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There have been false dawns before in the gloomy years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. A Champions League win at the Parc des Princes lingers in the mind for some time after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was named.
That was hailed as a moment of renaissance for Manchester United, a sign that they were on the mend. It was no such thing. They hadn’t hit bottom yet.
But at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, when United came from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 with two late goals in four maddening minutes to move within a point of second-place Pep Guardiola’s side, Old Trafford was lost in a glorious riot and the evidence seemed incontrovertible: whether or not winning the title this season is a step too far, United are back.
Marcus Rashford scored the winner as Manchester United came from behind to beat Man City in the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag’s side continued their brilliant run of form with their biggest win of the season against their local rivals
Old Trafford was rocked when United announced that they really were back to being a top team in this league.
This was a magnificent victory for Erik ten Hag and his team against the champions, their noisy neighbors and the team that has done more than any other to underscore their decline in the decade since Ferguson’s departure ended an era.
Nor was it a coincidence. United deserved it. They dominated the first half, paled a bit in the face of City’s ferocious second-half comeback, and then struck back with a vengeance.
The match marked another personal triumph for Marcus Rashford, who scored the winner on 82 minutes. Four minutes earlier, he had had the presence of mind to step aside when he realized he was offside to allow Bruno Fernandes swept United’s equalizer after Jack Grealish had put City ahead.
Rashford has now scored eight goals in seven games and in nine straight home games. His form is phenomenal, his return to the spotlight a delight for all those who have continued to be fans of his talent. Some may have doubted him, but he has re-emerged as one of the best strikers in Europe and has so much confidence and faith flowing through him at the moment that no one in the Premier League can handle him.
Rashford put the ball in from point-blank range after a brilliant performance by Alejandro Garnacho down the left
The in-form striker made no mistake in completing United’s thrilling turnaround in the closing stages of the second half.
Rashford celebrates after putting United ahead in the game for the first time with eight minutes remaining in regulation.
United have now won nine games in a row and as Ferguson watched from the stands he knew this win meant United had equaled their longest winning streak in all competitions since resigning.
United have lost just once in 19 games since a 6-3 loss to City at the Etihad in early October. Ten Hag’s side has come a long way since then.
United harassed City on some early mistakes. His high pressing and relentless energy that had been lacking in his game for so long even forced Bernardo Silva to fire a loose pass on ten minutes that set up United’s first chance. Rashford took advantage of his offside pass and passed the ball to Christian Eriksen. Eriksen played on Bruno Fernandes but the Portuguese midfielder dragged his cross shot.
City dominated possession, but neither that nor the stormy conditions dampened United’s enthusiasm for the contest. When they lost the ball in midfield, the crowd roared as City launched a lightning counter-attack, but United chased after. Fred shut down De Bruyne and intercepted his pass attempt. Then, as De Bruyne tried to regain control, Fred dispossessed him with a sliding tackle. The crowd roared their approval of him.
Competition is the first requirement and it’s been a while since United seemed to have the stomach for a fight. Now, though, they’ve got it back, and even if they haven’t caught up with City in other ways, they’re making up for it with a revival of defiance. There was a time when United seemed to think they didn’t need to work as hard as other teams, but that time is long gone.
United squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead ten minutes before half time. Fernandes lobbed a ball over the City defense and Rashford ran towards him. Ederson was quick to try and clear him out, but soon realized that he had been too ambitious and withdrew from the challenge when Rashford hit the ball past him. Rashford advanced towards goal from the left and tried to slip the ball past Manuel Akanji on the line, but struck it too close to the City defender, who sliced it to safety.
A few minutes later, Rashford was done again. This time, he was released by a perfectly weighted pass from Eriksen and sped away from Rodri with a searing burst of speed. Rashford took a hard touch on the edge of the box, Ederson came out to meet him and when Rashford tried to lift the ball past him with a strike, Ederson raised his left arm and interrupted the flight of the ball. Rashford threw up his arms in frustration.
Just before half time, Rashford was back in the spotlight. He chased a ball down the left touchline and when Walker flicked it offside, Rashford stopped awkwardly and appeared to be clutching his left hamstring. Rashford lay on his back, pounding the grass with his fist. In the stands, cameras caught England manager Gareth Southgate scowling.
However, Rashford emerged for the second half and it was Anthony Martial who gave way for Antony. The move did not immediately pay dividends and City started the second half on a much more positive note. They made their best chance of the match so far shortly after the break when De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez played a beautiful one-two down the right touchline and De Bruyne fired a pinpoint pass to the back post. Bernardo Silva jumped up for a header, but instead of going on target himself, he tried to head Phil Foden and the danger was cleared.
The city was transformed. Foden was substituted for Grealish and City’s strong half-time start grew even stronger. As soon as United received the ball, City got it back. They besieged the United goal and after an hour they were ahead. Mahrez and De Bruyne combined again. Mahrez slipped the ball into the Belgian’s path and evaded Casemiro’s attentions, reaching the baseline and lifting a sublime chip to the back post where Grealish rose to head an emphatic ball past David de Gea. Grealish was on the pitch for 193 seconds.
Slowly United began to regain their footing and tried to force their way back into the game. The introduction of pace from Alejandro Garnacho helped stretch City and cause discomfort in the defense. It also stemmed the tide of City attacks, and twelve minutes from time and still against the course of the game, United were level.
Rashford ran for a through ball, but realized as he got close to it that he would be offside. As Rashford prepared to fire and Akanji and Walker converged on him, he stepped to the side, allowing Fernandes to run towards him. Fernandes hit it first time and his shot curved past Ederson. As he walked away to celebrate, he saw linesman Darren Cann flagging Rashford for offside.
United protested furiously against the offside flag and referee Stuart Attwell ran over to consult with Cann. Attwell decided that Rashford had not been interfering with the game and allowed the goal to stand. United celebrated wildly, and now City have protested furiously. But the goal remained.
Four minutes later, United were ahead. Garnacho burst down the left and tried to cross but the ball hit Akanji high in the chest. He rebounded to Garnacho, who faced Nathan Ake, passed him wide and sent another cross into the box. This time, it was low and this time, the City defenders had left Rashford alone on the edge of the box. He kicked out his right boot and fired his shot past Ederson. Old Trafford erupted with joy.