Time to wrap things up – here’s Danny Taylor’s match report. City will go for a record 15th straight league win at Swansea on Wednesday; United will aim to take their frustration out on Bournemouth. Thanks for joining me. It’s been festive. Bye!
Here’s José: “(Herrera) was a clear penalty. The referee made a mistake. Otherwise, Michael Oliver had a good performance. City scored two bad goals. It’s unbelievable to concede two goals like that.
“What they are good at, they weren’t good at, and scored two easy goals. We did good things, bad things ... every player did their best. Is the title over? I don’t know. They are a good team, I think they’re lucky, and they get decisions in their favour.”
Some spectacularly sour grapes there. Whether Herrera should have been booked for diving is another matter, but it would have been a soft penalty at best.
Graeme Souness and Gary Neville are crossing swords over Lukaku. Neville reckons his confidence is shot and he’s not been influential enough, Souness says he needs better support from midfield. I think it’s a bit of both.
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Fabian Delph is asked if City have won hand on the trophy. He says more like two hands Geoff, we’ll walk it that City will take it game by game. Kevin de Bruyne is a little more strident: “I’d rather be 11 points ahead than 11 points behind.”
We’ll have a report online very soon, but stick around for post-game reaction.
That was a funny game – City were not as dominant as against Chelsea, nor as clinical as they were in Naples, but were the superior side and showed plenty of grit and discipline to get over the line.
United’s game plan was never really apparent – whether Mourinho got stuck between sticking and twisting, or the players didn’t do as he asked, we may never know.
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Full time: Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City
City go 11 points clear at the top after a 14th league win in a row. It wasn’t always pretty, but ultimately it was deserved – although Romelu Lukaku won’t sleep well tonight.
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94 mins: Another City break, and Sterling picks out De Bruyne, whose shot is turned behind. No matter – City are going to win this.
92 mins: Matic is penalised for a foul on De Bruyne and City break, Sterling setting Bernardo Silva free. He goes down in the box, but Michael Oliver isn’t giving that. Moments later, a brilliant De Bruyne ball gives him another chance – but he delays, and De Gea saves.
91 mins: City have kept the ball in the corner for the last three minutes, but De Bruyne hoofs it out of play, and United will have a chance to pump it forward...
90 mins: Four added minutes. Mourinho isn’t happy. Obviously.
89 mins: City are keeping the ball as time ticks down. Young is booked for a frustrated hack on Sterling down by the corner flag.
87 mins: Guardiola looks to shore it up, as hulking no-nonsense midfield general Bernardo Silva replaces the tireless Sané.
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86 mins: Four minutes plus stoppage time for United to stop City going 11 points clear. Sané digs in under pressure from two United defenders, and wins a corner.
@niallmcveigh ...Zlatan baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight
— Michael B. Chang (@dk_michaelchang) December 10, 2017
84 mins: Ederson makes a preposterous double save, taking a point-blank Lukaku shot from six yards square in the face, and getting straight back up to deny Mata! He might have just won the derby. Or Lukaku has just lost it, depending on your point of view.
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83 mins: Walker gives the ball away – City have been uncharacteristically sloppy – but the back four steps up and Mata is flagged offside. It was tight.
82 mins: Juan Mata is on in place of Ander Herrera.
80 mins: These teams have scored 20 goals between them in the last 10 minutes of league games, so don’t go anywhere.
@niallmcveigh Last Christmas I gave you Joe Hart....
— ((( ɹǝzuɐdʞuǝp ))) (@DenkpanzerNK) December 10, 2017
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79 mins: Mangala does marvellously to close down Lukaku, but City give the ball away and Herrera tumbles theatrically over Otamendi’s leg. He’s booked for diving. Mourinho won’t like that.
77 mins: Lindelof looks for his countryman with a long ball from the back, but Ibrahimovic is offside.
76 mins: Mangala heads away, the thud echoing around the ground, before City race out to leave Rashford offside.
