THEY lost Paul Pogba and then they lost the plot.
The great Guardiola, on the verge of lifting his first Premier League title with Manchester City, is in danger of getting found out.
Chris Smalling celebrates Man Utd’s dramatic winnerGetty Images
Paul Pogba flies through the air to get Man Utd’s equaliserREUTERS
This is two savage defeats – 3-0 at Liverpool, then surrendering a two goal lead against Manchester United – in four dismal days.
Pogba, the player at the centre of Pep’s petty feud with his agent Mino Raiola, set up this spell-binding comeback by scoring twice in the second half.
To stop City winning the title from 2-0 down, to score three at the Etihad, to become the first team in the Premier League to win here, is astonishing.
It is a remarkable tactical triumph for the Special One.
Vincent Kompany celebrates scoring Man City’s first goalNews Group Newspapers Ltd
Ilkay Gundogan got City’s second and the game looked beyond doubtGetty Images
The old magic returned, along with the twinkle in his eye, to mastermind this memorable, mesmerising comeback.
Jose Mourinho did Pep the Purist all ends up.
City will still go on to lift the title eventually, but the damage has been done after surrendering this advantage.
Chris Smalling, at fault when he failed to get near Vincent Kompany for the opener, scored United’s winner after 69 minutes.
Paul Pogba tucks away United’s first goalREUTERS
Paul Pogba celebrates his second goalRichard Pelham/The Sun
It was a breathtaking comeback.
Pogba, picked on by Pep when he claimed City could have signed him in January, scored after 53 and 55 minutes.
Give his lamentable performance opening 45, it was a wonder he was still out there when those red shirts got underway after the break.
Instead, Pogba went from first half plodder to second half sensation.
City collapsed.
Losing 3-0 at Liverpool was supposed to be a one-off, something that happens in this glorious game from time to time.
Surrendering a 2-0 lead at home to Manchester United, on the day Pep’s players were supposed to lift the title, is something else.
It will take some explaining.
City were blitzing their great rivals, with Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan sending them into a commanding lead after just 30 minutes.
City were battering them in the first half, with cries of “ole” bouncing off the Etihad stands 39 minutes in.
By then they were 2-0 ahead, with Kompany and Gundogan’s goals setting them up to win the title with six to spare.
That was the plan.
Instead they are hurt, with anxiety sweeping this stadium after Pogba rattled them at the start of the second half.
It does not matter that Ashley Young’s trip on substitute Sergio Aguero inside the area went unpunished in the second half.
The bigger picture is Manchester City’s meltdown.
They allowed Pogba to get United back into it, reading Ander Herrera’s clever chested ball into his path to beat City keeper Ederson from close range.
After that, City fell apart.
Pogba got his second, with Alexis Sanchez picking out the midfielder with a peach of a chip after 55 minutes.
Jose Mourinho is full of joy as his side pull off the stunning comebackREUTERS
Pep Guardiola’s side threw away a two-goal lead and the chance to seal the Premier League titlePA:Empics Sport
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The United man finished it in front of his own fans, celebrating the equaliser stopped City winning the title at the Etihad.
To Guardiola’s credit he went up to Pogba at the final whistle, putting the bad blood to bed after this spectacular collapse.
By then it was United’s day.
Smalling had been at fault, failing to get anywhere near Kompany when he put City in front 25 minutes in.
He made up for it with the winner.
Sanchez sent it into him, another inviting cross that was steered beyond Ederson with a clever, stooping finish.
It prompted some chaotic scenes, with United’s frenzied fans celebrating this riveting, audacious comeback.
City looked so good in that first half, with Pep’s players returning to their spell-binding, bewitching best.
By the time Gundogan put them two goals to the good, rolling Nemanja Matic inside the area before planting his shot beyond David De Gea, they were saving their legs for Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola and Paul Pogba get together at the end of the gameREUTERS
Paul Pogba celebrates his heroicsGetty Images
It was 2-0, but felt like it could have been ten.
Raheem Sterling, restored to the starting line up after missing out against Liverpool, fluffed two big chances.
He was twice clean through, clearing United’s defence before spooning uncharacteristic efforts over De Gea’s crossbar.
It did not seem to matter.
City were closing in on the title with six games to spare, hurting Mourinho and his players with every pass across the pitch.
Kompany, scoring a carbon copy of the goal he powered into the net when he set up City for the 2012 title win, put them in front.
It was a throwback goal, a trip down memory lane for the fans who watched City win their first title under Roberto Mancini.
When Gundogan scored a peach, spinning Matic inside the area after half an hour, City were at their mesmerising, tantalising best.
Then came the comeback, the remarkable three goal burst to stop City winning their first league title under Pep.
After this, they will have to wait a little bit longer.
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