Old rivals spoil City’s party
Manchester United recover from first-half battering to stun EPL champions-in-waiting
Manchester City fans were in tears, consoling each other with hugs in the stands as Manchester United revelled in their neighbour’s misery.
Tears were supposed to flow yesterday. Tears of joy, for City’s third Premier League trophy in six years. The setup couldn’t be sweeter for City.
United, the 20-time English champions in whose shadow City have lived for so long, were in City’s Etihad Stadium fortress for the title clincher and derby. What could go wrong?
Nothing in the first half. By halftime, City looked to have wrapped up the league title in record time with a 2-0 lead, shredding United apart with goals from captain Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan in a six-minute span. United were being embarrassed.
Then they swapped ends and it all went wrong. United scored three times without reply and won 3-2. The home fans reacted as if the clock had been wound back two decades when City were relegated in successive seasons. “Typical City”, as the faithful have long bemoaned with selfdeprecating cries.
But this is a very different City — for a decade fuelled by the wealth of oil-rich Abu Dhabi — though still capable of messing things up. When the weeping fans glance at the standings they will still see City 13 points clear of United at the summit with six games remaining.
It is inevitable Pep Guardiola will lift the silverware that has spent so long at Old Trafford, without City having to wait until the last day of the season like in 2012 and 2014. But this was a golden opportunity blown.
“This is tough mentally,” Guardiola said. “We are sad for ourselves for our fans.”
United counterpart Jose Mourinho was more irritated than sad when he addressed his players in the dressing room at the break.
“He said that we didn’t want to be drew 1-1 to keep the seemingly doomed Baggies 10 points from safety with five games left.
Brighton and Huddersfield drew 1-1; Burnley maintained their unlikely push for European football with a fourth-straight league win, coming from behind with two goals from Sam Vokes and Jack Cork in three second-half minutes to win 2-1 at Watford. They are two points behind Arsenal, who are sixth.
Leicester City’s Europa League ambitions, though, were jolted by a 2-1 home loss to Newcastle, who earned a third consecutive league win with goals from Jonjo Shelvey and Ayoze Perez. the clowns standing there watching them get their title,” United defender Chris Smalling recalled.
For Paul Pogba, after an insipid first-half display, the ramifications of a defeat weighed heavily on his mind.
“If [City] won they are champions,” the United midfielder said. “For all the [United] fans, it would be like death. To lose against City and to see them celebrate, I couldn’t let that happen.”
Eight minutes elapsed in the second half when Alexis Sanchez’s cross was chested down powerfully by Ander Herrera into the path of Pogba who tapped into the net.
City were stunned and didn’t tighten up at the back. Within two minutes, United were level.
Pogba picked up possession around halfway and found Sanchez on the left. As the Chile forward held up the ball, Pogba raced into the penalty area, past Nicolas Otamendi to power a header into the net.
City’s fans, who were singing Stand up for the champions at the start of the second half, were momentarily stunned into silence.
Their defenders were as inert in the 69th minute when Smalling was left unmarked to run into the penalty area to meet Sanchez’s free kick, volleying the winner past Ederson.
City had lost only once all season in the league at Liverpool, and been undefeated at home since the visit of Chelsea in December 2016.
But Guardiola, whose side were denied a penalty when Ashley Young flew into Aguero with a sliding tackle, rolled the dice and came up short. His starting lineup showed how Guardiola has prioritised lifting the European Cup — something United have done three times, while City have yet to establish their place among the continent’s elite.
The principal attacking threats — Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero — were left on the bench for more than 70 minutes. So, too, was player-of-theyear contender Kevin De Bruyne.
They are required on Wednesday (NZT) to help overturn a 3-0 deficit against Liverpool to reach the Champions League semifinals. — AP