75 mins: Another wobbly moment from Delph, stepping in front of Rashford and missing the ball entirely. Rashford’s stinging shot from a tight angle is turned behind by Ederson. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is coming on, replacing Lingard.
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@niallmcveigh Fernandinho it's Christmas time at all
— B Chan (@bdcchan) December 10, 2017
Christmas is cancelled.
73 mins: Silva is booked for a hefty challenge on Herrera, and also has a little nibble at Matic before De Bruyne goes down off the ball. It’s warming up nicely.
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71 mins: City overdo it from the corner and United break, with Martial finding Lingard outside the area – but he goes down under pressure from Gundogan. Lingard was looking for that, with the counter attack running out of steam.
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70 mins: David de Gea is at it again, getting down to turn away a fierce De Bruyne shot that was heading for the bottom corner. The vast majority of goalkeepers wouldn’t have got near that.
69 mins: You still feel there’s an individual mistake in this City side, and after Delph misjudges a pass, Sterling bundles Martial over – unnecessarily, with Fernandinho covering. Rashford is over the free kick – but fires it a foot over.
67 mins: Silva, who has taken this game by the scruff of the neck, sets up Sané, whose deflected cross almost falls to Sterling.
65 mins: Otamendi gives the ball away cheaply in midfield and Lingard plays a nice diagonal ball to Lukaku. Mangala does well to keep him off his left foot, and he fires his shot high and wide.
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64 mins: United are carved open with David Silva, this match’s standout player, motoring down the left and slipping a pass to Gundogan. He cuts it back across an open goal, but nobody’s there to turn it in.
63 mins: Rashford gets bullied off the ball by Mangala, and throws the ball in frustration. He’s booked.
61 mins: United get it away this time. “Can anyone think of a footballer who is worse with the ball at his feet than Lukaku?” asks David Flynn. Joe Hart?
60 mins: Sané fires in a low cross that Smalling cuts out, but City keep the ball and Sané skips away from Valencia to win a free kick...
59 mins: David Silva is now the furthest City player forward. Pep parking the bus really would hurt Mourinho.
58 mins: Guardiola has taken 13 minutes to realise Fernandinho isn’t really a centre-back, and brings Eliaquim Mangala on in place of Gabriel Jesus.
Let’s follow up Lukaku’s moment of slapstick genius with your festive puns. “Fairytale of Jack Cork” offers David Wall. “Demba Bah, Humbug” scowls Matt Dony.
“Delph’s slip may have been an early Christmas gift, although I’d have expected it to have gone to Jesus. Nevertheless Pep sees his side go a goal down without a myrrhmer. He must be, to be frank, incensed.” Felix Wood is here ‘til New Year.
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Silva’s free kick dropped to Lukaku without a City player near him – but he panicked, slicing a clearance off Smalling’s back and into the path of Otamendi, who volleys it home!
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GOAL! Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City (Otamendi 53')
It’s another scrappy goal from a set piece! Classic Guardiola.
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53 mins: Jesus holds off Herrera and earns a free kick that looked a little soft. Silva will have the chance to ping it in from an inviting angle...
52 mins: As United push forward, City find more space when they attack – but Sané is the latest player to make a poor decision, firing wildly over from 20 yards out.
51 mins: Rashford exchanges passes with Martial and fires a quick, low cross towards Lingard – he can’t quite get a touch, and Otamendi clears.
49 mins: Jesus picks up Sterling’s pass by the corner flag and skips beyond Rashford. The ball is worked to De Bruyne, who has been below his best, and he presents it to Ashley Young. The final pass still lacking from City.
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48 mins: Lukaku leads a break, bursting past Fernandinho before Walker gets across to cover.
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47 mins: Smalling is in the right place again, moving out wide to cut out Silva’s attempted pass to Sané. From the throw in De Bruyne plays Silva in, but his cut back is to nobody in particular.
