Manchester: Manchester City fans were in tears, consoling each other with hugs in the stands as Manchester United revelled in their neighbour’s misery.
Tears were supposed to flow on Saturday.
Tears of joy.
For City’s third English Premier League trophy in six years.
The set-up couldn’t be sweeter for City.
United, the 20-time English champion in whose shadow City has lived for so long, was in City’s Etihad Stadium fortress for the title clincher and derby. What could possibly go wrong?
Nothing in the first half. By halftime, City looked to have wrapped up the league title in record time with a 2-0 lead, shredding United apart with goals from captain Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan in a six-minute span. United was being embarrassed.
Then they swapped ends and it all went wrong. United scored three times without reply and won 3-2.
The home fans reacted as if the clock had been wound back two decades when City was relegated in successive seasons. “Typical City,” as the faithful have long bemoaned with self-deprecating cries.
But this is a very different City — for a decade funded by Abu Dhabi owners — though still capable of messing things up. When the weeping fans glance at the standings they will still see City 13 points clear of United at the summit with six games remaining.
It is inevitable Pep Guardiola will still get his hands on the silverware that has spent so long at Old Trafford, without City having to wait until the last day of the season like in 2012 and 2014. But this was a golden opportunity blown.
“This is tough mentally,” Guardiola said. “We are sad for ourselves for our fans.”
United counterpart Jose Mourinho was more irritated than sad when he addressed his players in the dressing room at the break.
“He said that we didn’t want to be the clowns standing there watching them get their title,” United defender Chris Smalling recalled.
“We deserve a bit more respect than people give,” Mourinho told the BBC.
“I think we are a bit better that what people think. The players are a bit better than what people think and I am a bit better than what people think.
“We’re not as bad as people say we are. What we will try to prove is that we’re the second best team in the country.”
For Paul Pogba, after an insipid first-half display, the ramifications of a defeat weighed heavily on his mind.
“If (City) won they are champions,” the United midfielder said. “For all the (United) fans, it would be like death. To lose against City and to see them celebrate, I couldn’t let that happen.”
Particularly after a mischievous intervention on Friday from Guardiola, who claimed he was offered the chance to sign the Frenchman in the January transfer window.
His hair was dyed in City blue for the game but Pogba was very much a Red Devil.
“If it’s true that his agent offered him to some clubs,” Mourinho said, “now the price has gone up.”
City’s fans who were singing “Stand up for the champions” at the start of the second half were momentarily stunned into silence.
Their defenders were as inert in the 69th minute when Smalling was left unmarked to run into the penalty area to meet Sanchez’s free kick, volleying the winner past Ederson.
“Now we are going to try to see if we are brave enough to stand up again,” Guardiola said, looking ahead to the visit of Liverpool.
