Loud celebrations in the away end; an air of dank disappointment in every other part of the ground. Manchester United are well worth this victory, secured by another goal from the hugely promising Marcus Rashford early on, and the response from City was flat, uninspired and utterly devoid of any imagination. They look tired and old and they’re only a point above West Ham and United now. Losing the derby leaves them 15 points behind Leicester, albeit with a game in hand on Claudio Ranieri’s side, and surely means that they’re out of the title race. Their main focus now is to ensure that Pep Guardiola has Champions League football when he turns up next season, but there’s no guarantee of that after this defeat. Thanks for reading. Bye.
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Full-time: Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United
It’s over!
90 min+6: Rashford relives the pressure with a turbo dash down the right flank, which ends with him winning a corner off Mangala. That should be that.
90 min+5: Clichy strides up the left, full of purpose, and slips. He does win a throw, but he chucks the ball straight to Valencia.
90 min+4: It’s desperate stuff from City now, but they’re getting nowhere with repeated high balls into the United box. Right on cue, Bony ruins another move by giving away a free-kick with a blatant shove on Smalling.
90 min+1: Silva has been quiet, but he has looked the likeliest City player to create a goal. He picks out Aguero with a ball from right to left and when the striker brings it down on his chest and dips inside Valencia, he looks certain to score, only to screw his shot wide.
90 min: There will be six minutes of added time!
88 min: Sagna wins a corner off Schweinsteiger on the right. Fernandinho heads wide.
86 min: Now Rashford is struggling with cramp. Having played in the Europa League on Thursday, a previously sprightly United are looking tired.
84 min: Timothy Fosu-Mensah replaces Matteo Darmian. “I know Man Utd fans collectively groan whenever Fellaini comes on, but what about Valencia?” says Kevin Wilson. “Every time he gets the ball he faffs around, slows down attacks, never beats his man and whacks his crosses into the legs of the nearest defender.”
83 min: Having shown signs of cramp a couple of minutes ago, Darmian is down again. His afternoon is over.
80 min: Bony tries to set Aguero up for a golden chance with a backheel, but it doesn’t quite come off. Instead, he falls over his own feet. His look is that of a man who knows he’s probably not going to be a City player for much longer.
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79 min: Fernando heads wide from Silva’s free-kick.
78 min: Already on a booking, Smalling escapes a second consecutive red card on this ground after being penalised for going through the back of Aguero. It’s a clear yellow card, but Michael Oliver, who sent Smalling off last year, shows surprising leniency.
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76 min: Mangala is booked for an agricultural foul on Lingard on the right.
75 min: Navas diddles past Darmian, who sells himself, but he can only slash a shot over from just inside the United area.
72 min: City take a short corner and United are caught sleeping as Silva slips the ball to Navas. He finds Bony, but again his shot is deflected wide for a corner. Belatedly City are beginning to build something that vaguely smells like serious pressure.
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71 min: Silva materialises in space on the right side of the United area for the first time in a while and spots Aguero in space at the far post. His cross is perfect and Aguero is unmarked, but he can only stretch and direct his header across the face of goal. The danger’s not over, though - from the byline, Toure cuts it back to Bony, but the Ivorian can’t bundle it in and City have to settle for a corner.
70 min: Aguero curls one over from 25 yards. He appears to be operating a shoot-on-sight policy at the moment. In a conservative move, United bring on Bastian Schweinsteiger for Juan Mata.
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68 min: Clichy shoots with his right foot from 30 yards. I’ll leave you to do the math(s).
66 min: Aguero hits the post! Yaya Toure clips a cross towards the near post and although the angle’s tight, Aguero gets in front of his marker and heads against the woodwork! Will United regret not scoring a second goal?
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64 min: There’s just a sense that City are beginning to build up a head of steam, while United are inviting pressure. Aguero sends Navas away on the right and this time he comes up with a decentish cross that Bony can only flick wide at the near post. He wants a corner, but I want doesn’t get.
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62 min: United make their first change, Antonio Valencia replacing Marcos Rojo. Valencia goes to the right, Darmian moves to the left. A change in full-backs, Van Gaal’s very favourite move.
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61 min: City are enjoying some sterile domination.
59 min: “Pep, this is Martin.”
56 min: One-man team Sergio Aguero decides to go it alone, bringing a high ball down on the right flank, turning and running into the area, only to blaze high and wide from a tight angle.
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54 min: City mount their first attack of the half, but De Gea easily gathers Bony’s header. United respond with a slick counter attack, Martial skipping inside Sagna and aiming a deflected shot towards the far corner. Caballero pushes it away, but United keep pushing, and Lingard’s low centre is almost Kanu’d in by Rashford. His flick goes wide off Fernandinho.
