Phil Foden's brace in the latter half was pivotal as Manchester City staged a comeback to secure a significant 3-1 victory against their arch-rivals Manchester United, keeping their title aspirations alive.

Despite an early setback due to Marcus Rashford's spectacular goal at the eight-minute mark, Manchester City largely dictated the play in this fiercely contested Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium.

City's relentless efforts were rewarded when Foden equalized with a distant shot in the 56th minute before giving his team the lead with another strike close to the 80-minute mark. Erling Haaland confirmed the win during added time.

This triumph placed City just a point behind the table-toppers Liverpool, setting the stage for a much-awaited showdown at Anfield the following weekend.

Foden, who also clinched victory for City at Bournemouth the previous week, is swiftly emerging as a key player for the team this season. However, Rashford's early goal had threatened to overshadow his performance.

Rashford, who recently addressed criticisms regarding his commitment to United, responded emphatically on the field with a powerful 25-yard shot following a setup by Bruno Fernandes from an Andre Onana long ball.

City could have found themselves in a deeper hole with United threatening on a couple more occasions. A mistake by Ruben Dias presented Rashford with an opportunity, but a misjudged bounce allowed Kyle Walker to intervene. Additionally, Rashford failed to connect properly with a low cross into the box.

These instances were the exceptions in a first half dominated by City, who tallied an impressive 18 shots without scoring – a first for them under Pep Guardiola in any opening half.

Haaland missed a particularly notable chance, sending the ball over an open net after receiving a precise header from Foden.

Before finding the net, Foden and Rodri had their attempts thwarted by Onana, while Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Haaland could not capitalize on other opportunities.

City's persistence paid off shortly into the second half when Foden's shot from outside the box found the top corner, despite United's protests of a prior foul on Rashford by Walker – a claim dismissed by referee Andrew Madley.

The goal re-energized the crowd, which had quieted down, and the match was briefly paused when a blue flare landed near Onana on the pitch.

Manchester City continued to press, with Walker forcing a save from Onana, but United remained a threat on the break, with Alejandro Garnacho's run being stopped by Ederson.

The critical breakthrough came when Foden finished a move with Julian Alvarez by driving a low shot past Onana. Haaland then sealed the deal with a precise finish, marking his 28th goal of the season.