Manchester City were left to wait for their Premier League title win after a brace by Paul Pogba mounted a remarkable second-half rally for Manchester United to win by 3-2 at the Etihad.
The Blues needed victory to be confirmed as champions but Paul Pogba scored two goals in two minutes to overturn their first-half lead before Chris Smalling’s volley completed the dramatic turnaround.
It was regrettable for Pep Guardiola’s team after they had delivered a first-half masterclass with captain Vincent Kompany scoring with a thumping header after 25 minutes and Ilkay Gundogan adding a second five minutes later after a clever turn and finish.
City could have gone further and United were lucky to stay in the game after Raheem Sterling fluffed two golden chances over the bar with the goal at his mercy and Gundogan also headed straight at keeper David de Gea when unmarked eight yards out.
It gave United hope and how Jose Mourinho’s team responded as Pogba — out of sorts at Old Trafford recently and at the centre of claims by Guardiola before the game that he had been offered to City in January — stole in to pull a goal back after 53 minutes and head the equaliser two minutes later.
The Red Devils then completed their remarkable turnaround through Smalling — who had been badly at fault for Kompany’s goal — as the Englishman arrived unmarked to steer Alexis Sanchez’s free-kick past the exposed Ederson in the 69th minute.
Players from both sides clashed as the match heated up thereafter, and Ashley Young was fortunate that his wild lunge on City substitute Sergio Aguero in the area was ignored by referee Martin Atkinson.
De Gea also made a world-class one-handed save from Aguero as City attacked ferociously — but United held out and Guardiola’s title party must wait for another day.