Old Trafford euphoric again as United completes derby double

MANCHESTER, England — The euphoric roars as fans leaped from their Old Trafford seats took Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back to the Alex Ferguson era.

Back to when Manchester United’s supremacy over its neighbor was undisputed.

Back to when Solskjaer was playing under the managerial great rather than being the latest coach trying to recapture those glory days.

“I was probably more used to it back then,” the 47-year-old Norwegian said.

It’s been 15 challenging months at the helm, from the early highs to growing dissent.

All the gloom seemed to wash away in Sunday’s Manchester downpour as Anthony Martial and Scott McTominay profited from Ederson’s goalkeeping errors to claim a 2-0 win over City.

The ball rolling into an empty net with almost the last touch of the game from McTominay had fans punching the air in delight, and cheering across the stadium,

For the first time in a decade, United had completed the double over its neighbor, by beating City home and away in the Premier League.

Ferguson, still in the dugout the last time that happened, was beaming in the directors’ box this time.

“The desire and work rate, that’s what I think the fans love about these players,” Solskjaer said. “To see the connections between the players, the team and the fans today. What an atmosphere. At the end, seeing everyone in the stands. You turn around and you see Sir Alex up there, he is proud and it’s a big moment for every one of us.”