Manchester United surrendered the three points at stake to Manchester City through goals from Bernado Silva and Leroy Sane in the second half of the Premier League match at Old Trafford.

In a tense, edgy derby, City gradually took command after the break to seal a victory that takes the defending champions back above Liverpool with three games remaining for both clubs.

Goals from Silva and Sane after the interval wrecked a decent first half by the hosts. But the home defeat was damaging for United’s hopes of creeping into the two last vacant Champions League berths in the Premier League.

The only positive on that front, with three games to go, was that top-four rivals Arsenal were soundly beaten 3-1 at Wolves, leaving the door still ajar for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.

Bernardo Silva and Sterling were denied by David De Gea in a first half of few clear-cut chances.

But Man City started the second half strongly and took the lead on 54 minutes, Bernardo Silva cutting in from the right to fire past De Gea.

Gundogan, now in the midfield anchor role, advanced and then shifted right to find Bernardo where the Portuguese ran at the Reds’ defence with intent before squeezing a low shot past de Gea to send the City fans wild.

And the Blues came within a whisker of doubling the lead just minutes later with a move that cut the United defence to shreds and ended with Aguero’s low shot smacking the outside of the post.

United however, almost levelled in their next attack as a miscued Kyle Walker clearance was clipped in the six-yard box by Rashford and Jesse Lingard somehow failed to tap home, thanks largely to Kompany’s attempt at a clearance.

Jesse Lingard failed to connect with a low cross for Man Utd, and Marcus Rashford fired over from distance.

Sterling collected the ball well inside his own half, span and went past two challenges with ease before passing to the advancing Sane who powered a shot low and hard past de Gea to double City’s lead on 66 minutes.

City’s seventh PL win at Old Trafford, the most of any visiting team, moves them on to 89 points, one more than Liverpool, with three matches remaining.