Incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim’s Sporting produced a stunning second-half comeback to beat Premier League champions Manchester City 4-1 helped by a Viktor Gyokeres hat-trick.
On a night when the pre-match pressure was heaped on the home team and their departing head coach, City left with questions being asked of them as they fell to a third consecutive defeat, after losses at Tottenham and Bournemouth.
Sporting move up to second in the Champions League table behind Liverpool as they keep up their unbeaten start to the season, while City are down in sixth after losing for the first time in this season’s competition.
Amorim, who takes charge of United after this week, endured a torrid first half in his final home game, with Phil Foden capitalising on a nervy start from the hosts by firing City into the lead inside five minutes after dispossessing Hidemasa Morita.
Sporting could have gone in at the break three goals behind but pulled one back late in the half through Gyokeres, who put a disappointing missed chance behind him to bury past Ederson after being fed through by 17-year-old wing-back Geovany Quenda.
The hosts reappeared a different side, seemingly inspired by the half-time team talk from their departing head coach, as they took the lead 20 seconds after the restart through Maximiliano Araujo before Gyokeres extended their lead four minutes later from the penalty spot.
Phil Foden celebrates his opener against Sporting
Ruben Amorim made the perfect impression on Man Utd fans
City could not cope with the direct dribbling of Pedro Goncalves, creator of Sporting’s second goal, nor Trincao, who was fouled by Josko Gvardiol for the spot-kick, as the former Wolves duo wreaked havoc in the depleted Premier League side’s defence.
Erling Haaland, on quiet night for the striker, was handed a perfect opportunity to give City a lifeline with 20 minutes to go after Ousmane Diomande was judged to have handled the ball after a challenge on Bernardo Silva, but the striker struck the bar as his effort flew over.
Sporting had to hold on after their burst of inspiration early in the second half but added to their unlikely lead from the spot once again through Gyokeres, completing his hat-trick, after Matheus Nunes fouled substitute Geny Catamo.
City fans could be seen headed for the exits early as Amorim claimed a first victory over Pep Guardiola, just over a month out from his first Manchester derby, live on Sky Sports, on December 15.
Pep: We cannot argue with result
Man City boss Pep Guardiola:
“It’s difficult to explain. We started really well, we had a very good first half. In football you have to score goals. When you lose 4-1 you have to congratulate Sporting and learn from that. We cannot argue – they won, they made good transitions, especially for two of their goals.
“Credit to Sporting, we weren’t clinical enough [in the first half] and after that we conceded a second goal and we have to do better. When you give easy balls away, the transitions are there for them [the opposition].”
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Pep Guardiola discusses the upcoming challenge of facing Ruben Amorim in English football
Silva: Man City ‘in a dark place’
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva:
“It’s disappointing because we’re a bit in a dark place right now. Everything looks to be going in the wrong way.
“Even when we are playing well we don’t score our chances and we concede too easily. We definitely need to look inside and check what we’re not doing well. And we need to get better very quickly otherwise it will be very difficult to come back from these losses.
“It’s football. It’s difficult to find reasons for what is happening to us. I don’t remember in seven-and-a-half seasons this team losing three games in a row. It just looks like this team is going the wrong way now.
“The good thing is even though we have lost these three games we are still in a good position especially in the Premier League. After losing three games we are still in the main competitions fighting for everything. But we need to be better, obviously.
“Our injured players need to come back because we need them and it’s just not good enough tonight.”
Amorim: Result means nothing for Man Utd
Sporting boss Ruben Amorim:
“What I can tell you is that this [result] doesn’t mean anything in particular – don’t take anything from this.
“We cannot transport one reality to another. Manchester Untied cannot play the way we play and we will have to adapt.
“It’s misleading, we were very lucky today, but the feeling with my players, the way they celebrate with the fans was very special. I take this with me but when I arrive to the Premier League it is a different world, different pressure.
“It will be fun, very fun, and I’m ready for the challenge”
Gyokeres: We should have scored more
Sporting forward Viktor Gyokeres:
“It’s always nice to score and even better to score a hat-trick. Most important was to win the game so it was a brilliant night for us.
“We knew it was going to be tough and we didn’t start off well. We knew they would give us space and we could have scored more than four to be fair. They could have scored more as well.
“You need to raise your level when you play better opponents. I tried to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”