Paul Pogba inspires derby turnaround as Manchester United force rivals City to wait for Premier League title

Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United: Pogba’s double wipes out City’s half-time lead before Chris Smalling volleyed United to a famous derby victory

Manchester City’s week saw a comeback, but not the one they would have wanted, as this became an evening they will never want to look back on. It will hurt all the more because it had seemed set up for the perfect day, the best possible way to win a title, only for it to become the best possible day for their great rivals and the perfect outcome for what could have been a very difficult situation for Manchester United. It was instead so sweet for Jose Mourinho, Paul Pogba and Chris Smalling, as their side came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 and ensured City wouldn’t win the title by beating them. The party was spoiled, and it was United joyously celebrating by the end.

City will now have to at least wait another week, but there is the growing prospect of this brilliant season turning into a real anti-climax, especially as this match offered no reassurance that they will be capable of their own comeback against Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday.

There was none of the resilience required, none of the grit. That all came from Mourinho’s side.

Sure, City could seethe about some of the refereeing, but they should be most angry at themselves. They will also be more tentative ahead of Tuesday, rather than roaring in in the way they would have wanted, and arguably require.

That was the curiosity of this game. Although it was supposed to be about confirming the biggest prize in English football, it was supposed to be about something bigger, only for events to erode that, too. This match certainly wasn't an anti-climax, at least. We saw fireworks, just not the ones that had been planned.

The story of City’s brilliant resurgence after the humiliation of Wednesday instead became the story of United’s brilliant resurgence after the humiliation of the first half, and how the supreme Pogba stole the match and the show. It was redemption all round for Mourinho and his side, as the game went ful-circle. Having made the error that allowed Vincent Kompany to open the scoring, he then finished the scoring with the winner.

That is what will be most frustrating for Guardiola. The game and title were pretty much won, only for the softness that saw City fold at Liverpool to cause similar here.

Kompany got things rolling for City with the opening goal (Getty)

There are real questions to be asked now, especially as their initial response to Tuesday had been so terrific. The inquest should be all the more searching because they had been so sublime. They really did look like champions in the first half. Although it was a diminished side that saw Kevin De Bruyne rested for Tuesday, there were signs early on that City had upped their energy from Anfield, that they felt like they had a point to prove.

That was particularly true of two of the players that suffered most in that defeat, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan. Both showed plenty of thrust and purpose, Sterling at one point dong the German’s job by outmuscling Pogba in the middle, Gundogan doing the forward’s job by scoring a goal with such divine deftness.

There was also the kind of noise that will be required on Tuesday, particularly for the goal that initially got things going. The scorer and manner he managed it would have only added to the joy. Kompany rolled back the years in more than one way, rising to score a crucial header, just as he did in 2012.

The stadium roared, and City really ramped it up – for a half.

Gudogan doubles the lead to put City on course for the title (Getty)

There were often long passages when they were merely toying with United, and that was taken to its natural conclusion with the gorgeous second goal. Gundogan turned so elegantly in the box to then place the ball into the corner past David De Gea. There was little power on it, but there didn’t need to be.

If only Sterling had such precision. The winger had enough good chances for a first-half hat-trick, and could have won the game on his own. It was all the more galling because it was pretty much all he did wrong.

It was not all that City did wrong, though.

Pogba off a fine team move to score United's first (Getty)

Much worse was to come, as Pogba became the best player on the pitch. He was aided by a general United pick-up, though, and credit must go to Mourinho for what must have been one of his most rousing half-time team talks.

The extra oomph could also be seen in one of the players who would have been particularly pained by the first half, and put under the most focus. Alexis Sanchez turned down a move to City in January, and here just turned their defenders, before playing the cross for Ander Herrera shortly after half-time. He chested it down, and Pogba really got United riled up with the goal that got them back into the game.

The effect was instantaneous, and the equaliser came almost as quickly. Sanchez again offered the cross, Pogba again offered the goal, as he rose to head the ball past Ederson.

Pogba answered his critics in style to level the scores (Getty)

Then came the crescendo and full comeback, just not the ones City would have been hoping for this week. United won a set-piece, and Smalling won the game.

There was still time for the ball hit the post, United to endure a late rally, and City to endure the most controversial call of the game. Martin Atkinson instead waved away all protests after Ashley Young went in abrasively on Sergio Aguero in the box.

Tempers flared at the end, but that was only a reflection of how City had let this slip.

The title will still be won, but a lot of impetus and joy was lost with this game. They certainly look no more likely to win on Tuesday.

Smalling strokes home his match-winning volley (Reuters)

That will now be required to prevent the season becoming something of an anti-climax.

Far from looking like a new era, this was some of the calamitous stuff that used to be associated with the old Manchester City.

It was meanwhile an old-fashioned Manchester United comeback.