Ten Hag hails 'huge' Man Utd spirit after derby turnaround

Erik ten Hag hailed the spirit and conviction shown by Manchester United as they came from behind to beat rivals Manchester City 2-1 in a spectacular derby.

Pep Guardiola's side took a second-half lead at Old Trafford through substitute Jack Grealish, but early goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford turned the blockbuster showdown on its head.

United are now in strong contention for the title after a ninth straight win in all competitions - and a 10th at home. They have closed the gap on their second place rivals to just one point and are just six points behind leaders Arsenal.

It was the first time since a 3-2 loss to Cardiff City in August 2013 that the Citizens had lost after opening the scoring in the first half, and Ten Hag paid tribute to his players' efforts.

"I'm really happy with the team's performance," he told BT Sport. "The team spirit is so huge, the belief is there that the game is 90 minutes long and we can fight back.

"The confidence is back, and we are in the right direction. You have to work without possession [against teams like City]. They have split-moment qualities to score goals. We saw that today 'today. One mistake and they scored."

United controversially equalized 12 minutes from when Fernandes passed Ederson after Rashford, who was in an offside position, ran over Casemiro's pass but failed to touch the ball.

The initial offside decision was overturned by VAR much to City's dismay, although Ten Hag understood their frustrations.

“I can also see it from the other side,” he added. "It's a confusing moment for the opposition's back line.

"The rules say Marcus didn't touch the ball and he didn't interfere. Bruno came from behind, but I see him from the other side."