch
Marcus Rashford is the obvious choice for United, while Casemiro and Luke Shaw have also been excellent. Antony is also getting back to his best after a bit of a dip in his form. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been excellent after returning as a right-back, while Bruno Fernandes is also in fine form.
Man City’s Rodri is a key player, while Riyad Mahrez has also been excellent in recent outings and is expected to start.
Manchester United team news, injuries, line-up options
Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek remain out as the latter has revealed he is out for the season after picking up a knee injury. This game comes too soon for Diogo Dalot, as Luke Shaw starts at central defender and Christian Eriksen, Fred and Casemiro start in midfield with a slightly more defensive appearance. Wout Weghorst has arrived on loan but is not available for this match.
Manchester City team news, injuries, line-up options
Center backs Ruben Dias and John Stones are out. Kevin de Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Erling Haaland, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Ederson, Rodri and Bernardo Silva all start after coming on the bench in the loss to Southampton.
Latest U.S.M.N.T. News
USMNT’s Timothy Weah and Haji Wright linked with Premier League clubs World Cup 2026 Host Picks: Which cities will host in the US, Canada and Mexico? Report: Zinedine Zidane Offered, Turned Down USMNT Head Coach Job
Follow @JPW_NBCSports
Manchester United defeat Manchester City in a controversial and dramatic derby originally featured on NBCSports.com
Source: news.google.com