City denied title by Utd comeback
LONDON: Manchester City must wait to annex the English Premier League title after an astonishing Paul Pogbainspired fightback from two goals down resulted in biggest rival Manchester United earning a famous 32 win to ruin the Etihad Stadium’s dream party yesterday.
City, needing to win to wrap up the English topflight title with more games to spare than any other side in history, seemed to be coasting to the landmark, leading its neighbour 20 at the break with goals from Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan.
Yet just when it seemed United was being outplayed to the point of embarrassment, it launched an astonishing comeback soon after the break and Pogba, previously anonymous despite a new flashy blue hairdo, struck twice in two minutes.
Then, with City losing its composure, Chris Smalling was left free to volley home the winner from Alexis Sanchez’s free kick in the 69th minute and seal a memorable win.
Pep Guardiola’s side has been forced to wait to clinch its third title in seven seasons and cannot be guaranteed the title even if it wins at Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday.
Its lead over United has been cut to 13 points and Jose Mourinho’s team is in pole position to earn the runnerup spot as it has 71 points from 32 games, four points clear of Liverpool (67 from 33), which earlier drew 00 at Everton, and Spurs (67 from 32), which won 21 at Stoke City.
If City beat the inform Spurs at Wembley, it will still not be able to celebrate the title, unless United fails to beat bottom club West Bromwich Albion the following day.
City, which suffered its first home league defeat for 16 months, was left to look back on the most deflating of evenings.
It missed a host of firsthalf chances, had an obvious penalty turned down, was denied by the brilliance of United keeper David de Gea and the profligate Raheem Sterling hit the post from pointblank range.
City’s defeat completed a wretched week after the 30 mauling by Liverpool at Anfield in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal on Thursday and it now faces a European exit in the return fixture on Wednesday.
Earlier, Everton and Liverpool had served up a surprisingly bloodless affair in the 231st Merseyside derby, while Spurs prevailed with a double from the inform Christian Eriksen at Stoke.
In the Goodison Park match, Liverpool soaked up a late spell of Everton pressure to stretch its record unbeaten run in Merseyside derbies to 17 games.
The draw allowed Spurs to move alongside it with a sixth straight league win as it defeated Stoke, whose relegation fears in 19th place were increased.
Eriksen orchestrated the victory with two goals in 11 secondhalf minutes.
At the other end of the table, West Brom’s plight only worsened as Swansea City came from behind to draw 11 and keep the seeminglydoomed Baggies 10 points from safety with just five games left.
In other matches, Newcastle won 21 at beat Leicester City, Burnley triumphed 21 at Watford and Brighton and Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town drew 11. — Reuters