Amad inspired a remarkable late turnaround as Manchester United came from behind to seal a dramatic 2-1 derby victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
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Out-of-form City looked set to move within six points of Premier League leaders Liverpool after Josko Gvardiol's header put them in the ascendency in the first half.
However, Pep Guardiola's side were far from their best throughout Sunday's contest and were hit with two late sucker punches, with Amad playing a central role in both goals.
The 22-year-old drew a rash tackle from Matheus Nunes to win a penalty that Bruno Fernandes converted in the 88th minute, before scoring himself from a tight angle with stoppage time looming to hand Ruben Amorim a memorable win.
Man Utd climbed to 12th after snapping a two-game losing run and are now just five points adrift of City, who remain fifth, nine points off the top.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
15 | +18 | 36 |
| 2 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
16 | +18 | 34 |
| 3 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
16 | +14 | 30 |
| 4 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
16 | +2 | 28 |
| 5 |
Man City
MCI
|
16 | +5 | 27 |
| 6 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
16 | -1 | 25 |
How the match unfolded
Phil Foden flashed a volley past the right-hand post as City dominated possession in the early exchanges without carving out clear-cut chances.
However, they did make the breakthrough in the 36th minute. Kevin De Bruyne played a one-two with Ilkay Gundogan from a corner, with the Belgian’s subsequent cross looping up off Amad and to Gvardiol, who powered his header into the left-hand corner.
But City did not kick on in the second half and failed to heed two huge warnings.
Amad saw a glancing header tipped around the post by Ederson, then Fernandes dinked wide after being played clean through by Rasmus Hojlund.
City were masters of their own downfall when United finally levelled – Nunes played a back pass directly to Amad then promptly fouled the winger inside the area, allowing Fernandes to drill home from the spot.
And the United fans were in derby dreamland two minutes later as a long ball over the top from Lisandro Martinez set Amad away. He took a fine first touch to beat Ederson before finishing expertly to cap a famous victory.
More misery for makeshift Man City
Yet again, Guardiola was left stunned on the sidelines as City failed to win for the sixth time in seven Premier League matches.
This staggering defeat, in front of their own fans and against their fiercest rivals, will surely represent their most painful loss of their campaign to date.
Since suffering the blow of losing Rodri to a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury, Guardiola and City have spent plenty of time searching for a way to take charge in midfield and cut down on chances conceded on the counter-attack.
Injuries to Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and John Stones – who was back among the substitutes for this one – have not helped City's cause, and for this derby, Guardiola picked a starting XI featuring just three recognised defenders, with Nunes filling in at left-back.
Given the makeshift nature of City's side, it was perhaps no surprise that they took their time to get going. Foden's miscued effort in the 21st minute was the first shot registered by either team in the match – the longest wait on record for a shot in a Premier League Manchester derby.
However, Gvardiol's opener failed to provide the champions with an injection of confidence, and the tepid nature of their display continued into the second half.
The nervousness around the Etihad seemed to spread to those donning sky blue, and it was a glaring individual error from Nunes – followed by his desperate attempt to atone – that saw their lead evaporate.
Shellshocked by Fernandes' equaliser, City were all over the place when Martinez launched a simple long ball down the middle, with Amad the benefactor, though he still had plenty of work to do.
Having looked set to move back into the top four, City now have to regroup for a crucial matchup with Aston Villa next Saturday.
Statement victory for Amorim
For 88 minutes, it looked like being a frustrating day for Amorim and United, who were staring at a third successive Premier League defeat before launching their late comeback.
Before kick-off, Amorim was forced to explain the surprise omissions of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, both of whom were left out of the United squad entirely in decisions the Red Devils boss described as "simple selection".
Amorim then suffered a major blow after just 14 minutes as Mason Mount limped off injured, and another before half-time when the Red Devils conceded their eighth goal from a corner this season – only Wolverhampton Wanderers (nine) have shipped more such goals in the Premier League this campaign.
However, whatever Amorim said at half-time certainly had the desired effect. Amad and Fernandes both went close to levelling, while a Ruben Dias challenge on Hojlund was deemed not to be worthy of a penalty by the referee, with the VAR confirming that decision.
The Red Devils got a huge slice of fortune when Nunes' moment of madness allowed them to equalise, but the character they showed to go on and snatch a winner will certainly please Amorim, who of course beat City with Sporting in the UEFA Champions League last month.
Amad was a fitting hero, having been one of the main beneficiaries of the Portuguese's arrival after turning his hand to an unfamiliar wing-back role.
Amorim's United may still be a work in progress, but results like this one will certainly serve to get fans onside. They face Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup quarter-finals next up, with a piece of silverware within their sights.
Match reports
Man City report | Man Utd report
What the managers said
Pep Guardiola: "Not much to say. No defence, they were incredibly persistent. We have not lost eight games in two seasons. We can't defend that. It's not about this or that player. We gave away goals, our fault. We don't play with composure. The results are not good, the game was not exceptional. I know the situation, I understand but the reality is this.
"They have to know that these situations happen. In the box you have to be careful. It's not about Matheus [Nunes], he played really good in not his position at full-back. But it's not about that, we have to play better. The result will help us to take our best but right now we don't have it. The way I learn is to keep going."
Ruben Amorim: "Three points. We have a lot to do but massive for our fans. But I see the same game until 85 minutes. Maybe our conversation would be so different without the goals but the performance was the same. They were in the game for 90 minutes. We didn't control the result throughout but I think we deserved this. Good day for us.
"You can feel it we were near to scoring. We improved our speed in our runs and had opportunities. We controlled the attack of City and we believed it in the end. We wanted it more when we scored the first goal. Congratulations to the lads."
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Match facts
Man 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 game 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 (2).
Amad's goal was just the seventh 90th-minute winner scored against the reigning Premier League champions, and the second netted by a Man Utd player (after Robin van Persie v Manchester City in December 2012).
