Manchester City collapsed to Manchester United to lose 3-2 and missed out on securing the English Premier League in record time on Saturday.

City shredded United apart in the first half, with Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan scoring in a six-minute span, but the celebrations inside Etihad Stadium were premature.

United, which didn't manage a shot on target in the first half, was transformed after the break — netting three times.

Inevitably, the goals that drew United level came twice in two minutes from Paul Pogba — a day after City manager Pep Guardiola claimed he was offered the chance to sign the Frenchman in the January transfer window.

And Chris Smalling, so fragile in the United defense in the first half, came through with the winner in the 69th minute when he was left unmarked to meet Alexis Sanchez's free kick.

For City, which had previously lost only once in the league this season at Liverpool, it was a first home defeat since December 2016.

United reduced City's lead only to 13 points. But with six games remaining to complete the job, it seems inevitable City will win the title for the third time since 2012. It will happen next weekend only if City wins at Tottenham on Saturday, and United loses to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

It's in City's DNA to do things the hard way. Both the 2012 and 2014 Premier League titles were won on the final day of the season, the first with a stoppage-time goal.

Not even the home fans who bemoaned "Typical City" during their decades in the shadows of United — even slipping to the third tier at the end of the last century — could have imagined at halftime on Saturday they could mess up as badly as they did.

However sweet it would have been to become champions with its greatest rivals — and record 20-time English champions — on the same pitch, City's priority is conquering the continent. The team's supremacy in England is indisputable. But it will truly have joined the elite only when it finally lifts the European Cup — something United has done three times.

This season, that will require overturning a 3-0 deficit to Liverpool here on Tuesday. The Champions League quarterfinal second leg is Guardiola's priority. The lineup sent out to face United made that clear. The key attacking options — Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero — were both left on the bench. So, too, was player of the year contender Kevin De Bruyne.

They weren't missed, in the first half at least. United crumbled, just like City did at Anfield on Wednesday.

And it was the team's longest-serving player who came through with the opener. Kompany was signed a week before the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008 and he has been an integral part of the team's transformation, battling through more than 40 injuries in a decade.

When Leroy Sane swung in a corner in the 25th minute, Smalling was grappling at Kompany and still tugging at the defender's shirt as he leapt into the air. The Belgian was still able to head into the net.

And within 5 minutes and 15 seconds, the ball was in David de Gea's net again.

Ilkay Gundogan swiveled and turned to meet Sterling's pass, then dispatched the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

City was shredding through United with ease, enjoying the freedom to stroll across the pitch. Jose Mourinho's side was barely able to get into City's half.

The embarrassment could have been greater for United had Raheem Sterling not blazed the ball over the crossbar twice.

Mourinho had a simple warning to his United players in the dressing room at halftime.

"He said that we didn't want to be the clowns standing there watching them get their title," Smalling said. "City have been fantastic here all season, but we stepped up."

Big time.

Sanchez's cross was chested down powerfully by Ander Herrera into the path of Pogba who tapped into the net.

City was stunned and didn't tighten up at the back.

Pogba picked up possession around the halfway line and sent the ball out to Sanchez on the left. As the Chile forward held up the ball, Pogba raced into the penalty area, past Nicolas Otamendi to meet a cross and power a header into the net.

His hair was dyed in City blue, but Pogba is very much a Red Devil.

City's fans who were chanting "Stand up for the champions" at the start of the second half were silenced.

And again with around 20 minutes to go when Smalling drifted into the penalty area and got on the end of Sanchez's free kick.

"When you make a mistake like that (in the first half) you want an opportunity to make amends and luckily it came today," Smalling said.

The hosts were denied a penalty when Ashley Young flew into Aguero, and United held on for a memorable win in east Manchester after recovering from a humiliating position.

"We are not as bad as people think we are," Mourinho said. "I am not such a bad manager as some people think I am, the players are not so bad as people think they are."

Everton, Liverpool draw 0-0 in 231st Merseyside derby

Everton wasted late chances in the 231st Merseyside derby on Saturday to draw 0-0 against Liverpool at Goodison Park in the Premier League.

Liverpool striker Danny Ings was handed his first start as Juergen Klopp named a stronger lineup than anticipated.

Ings was part of a front three including Sadio Mane and Dominic Solanke, with Mohamed Salah (groin) not risked ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Manchester City, with Liverpool leading 3-0.

Despite a late rally in which Seamus Coleman and substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin could have snatched victory, the Toffees' 7 1/2-year wait for a derby win was extended to 17 matches.

Solanke, on his first start since New Year's Day, should have scored his first Liverpool goal when Coleman diverted a cross from Nathaniel Clyne, making his first appearance of the season, into his path but he shot straight at Jordan Pickford.

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius produced an even better save to tip Yannick Bolasie's curling shot around the post before Pickford did the same to deny James Milner.

Wayne Rooney was replaced by the more defensively minded Idrissa Gana Gueye 10 minutes into the second half but it was not until the last 15 minutes that midtable Everton came alive.

Coleman failed to connect with Cenk Tosun's header back across goal after Theo Walcott finally beat Klavan one-on-one and Calvert-Lewin steered wide with only Karius to beat.

Liverpool is third with 67 points.

Eriksen at the double as Tottenham wins 2-1 at Stoke in EPL

Christian Eriksen scored twice as Tottenham edged closer to securing a return to the Champions League by beating Stoke 2-1 in the English Premier League on Saturday.

