Amorim saves greatest Sporting victory until near the end
Sporting 4 - 1 Manchester City
New Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim marked his final home game with Sporting by delivering one of his greatest triumphs, inflicting a third straight defeat on Manchester City.
This was City’s heaviest loss since September 2020 and only the second time Pep Guardiola has suffered three consecutive defeats in a single season during his trophy-filled tenure.
To add to City’s misery, star forward Erling Haaland smashed a second-half penalty against the crossbar.
Sporting’s own Scandinavian star, Viktor Gyökeres, played a leading role with a fantastic hat-trick. He levelled Phil Foden’s early opener in the 38th minute, then held his nerve to score twice more from the spot in the second half.
The first penalty followed a disastrous start to the second half for City, as Sporting took the lead just seconds after the restart when Maximiliano Araújo latched onto a through ball and struck a precise shot into the corner.
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According to Sporting regulars in the press box, this was the standout game of Amorim’s tenure, with just one final match left at Braga on Sunday.
Another defeat for City Though the lead-up to this game focused on Amorim’s upcoming move, much of the post-match talk will inevitably revolve around Guardiola and his team.
A closer look at what happened in Lisbon
Sporting 4 - 1 MCFC
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City’s injury struggles meant 19-year-old Jahmai Simpson-Pusey was handed his first senior start in central defence, just days after his first-team debut. He faced a tough test against Gyökeres, who made the most of his experience.
City fans held their breath when Manuel Akanji appeared to suffer a head injury in the second half, though the Swiss defender was able to continue after treatment.
Guardiola warned earlier this season would be “a struggle”. He needs his senior players to make a difference, and for a while, it looked as though Foden might provide it with his fourth goal of the season, giving City what looked to be a comfortable lead.
However, they failed to extend that advantage, and City were punished by two quick goals early in the second half.
Typically, a City fightback would follow. Haaland’s missed penalty might have provided that spark. The Norwegian has now failed to score in four of his last six appearances.
The problems are affecting not only the team’s performance as a whole but also individual players.
Gyökeres to Old Trafford?
Viktor Gyökeres was already linked with a move to Manchester United even before the club confirmed Ruben Amorim’s appointment, so it’s no surprise that speculation has picked up pace in recent days.
Viktor Gyökeres has more direct goal involvements (6) than any other player in the Champions League so far this season.
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 6, 2024
Europe’s finest. 💫 pic.twitter.com/kqZA2ayTbA
At 26, Gyökeres brings solid experience from English football, having previously played for Brighton, Swansea, and Coventry. Yet it’s at Sporting where the Swedish forward has truly come into his own.
He now boasts an impressive tally of 66 goals in all competitions for Sporting, including 12 in his last six games after netting four times against Estrela last Friday.
Up until he scored the equaliser, though, he wasn’t exactly having the most productive evening. He missed an early chance to level the game—seeming to both overthink and rush the moment as he closed in on City’s goal, only to send a hurried chip straight into Ederson’s gloves.
At that point, it was easy to wonder what the fuss was all about. Gyokeres soon sorted that out. Could he be another employee of Sporting to be eventually on his way to Old Trafford?
