Amad Diallo emerged as the hero for Manchester United, clinching a dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester City in a thrilling derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The game began with City in the ascendancy, as Phil Foden’s early volley from the edge of the box rattled the post in the 21st minute, with United’s keeper Andre Onana left scrambling.

But it was in the 36th minute that City took the lead. Kevin De Bruyne’s sublime lofted pass found Josko Gvardiol, whose thunderous header rocketed into the top corner beyond Onana’s reach, giving the hosts a deserved 1-0 advantage.

City continued to press, and right on the stroke of halftime, Foden danced through the United defence and unleashed a venomous shot, only to be denied by a world-class save from Onana, sending the game into the break with City holding onto their slender lead.

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The second half saw United fight back with relentless determination. In the 63rd minute, Diallo rose to meet a perfect cross and sent a header towards the bottom corner, but City’s Ederson made an incredible save to keep his side ahead.

Rasmus Hojlund’s penalty appeal moments later was waved off, while Bruno Fernandes’ narrow miss from inside the box added to United’s frustration.

However, the turning point came in the 86th minute when referee Anthony Taylor awarded United a penalty after Matheus Nunes clattered into an opponent’s legs.

Bruno Fernandes stepped up to take the spot kick in the 88th minute, calmly dispatching the ball past Ederson to level the score at 1-1.

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With time running out, it was Diallo who wrote the final chapter of this exhilarating encounter. In the dying moments of the game, Lisandro Martinez released Diallo on a thrilling run. He surged into the penalty area, faced Ederson one-on-one, and clinically smashed the ball into the net, sending the travelling United fans into ecstasy and securing a famous 2-1 win.