Manchester United made the short trip over to rivals City as Amorim looked to lay down a marker in a real test in his new role at United. Having arguably his toughest test to date in his short reign, he’s already gotten the better of City this season with Sporting, and although this current squad is largely lacking the tactical cohesion and understanding needed for Amorim’s system, the performance here could lay down the biggest marker of what’s to come in the remainder of this season.

City have been freefalling in recent weeks, without any real understanding or explanation, and Amorim could use this as an opportunity to claim bragging rights, get all fans further on side with his system and setup, and get his players to all buy-in to his philosophy, especially given the on and off-field turmoil that still occurs within the United corporation.

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Teams

Manchester United continued to switch around with their squad, and went arguably more attack minded in some areas in this clash, putting Fernandes into the holding midfield role to give a rare start to Mount, although he lasted just under 15 minutes as yet more injuries plague his career development.

The notable absentees for United include Rashford who may seem out of favour with the new head coach, and Garnacho who apparently has been dropped for this game due to behaviour and attitude as yet still more attitude issues plague the United squad.

For Manchester City, they had all their attacking talent at their disposal, and yet still Guardiola is left scratching his head as to why the squad fail to perform at the level we’re used to seeing. Most of their big hitters had quite a steady performance, and even Savinho, Grealish and Kovacic coming from the bench couldn’t help City hold onto a result.

Manchester City: Ederson, Gvardiol, Dias, Walker, Nunes, Gundogan (Savinho 89′), Doku (Grealish 77′), Foden, Dr Bruyne (Kovacic 68′), Silva, Haaland

Subs: Ortega, Simpson-Pusey, Stones, McAtee, O’Reilly, Mubama

Manchester United: Onana, Martinez, Maguire, De Ligt (Yoro 79′), Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Mazraoui (Antony 78′), Mount (Mainoo 14′), Amad (Lindelof 90′), Hojlund (Zirkzee 78′)

Subs: Bayindir, Malacia, Casemiro, Eriksen

Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United

In front of a packed Etihad crowd on Sunday, Manchester City seized control of the 195th Manchester derby thanks to Josko Gvardiol’s towering header. From a well-worked short corner, Kevin De Bruyne’s cross looped in the area, and Gvardiol rose unmarked to power home in the 36th minute. That strike put the reigning champions ahead, with City dominating early possessions though failing to truly threaten again before half-time.

United’s afternoon looked to unravel when Mason Mount limped off injured just 14 minutes in, prompting an early tactical reshuffle. Despite the setback, Bruno Fernandes’s side gradually grew into the contest. Late in the second half, a sky-high intensity paid off when Amad Diallo’s persistence led to a Matheus Nunes error, his slack back‑pass was seized upon, and his subsequent foul on Amad inside the box handed United a lifeline. Fernandes coolly dispatched the penalty in the 88th minute to level matters.

Just two minutes later, the match took another dramatic turn. Amad collected a long ball from Lisandro Martínez, danced around Ederson, and slotted home from a tight angle to complete a remarkable turnaround. The strike came with almost no time remaining, sending United fans into euphoria and deepening City’s mid-season woes.

Pep Guardiola’s men slumped to their eighth defeat in 11 matches across competitions, a run that has sent shockwaves through the club. Bernardo Silva didn’t mince words, lambasting his teammates for “playing like under-15s” in the dying moments. Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim celebrated becoming the first United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to win his first derby at the Etihad, an emphatic statement win as his new regime begins to take shape.

Talking Points

Rúben Amorim’s stock continues to rise after orchestrating a statement victory in his first Manchester derby, becoming the first United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to win their debut away to City. The 2–1 win was as much about grit as guile, with United absorbing pressure for large stretches before flipping the script late on. Amorim’s tactical tweaks following Mason Mount’s early injury, shifting Bruno Fernandes deeper and freeing up Amad Diallo in transition, proved decisive. After a turbulent start to the season, this result gives real substance to the notion that Amorim’s United are beginning to forge an identity built on resilience and ruthless counter-attacking.

The undoubted headline act was Amad Diallo. The Ivorian winger, so often on the periphery in recent years, produced a moment of real composure in stoppage time. Latching onto Lisandro Martínez’s long ball, he exploited the space behind a tiring City defence, rounded Ederson with poise, and finished from a narrowing angle with ice-cold precision. It was his first Premier League goal and could scarcely have come in a bigger moment. His electric cameo and calm under pressure now make a compelling case for greater inclusion under Amorim moving forward.

While the derby win was cause for celebration, Manchester United were dealt another injury blow with Mason Mount forced off just 14 minutes in. The midfielder’s start to life at Old Trafford has been plagued by fitness issues, and this latest setback, appearing to be a muscular problem, raises renewed concerns over his long-term availability. Amorim will be frustrated at losing a key cog so early in a high-intensity match, particularly given how influential Mount was expected to be in this transitional season. As the games pile up over the festive period, United’s depth in midfield may now be tested further.