53 min: City make their third and final change, Wilfried Bony replacing the hapless Martin Demichelis. Fernandinho moves into central defence and over on the City bench, Kelechi Iheanacho is wondering what he’s done wrong.
52 min: United are bossing this at the moment and Marcos Rojo, found by Lingard on the overlap, almost manages to slide a low shot underneath Caballero.
49 min: Hart is being carried off on a stretcher. He doesn’t look best pleased. Can you blame him? Willy Caballero is on.
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48 min: With the physios tending to his shin, Hart has tried to stand up twice. On both occasions, he had to sit back down. The stretcher is on and this is a potentially worrying development for England and Roy Hodgson. “I’ve seen the penalty incident a few times now on replay and I’m still not sure,” says Simon McMahon. “A bit like I’m still not sure whether or not Nicola Berti was offside when he scored that goal against England in 1990.”
46 min: Here we go again. United get the second half underway. City take a while to get going but they’re soon well into their stride, Demichelis knocking a lazy backpass short to Hart, who slides and just gets there before Martial. Hart needs some treatment after that - he appeared to get caught on the shin by Martial. “Do managerial contracts ever come with a stipulation that the team must secure Champions League football if the incoming manager is to take over at the start of the next season?” says Stephen Mitchell. “Asking for a friend.”
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“Are you sure about that, Jacob?” says John McGrath. “Did you never see us before Mancini came in? Just to fill you in, we were crap for about thirty years.”
I know what you mean, but it’s not quite what I meant. I wasn’t specifically referring to the City teams of old, rather teams who’ve spent a lot of money only to let themselves down. Obviously no one beats the Galacticos.
Half-time: Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United
Michael Oliver will probably be relieved that he was able to blow for half-time here because that was threatening to boil over. It’s not been a great spectacle, but United will be pleased with their lead, given to them by Marcus Rashford. Who else? City have underwhelmed again.
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45 min+2: In the second of two minutes of stoppage time, a moment of major controversy. United attack on the left, Rojo and Schneiderlin combining to leave Demichelis isolated against Rashford again. Rashford shows him the ball and then burns past him with an electric turn of pace, wriggling to the byline and then falling as the galootish Demichelis appears to barge him over! It looks a certain penalty, given away by a player of majestic incompetence, but United’s demands for Michael Oliver to point to the spot are ignored by the referee! Both teams are furious, United at the non-award, City with what they feel was a dive from Rashford, and it takes a while for a minor fracas to subside.
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45 min: Navas whips the free-kick towards the near post, where a flick on causes all sorts of confusion in the United defence. The ball reaches Toure, who tries to turn it in from close range, but he falls as he scuffs it wide, claiming that he was pulled back by Carrick.
44 min: This is becoming increasingly fractious and Blind exacts some revenge on Aguero by giving him an unceremonious shove in the back deep on the right touchline. I’ve seen brighter fouls.
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42 min: Van Gaal is furious after Aguero catches Blind with a high boot as they challenge for a bouncing ball. United didn’t even get a free-kick, leading to Van Gaal engaging the fourth official in animated debate, a theatrical re-enactment of Aguero’s kick.
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41 min: The home fans are restless. It’s difficult to think of many more disappointing sides down the years than the current City one.
39 min: Chris Smalling lopes forward, a bit like Franz Beckenbauer, and finds Martial in the right. Martial’s cross slithers across the City area with no one there to apply the finishing touch.
36 min: A rare chink of light for Aguero presents itself, as Silva slides a fine pass round the back of the United defence and into the area, but Blind recovers and tackles the City forward. There’s more defending for United to do, though, as Navas cuts in from the right for a shot; his effort is deflected wide.
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35 min: Sagna heads Navas’s corner harmlessly at De Gea.
34 min: Navas runs at Rojo, drops a shoulder, and fizzes a low ball into the middle. Smalling puts it behind for a corner.
33 min: Found by Navas, Toure looks to shape one into the bottom right corner from 20 yards. De Gea dives more out of courtesy than concern as the shot goes wide.
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32 min: Blind’s corner beats everyone and drifts all the way through the area.
31 min: Rashford dribbles into space again, before feeding Rojo, whose low cross is diverted behind for a corner on the left.
29 min: City look remarkably short of ideas at the moment.
26 min: City are forced into an early change, Fernando replacing the injured Raheem Sterling. That means City have to make a slight positional adjustment, Toure moving into the No10 role and Silva slinking over to the left.
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24 min: Aguero hassles Carrick into a shaky clearance that loops out for a corner. But nothing comes from it. City are getting ready to bring on Fernando.
