Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-03-03 17:55:54
Phil Foden was the hero for Manchester City as they came from behind to secure a crucial 3-1 victory over Manchester United on Sunday. Foden scored twice to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to just one point, setting up a thrilling title race showdown between City and Liverpool next weekend. Erling Haaland also found the back of the net in stoppage time to seal the victory for Pep Guardiola’s side.
The match started with a bang as Marcus Rashford’s sensational strike put United ahead at the Etihad. However, Haaland missed a glorious chance to equalize just before half-time, firing over the bar with an open goal at his mercy. Foden made no mistake with his opportunities, leveling the score with a stunning strike into the top corner before calmly slotting home the go-ahead goal with just 10 minutes left on the clock. Haaland then redeemed himself by adding a third for City, sealing a comprehensive victory over their city rivals.
The defeat leaves United languishing in 11th place in the league, with Erik ten Hag’s men now 11 points adrift of the top four. The United boss was left frustrated by the decision to allow City’s equalizer to stand, believing that Rashford had been fouled in the build-up. However, United can have no complaints about the result as they were thoroughly outplayed by City for most of the match.
Rashford, who has come under criticism for his performances this season, answered his critics in style with a stunning long-range effort to give United the lead. Despite some fine goalkeeping from Andre Onana, City’s dominance eventually paid off as they broke down United’s defense to secure the victory. Foden’s brace, along with Haaland’s late goal, proved to be the difference as City continued their pursuit of the league title.
Guardiola’s side will now turn their attention to the highly anticipated clash with Liverpool next weekend, where the title race could take another dramatic turn. With Foden in fine form and Haaland finding his scoring touch, City will be full of confidence as they look to overtake Liverpool at the top of the table. Meanwhile, United will need to regroup and find a way to turn their season around as they look to salvage some pride in the remaining games of the campaign.
