Man United victory over City leaves Liverpool two wins from title

Manchester United completed the Premier League double over derby rivals Manchester City for the first time in a decade as Anthony Martial’s first-half goal and an injury time strike from Scott McTominay gave them victory at Old Trafford.

This thunderous encounter was a personal nightmare for Manchester City’s normally reliable Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, who gifted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side both goals in sharply contrasting fashion.

He allowed Martial’s routine shot to squirm under his body from a quick Bruno Fernandes free-kick on the half-hour and then, with seconds left, threw a clearance straight to McTominay, who showed great technique to send a long-range finish, struck first time, into the net in front of a delirious Stretford End.

It is a win that leaves Liverpool – who now have a 25-point lead at the top of the table – requiring only two more wins to secure their first league title for 30 years and Manchester United only three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, after their first derby league double since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

City hotly contested the free-kick, given by referee Mike Dean for a foul by Ilkay Gundogan on Fernandes, that led to Martial’s goal – although United also felt they were denied a penalty when Fred was booked for diving after tangling with Nicolas Otamendi.

Sergio Aguero had a goal ruled out for offside by VAR and even though City enjoyed the greater share of possession, United sealed a crucial win with McTominay’s strike to take their unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions.

BBC Online