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23 min: Sterling is still limping. I think it was Mata, that famous hatchet man, who caught him. With no Kevin de Bruyne, it would be a big blow for City if they lose Sterling.
22 min: With Sterling still off the pitch, City have 10 men for the free-kick. But they should equalise. Silva’s delivery is met by Demichelis at the far post, but having got above Rojo, he heads wide.
20 min: Play is stopped while Sterling receives treatment for a knock. He was fouled on the left and City have a free-kick.
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18 min: All of a sudden, City are all over the place. This time, Lingard is almost through. There’s a pleasing flexibility to United’s attack today.
17 min: City look stunned and with good reason. Moments after Rashford’s opener, United are on the attack again, Lingard sy. Martial is allowed to turn far too easily on the edge of the area and his fierce shot has to be beaten away by Hart, the rebound just eluding the onrushing United attackers.
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GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United (Rashford, 15 min)
This is another stunning moment in the already captivating Marcus Rashford story! He collects possession on the edge of the area and stands Demichelis up, before superbly nips the ball through the City defender’s legs to leave himself one-on-one with Joe Hart. Nerves? No chance. He opens up his body and simply guides the ball under Hart with the inside of his right foot! What a goal from the young striker.
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14 min: Marcos Rojo lands his defence in it with a sloppy pass inside to Schneiderlin, whose slip allows Toure to charge at the United back four. He slips, perhaps because of a foul, but manages to keep the move alive. Silva and Sterling and combine and when a cross reaches Navas, De Gea has to make a brilliant alert save with his feet.
13 min: Now it’s Rashford’s turn to run at Clichy on the right. The City left-back is forced to concede a corner by the young United striker.
12 min: United look to spring forward and catch out City’s high line. Yet Demichelis displays hitherto unseen recovery pace to deny Lingard a run on goal with an excellent slide tackle back to Hart.
10 min: Aguero pulls back to the halfway line, facing City’s goal, and with Smalling tight to him. He seemingly has nowhere to go. Think again. He shields the ball well, even though he’s irritated by Smalling applying some illegal pressure, and then befuddles the United centre-back with a weeblish turn into space. Smalling, sent off here moronically last season, is shown an early booking.
7 min: This time, Silva drops deep, into more natural territory, and shows terrific awareness to send Sterling haring away down the left and into the area. He drives down the outside, reaches the byline and lifts a dinky ball into the middle. It’s headed into the air and only to Navas, who controls with his chest and volleys with his left foot – yes, really – a few yards wide of the post. United are being pulled apart on the flanks.
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5 min: Aguero spins brilliantly 30 yards from goal and spots the run of Silva to the left, feeding him with an accurate pass. Silva is in space on the left of the area – but because Aguero had dropped deep, he has to delay his cross and United deal with the problem comfortably enough.
3 min: “Lots of rumours that Mourinho wants to go to Porto, purely so that he can drop Casillas again,” says Daniel Rice. You wouldn’t want to spill Mourinho’s glass of red wine, would you? Not that he’d knock you out - leave that to Rui Faria - but you’d have to be aware that he would never, ever let it go. It would be hanging over your head for the rest of your life.
2 min: Here come United, Lingard scampering on to a ball down the right channel and hooking a cross into the area. Mangala succeeds in clearing without tripping over his own feet.
And we’re off! Manchester City, in blue shirts and white shorts and kicking from left to right in the first half, get the game underway in a cracking atmosphere. They’re on the attack straight away, Navas cleverly pushing the ball past the dozy Marcos Rojo, racing down the right flank and whipping in an awkward cross that Darmian heads behind at the far post. An early chance for City, a corner over on the left, but United get it away.
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Here come the teams! Soon: football. “Being that this could certainly be Van Gaal’s penultimate match, I was wondering why are we not talking about Giggsy for manager?” says Ahmed Aly. “Barça took a similar gamble with Guardiola and if United are to avert risk, Giggs is surely a safer option than Mourinho, is he not?”
The last time Mangala and Demichelis started together, City were walloped 4-1 by Liverpool at home. Mangala hasn’t started a league game since 2 January. Demichelis is Demichelis. Imagine what a team that knows how to attack could do here. “It would be typical of Mourinho to come in and do the opposite too,” says Samee Siddiqui. “Make Mata captain and adopt him as his son and only heir.”
And here’s Louis van Gaal! “We have to close the gap, we have to win this game,” roars the United manager. “I always want to win. Our gameplan is always for a winning side.” Winning the game - that’s the plan!
Manuel Pellegrini speaks! “Unfortunately for us Otamendi and Kompany cannot play,” he says. “We must trust now in Demichelis and Mangala.”
