Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag hailed his squad's resilience and "spirit" after fighting back to defeat rivals Manchester City and emerging as Premier League title contenders.
Substitute Jack Grealish put City ahead on the hour mark at Old Trafford, but a well-taken, and contentious, equaliser from Bruno Fernandes and a tap-in winner from Marcus Rashford earned United a victory that moves them one point behind second-placed City in the table.
"I think we have seen it all in this process there is fight and spirit in this team," Ten Hag said. "They can deal with setbacks. There was a difficult stage of the game but we came stronger and stronger.
"The first 30 minutes after half-time were really difficult for us. They were finding players between the lines like Kyle Walker especially. It was difficult and we could not deal with it the whole time but there's also something about the spirit. We keep believing in a good result, that is what the team did and I have to value that. It was a good performance in an important game."
Rashford's match-winning goal extended the 25-year-old forward's fine run of form: the England international has scored in seven successive games for United ― eight goals in total ― to take his tally to 16 in all competitions.
"I'm really happy, of course, with his performance," Ten Hag said. "He believes once again, he keeps going, he will always get his moment. In the first half, he had a one-on-one with the goalie and one really good situation and more came off disappointed he hadn't scored. But then he scored!
"Players have to be resilient, you get kicked in a game and obviously it happened. It hurts but you have to keep going and you have to do it to get the right result, the right performance. Fight and deal with that, even if it keeps on being painful. You have to contribute to the game. You have to deal with it. He did today and got rewarded for it, the team got rewarded for it."
Man United v Man City player ratings
Before Rashford grabbed the winner, the key turning point in the match occurred four minutes earlier and also involved the England forward. Casemiro threaded a through-pass into the path of an offside Rashford who let the ball run to Fernandes and the Portuguese midfielder curled in the equaliser.
The goal was initially ruled out by the assistant referee but a VAR check deemed Rashford was not interfering with play and the decision was overturned. Pep Guardiola was convinced the goal should not have been given, and while Ten Hag understood the City manager's frustration, the Dutchman believes the right call was made.
"If you are the opposition, I can see the team are unhappy with this situation but Bruno was scoring from the back and not in an offside position," he said. "Of course, he brings hesitation from the centre-halves, to the opposition, and we take advantage. It's a difficult situation. It's a grey area.
"But, when you see back the approach, Bruno was in an onside position and he scored. I can see on the other side - it confused the backline, it's clear but, also, that's the rule. I would not be happy when my team, as well, concede a goal like this so I can see the disappointment on the other side but I can see the other side as well."
Five straight wins have moved United to within a point of City and five of leaders Arsenal, who face rivals Tottenham on Sunday aiming to stretch their lead to eight points. But Ten Hag insisted there are no thoughts about a title challenge as the focus remains on "game by game".
"We think about Crystal Palace and the next game," he said. "We have to go celebrate for 24 hours and then we go to Palace and we have to prepare, the team has to prepare themselves and get the energy and the right focus. It is all about that. We have to train. I have to prepare the team for the next battle."
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
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THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LOVE%20AGAIN
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Roll of honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia Premiership season?
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Cup - Winners: Bahrain; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy - Winners: Dubai Hurricanes; Runners up: DSC Eagles
Final West Asia Premiership standings - 1. Jebel Ali Dragons; 2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins; 3. Bahrain; 4. Dubai Exiles; 5. Dubai Hurricanes; 6. DSC Eagles; 7. Abu Dhabi Saracens
Fixture (UAE Premiership final) - Friday, April 13, Al Ain – Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