46 mins: Two midfielders in City’s back four now – will United be more adventurous? Smalling cuts out a pass with Jesus lurking in the penalty area.
We're back
A change at half time for City, with Ilkay Gundogan replacing Vincent Kompany – presumably the centre-back has picked up a knock. Fernandinho will drop into the back four. Victor Lindelof replaces Marcos Rojo in United’s defence.
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Mac Millings has gone and done it: “‘It’s Beginning to Lukaku Lot Like Christmas,” offers Sam Bailey. “Silva Bells? Rojo-ly Night?” parps Peter Oh. The players are back out.
Is Fabian Delph’s slip to let Rashford in the first early Christmas present of the festive season?
Let’s ease the tension at half-time with Mac Millings:
“To celebrate the snow, a new low – my all-time Christmas Carol XI:
Davide Zappafrosty the Snowman
Bixente Lizarazu They Know It’s Christmas?
God Rest Steve Perry(gentle)man
Good King Junior Stanislas
I Saw Mommy Kissing Roque Santa Cruz
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmassimo Maccarone
Santi Cazorla Want for Christmas is You
Deck Fitz Hall with Boughs of Holly, Fa-la-la-la-la, la la la la
Matt Le Tiss the Season to be
Jollyvier Giroud
Fa-la-la-la-la, la la la Lars Bohinen”
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Half time: Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City
City dominated but couldn’t carve out chances, until David Silva’s strike from a corner – but a mistake from Fabian Delph allowed United to level through Marcus Rashford moments later. It’s finely poised. Back shortly.
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GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City (Rashford 46')
United level from a defensive error! Ashley Young’s swirling cross from near the halfway line is misjudged by Otamendi, and then Delph, who allows it to bobble into Rashford’s path. He sets himself and finishes clinically, low beyond Ederson. Game on!
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45 mins: Four more minutes. Martial, hitherto anonymous, takes aim from 25 yards but fires a shot straight at Ederson. Evidence, at least, that United have it in them.
44 mins: United press forward and win a corner which is swung towards Matic – but it slips straight through his legs! Oh dear. A promising City break is ended by an attempted De Bruyne pass that’s so bad, it looks like a glitch in the matrix.
After trying to walk the ball in for most of the half, City lead through a scrappy set-piece goal. The corner bobbles off Lukaku and into the path of David Silva – who is played onside by Young – and he hooks the ball beyond De Gea from six yards out.
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GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Manchester City (Silva 43')
And from the corner, David Silva prods City ahead!
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41 mins: From a deep cross, Sané gets away from Ashley Young, brings the ball down and forces De Gea into a fine near-post save...
40 mins: Young concedes a free kick and City work it around the United half, trying to squeeze the life out of their opponents. Silva and Sterling combine but the winger’s return ball is ambitious, and Silva can’t latch onto it.
39 mins: Sergio Agüero, who has scored in his last nine away games and has so often been United’s nemesis, will be watching Gabriel Jesus’ penalty area efforts with interest.
38 mins: More possession for City but they’ve been unable to test De Gea. A kind bounce allows Silva to run into space, but he tries to pick out Sterling rather than shoot, and United clear.
36 mins: Rojo gets a fresh shirt, and a yellow card. He looks OK to carry on.
35 mins: Rojo is still down and is bleeding from a cut near his eye. Phil Jones is warming up, and may have to come on.
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34 mins: Rojo, still a little wound up, goes through the back of Silva under a high ball. Both players need treatment, and Rojo will surely get a booking once he’s up.
32 mins: Sterling has looked dangerous, and carves out space to shoot – but instead trades passes with Silva, and runs out of space. There are then words exchanged, possibly bad ones, with Marcos Rojo.
“If Pep supports Catalonia’s independence, where does he think Barcelona should play their football?” asks Pec Aguia. “Maybe in a post-Brexit UK?”
They should have put that on the side of the bus.