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An email!
“So Jose Mourinho has always wanted to manage Manchester United,” says Art Durbano. “Just another case of a rat actually swimming out to board a sinking ship? Nah, he just wants another chance to sell Juan Mata. Liverpool this time.”
I cannot be the only person who can’t imagine Juan Mata getting his gegenpress on.
But what does it all mean? For City, Sergio Aguero is on his own up front, as standing around and looking confused’s Big Wilf loses his place to Raheem Sterling. In theory, but only in theory, that switch means that Manuel Pellegrini’s side should play with more fluidity than they managed in last week’s drab goalless draw at Norwich City - yet those of a blue persuasion might be concerned to see that a central defensive pairing of Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis is being protected by a central midfield of Fernandinho and Yaya Toure, who’s not exactly noted for relishing unfashionable things like tracking back, tackling and running. If United can attack with pace – a quality that Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Pele Marcus Rashford all possess - then they can get at that City defence, which is missing Vincent Kompany after his latest calf problem plus the injured Nicolas Otamendi . Problem is, though, they’ve so rarely played with any freedom this season. They’ll be inviting trouble if City are allowed to take the initiative, not least because Aguero has scored seven goals in seven matches against United.
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The teams!
Man City: Hart; Sagna, Demichelis, Mangala, Clichy; Toure, Fernandinho; Jesus Navas, Silva, Sterling; Aguero. Subs: Zabaleta, Fernando, Kolarov, Caballero, Bony, Iheanacho, Manu Garcia.
Man Utd: De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo; Carrick, Schneiderlin; Lingard, Mata, Martial; Rashford. Subs: Depay, Januzaj, Romero, Valencia, Fellaini,Schweinsteiger, Fosu-Mensah.
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
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Preamble
Hello! Rewind four years, back to when these two clubs were managed by Roberto Mancini and some bloke called Sir Alex Ferguson and you had a head full of hair and hopes and dreams and being told that you were part of Generation Y didn’t make you feel quite so #blessed, this fixture was a title decider between two teams who were way ahead of the chasing pack. Manchester City won thanks to Vincent Kompany’s header, putting them on the unforgettable course that ended with the barminess of Sergio Aguero’s winner against QPR on the final day of the season, while Manchester United came back even stronger the following year, regaining their position at the top largely thanks to the goals of Robin van Persie. Their 20th title in the bag, it was time to say goodbye to Ferguson and hello to the Moyesiah.
It’s a funny old game. For a while, the Manchester derby was the most significant fixture in England. Once a rivalry between the haves and the have-nots, but no less bitter because of the major financial advantage the red side of the city had built up over the blue half during an unparalleled period of success under Ferguson, from 2008 onwards it became the game that no one wanted to miss, as the injection of oil cash at City forced United to deal with a new, formidable threat from the noisy neighbours who relished the chance to overtake the club whose achievements had left them in the shade for so long.
But now? Not so much. How the mighty have fallen. Sort of. You know what I mean. Of course, lots of clubs would love to trade positions with City or United. Yet by their standards, they are both experiencing hugely disappointing seasons, with fourth-placed City a whopping 15 points behind the leaders, Leicester City, and United cannot afford to lose any more ground in the battle to finish in the qualify for the Champions League. If United do indeed lose more ground today, then they’ll be seven points behind City, who would have dropped out of the top four if West Ham United had not conceded a late equaliser against Chelsea yesterday.
While Louis van Gaal is an increasingly unpopular figure at Old Trafford, where supporters despair at the witless, imagination-free filth United tend to serve up these days, at least City have added another League Cup to their trophy cabinet, beating Liverpool on penalties in the final, and have reached the last eight of the Champions League for the first time. If they win here, they’ll still have a sniff of catching Leicester.
Yet it is a sorry state of affairs that they’ve not made a better go of challenging for the title, especially in such an open season. The reverse fixture back in Old Trafford was a dreadful 0-0 draw, but at the final whistle City were top with 22 points and United were a little further back on 20. It was all to play for! But City have taken 29 points from 19 games since then, United have managed 27 from 19.
Given the money spent by both clubs, they really should be better. Yet City’s recruitment has been odd, to say the least, and too many of their players seem to be coasting, with Manuel Pellegrini seemingly unable to extract more effort from them before his departure at the end of the season, while United’s players have spent most of the season struggling to understand Van Gaal’s tactics. Change is coming. The man in City’s dugout next season will be Pep Guardiola, which is probably bad news for quite a few of City’s underperformers, and you might have heard that he another new arrival in the city could be a certain Jose Mourinho.
Kick-off: 4pm GMT.
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