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Man Utd came from behind to defeat Manchester City in the Premier League.
The build-up to Manchester United's derby win over Man City was dominated by two players who weren't even involved in the match. Thankfully, another duo defined it for Ruben Amorim.
Amad Diallo will take most of the plaudits for his match-winning heroics, as he continued his run as the catalyst in the United attack. Even on an afternoon where he was wasteful and needlessly offside, he carried on taking the same risks and was ultimately rewarded by the end of the match.
It was a performance in which United's strong character shone, no more than in the spirit of Harry Maguire. It was only last year he was stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag and told he could leave in the subsequent summer transfer window. Now he is back in the starting line up, subduing Erling Haaland and described as 'perfect' by another head coach who adores him.
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Amad is a player on the rise, who looks certain to be an integral part of Amorim's plans, and although Maguire is on the decline, he is still a valuable player whose Old Trafford career should be rejuvenated by the tactical change that suits him to the ground.
The quirk is they are both out of contract at the end of the season, though United have the option to extend their respective deals by an additional year if they wish. It is highly unlikely to come to that, with talks already underway to reward the pair with longer terms, that reflect their current standing in the team.
Maguire revealed his talks have so far been 'positive' and he is likely to remain at the club for the foreseeable future ahead of a summer in which fellow centre-backs Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans are both likely to leave. It might only be an additional season he ends up staying at Old Trafford, but he could be an important bridge as Amorim looks to transform the squad from Erik ten Hag's into his own.
For Amad, the challenge is different. Amorim admits they must be 'careful' with his development and warned United can't make 'the same mistakes they made in the past' with fellow youngsters, who were perhaps given too much too soon. It poses a difficult task when it comes to contract renewals, as the club look to reward the Ivorian for his huge improvement, but also aim to incentivise further development.
As far as problems go, it is just about the best one United could have. Two players who were on the fringes under Ten Hag are now both revitalised under Amorim and deserve to be rewarded with new contracts, which will also protect their long-term futures and market valuation.
United are still in control of the contract situation, but they both strengthened their hands greatly on derby day.
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