Eriksen broke the deadlock in the second half before scoring direct from a free kick which appeared to just evade Harry Kane's head, preventing the Tottenham striker from claiming a 36th goal of the season and moving four behind league leading scorer Mohamed Salah.

In between, Stoke levelled through Mame Diouf, but the loss meant they are four points from safety with five games to go.

Holding the fourth Champions League place, Tottenham moved 11 points ahead of Chelsea, which plays West Ham on Sunday.

Paul Lambert insisted he would pay little attention to the previous four thrashings Tottenham inflicted on Mark Hughes' Stoke as he set his side up differently.

That was evident when Hughes kept faith with the starting XI that lost to Arsenal 3-0 last weekend with Diouf, who overcame a calf problem to start, blazing a good opportunity over early on.

Tottenham had been sluggish to start against Chelsea last weekend and the visitor was struggling for momentum here, too, until Son Heung-min was sent through one on one by Dele Alli. The South Korean bore down on goal only for goalkeeper Jack Butland to rush out and smother his attempt with the half's biggest chance.

The Potters had been typically spirited and that inspired a crowd that needed no encouragement to jeer Danny Rose for his part in a Ryan Shawcross dismissal in 2014.

Yet the majority of the crowd was silenced seven minutes into the second half when Eriksen scored.

Mousa Dembele's pass released Alli down the right and he neglected passing to Kane, instead biding his time for Eriksen to break into the box and sweep home the opener.

In previous four meetings with Spurs, each of which it lost by a four-goal margin, Stoke folded after conceding first. But it levelled within five minutes here.

Xherdan Shaqiri's first real involvement was to curl a pass behind the defense that Diouf chased, with Hugo Lloris' clearance cannoning off the Senegalese and back into his path to allow him to roll into an empty net.

The Stoke forward fell to the floor with an injury sustained challenging Lloris but, crucially for his team, he had been upright long enough to score the goal.

Spurs would soon restore their lead, though the identity of their scorer was no clearer from multiple replays.

The Stoke defenders were not close to Kane from Eriksen's free kick, which was curled into the bottom corner.

Stoke, who had seen Kane score eight times against them in their previous four games against Spurs, hit the crossbar through a Shaqiri free kick but was unable to get another equalizer and it remains in deep trouble.

Burnley beats Watford 2-1, continues Europa League pursuit

Burnley's pursuit of Europa League qualification improved as two goals in three second-half minutes gave the team a 2-1 English Premier League win at Watford on Saturday.

The Clarets' hopes of finishing in sixth place looked like faltering at Vicarage Road after Roberto Pereyra put Watford in front on the hour mark, but goals from Sam Vokes — seconds after coming off the bench — and Jack Cork saw Sean Dyche's men close the gap on sixth-place Arsenal to two points.

It was also their fourth successive top-flight win, the first time they have achieved such a feat since 1968, and a seventh away success of what has been a memorable campaign.

It was a different story for Watford, which was the better team until Vokes' equalizer, as it lost for a third time in four matches. Though still nine points above the relegation zone, they should not encounter any late-season drama.

Dyche had kept faith with Nick Pope despite Tom Heaton's return from a lengthy injury lay-off and, as the hosts got a foothold in the game, it proved to be a wise selection as the goalkeeper showed exactly why he was called up for England last month.

He made a fine low save when he got down well to keep out Pereyra's effort in the 15th and his stop from the same player 15 minutes later was even better.

Watford's Argentine winger burst in from the right and, from 16 yards out, sent a curling effort that was heading for the top corner until Pope brilliantly tipped it over the crossbar.

Pereyra vs. Pope was becoming the battle of the match and the Watford man finally got the upper hand on the hour mark.

After the Hornets recycled a free kick, the ball fell to Pereyra, who this time gave the Burnley goalkeeper no chance as he drilled home low from 10 yards.

The Clarets turned to Vokes from the bench in the 70th and the Wales international's arrival had an immediate impact as he levelled barely 20 seconds after coming on.

He poked home a loose ball from a free kick, ending a Premier League goal drought dating to November. It gave the visitors some momentum and three minutes later they were ahead.

Watford again failed to deal with a set piece and Cork was on hand to head home Kevin Long's header back across goal, with technology confirming the ball crossed the line before goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis clawed it away.

Palace remains in danger after late Bournemouth equalizer

Bournemouth twice recovered from a losing position to secure a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday after substitute Joshua King's 89th-minute goal.

The visitors had twice led through second-half finishes from Luka Milivojevic and Wilfried Zaha, but King's late goal for midtable Bournemouth denied Palace the crucial victory that would have taken them five points clear of the bottom three.

Like King, fellow Bournemouth substitute Lys Mousset had earlier scored with one of his first touches after his introduction. Between them they ensured Palace remains 17th and at threat of relegation from the Premier League.

Newcastle's EPL survival bid boosted by win at Leicester

Newcastle took a giant leap toward Premier League survival with a 2-1 victory at Leicester on Saturday.

Jonjo Shelvey and Ayoze Perez scored to put Newcastle in control but Jamie Vardy reduced the deficit late on to set up a tense finale at the King Power Stadium.

Rafael Benitez's side held on though for a third straight win while Leicester's outside hopes of qualifying for the Europa League were dealt a severe blow and the 2016 Premier League champions are now without a home win since Jan. 20.