Two free-scoring, free-flowing sides met as Manchester United's under-18s travelled the short distance across the city to face their local rivals, drawing 2-2 despite taking the lead on two occasions.
Manchester City hosted the under-18s derby in their first game of the under-18 Premier League Merit Group One, where the top four teams of the Northern Division and Southern Division meet to decide the national champions. United played their opening fixture of Group One last Friday, a 2-2 draw against Liverpool.
And although excellent footwork from Angel Gomes saw the Reds take the lead at the City Football Academy, an end-to-end game deservedly finished level. City had dominated opening proceedings but after 10 minutes, United took the game by the scruff of the neck and asserted themselves over their rivals. Josh Bohui, who has recently been introduced to under-23s football for United, had the ball in the net past Arijanet Muric but was adjudged to have handballed it from George Tanner's cross.
Gomes gives United 24th minute lead, City respond immediately
Gomes, though, could not be denied. The England under-17 captain showed superb footwork as he moved past two City defenders before sidefooting into City's net from 15 yards.
City flipped the game on its head, responding well to United's early dominance. The prolific Lukas Nmecha combined excellently with Phil Foden, Gomes' England teammate and friend, to equalise after 30 minutes, against the run of play.
United came back out of half-time with the same intent as shown before, as did City. But as the hosts attempted to play out from the back, Joe Coveney finished superbly past his own goalkeeper, his backpass ending up in the top left corner of his own goal. It was an unfortunate own goal, but City's philosophy as always will be to learn from it rather than attack Coveney for it, and City refused to simply hoof the ball long from defence for the rest of the game, showing great quality at times in possession in their own half.
Nmecha scores two equalisers for City
Gomes, who recently returned from injury, was taken off for Harry Spratt. Stand-in left-back Ethan Hamilton moved into his more natural central midfield role with Spratt taking his place at left-back. That chance disrupted the balance of the side and City took advantage. A drilled cross from Luke Bolton was finished off by Lukas Nmecha for his second goal of the game, his second equaliser of the game.
United were forced to put in a number of extraordinary last-ditch challenges and blocks in the final few minutes of the game, with trialist goalkeeper (from Leeds United) Theo Richardson pulling off two or three good saves and captain Tyrell Warren stopping Nmecha from getting his hattrick and Phil Foden from grabbing a winner in added time.
City couldn't breach a strong United backline, while Kieran McKenna's Reds also came close to a winner as Ethan Hamilton couldn't finish off a cross that pinged about in the box.
McKenna will be pleased with a draw at the City Football Academy with United missing Ilias Moutha-Sebtaoui and Tahith Chong through long-term injury as well as Lee O'Connor and Nishan Burkart on international duty and Jake Kenyon, Ro-Shaun Williams and Alex Fojticek. City also has players missing including Brahim Diaz.