30 mins: Fernandinho loops a pass to Jesus, who looks a fraction offside, but Rojo does well to close him down before he can get a shot away.
28 mins: Sané’s corner is badly overhit, and Rashford tees up a United break. Lingard puts pressure on Otamendi who prods the ball back to Ederson with pace – but the goalkeeper traps it and clears away effortlessly. I wouldn’t have liked to see Joe Hart deal with that.
27 mins: More probing and pressing from City, with Fernandinho sweeping the ball wide to Jesus, whose cut-back to Silva is deflected behind...
26 mins: Lingard pops up again 80 yards upfield, taking on Kyle Walker but conceding a throw-in.
25 mins: Herrera, offering the necessary nuisance value in midfield, steps in to strip the ball from David Silva – and as City advance, Lingard prods the ball away from Sterling.
24 mins: Fernandinho lines one up from 25 yards out but under pressure, he wellies his shot into the stands.
23 mins: Replays suggest that Jesus was very much looking for that. Back in midfield, Kompany jumps in on Herrera with a firm but fair challenge, turning up the heat a couple more degrees.
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21 mins: After a flurry of one-touch passes, David Silva’s deflected shot is saved by De Gea. Moments later, Gabriel Jesus goes down in the area. Michael Oliver awards nothing, leaving both managers hopping mad.
20 mins: Jesus is now roaming in the space on the left-wing Sterling has vacated, as City operate in a strikerless 4-1-3-2. Oh Pep! You just couldn’t help yourself.
19 mins: Rashford aims a cross from deep towards Lukaku, who is allowed to stroll beyond City’s back line – but Ederson is there to claim it.
17 mins: Another sight on goal for City as Jesus latches on to Fernandinho’s through ball, turns inside his marker, but fires a tame effort with his weak foot that De Gea holds.
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“Noel Gallagher? If Sky want to provide balanced popstar punditry, they should’ve also invited Bernard Sumner,” says Peter Oh. Three quarters of Joy Division were United fans – Ian Curtis supported City.
15 mins: City turn up the pace, with Silva finding Sterling who plays a one-two with Jesus, but fires his shot from an angle straight at De Gea.
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14 mins: The free kick is shinned behind by Valencia, and City have a corner. Matic’s attempted clearance is wild – United seem a little edgy – but dribbles through to David de Gea.
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13 mins: Walker, booked 10 minutes ago, goes around Matic and goes down. There was contact, but the subsequent howling for a yellow card is just unseemly.
12 mins: An awkward start for Gabriel Jesus, as the striker gets in the way of Fernandinho’s low shot, and then trips over his own feet while trying to play De Bruyne in.
11 mins: Sterling’s loose pass is picked up by Rashford, who looks to set Lukaku free with a quick through ball – but it’s overhit! Those are the kind of chances United will need to make more of.
9 mins: Oof, first sniff of a chance for City as Sterling, drifting into a more central position, slots a pass to Jesus, who can’t control it. He was onside and in a promising position.
8 mins: Rashford is stationed on the left wing, and gets back well to help out Ashley Young, who was briefly hypnotised by Leroy Sané’s shimmying skills.
7 mins: Sterling twists away from Matic in midfield and wins a free kick. Otamendi tries a slide-rule pass into Gabriel Jesus’ path, but Valencia cuts it out.
6 mins: There’s an absolute din inside Old Trafford in the early stages. De Bruyne thwacks a long-distance diagonal ball towards Leroy Sané, but overcooks it.
5 mins: De Bruyne tries to go straight through the middle of that United midfield. It looks a little odd – Matic and Herrera are dropping back onto the 18-yard line. The Belgian is eventually crowded out.
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3 mins: United break up an attack after De Bruyne tries an ambitious through ball. Walker trips Herrera and is booked very early on. Rashford picks up the ball in the City half, but is promptly closed down.
2 mins: Smalling launches a long ball that caused a brief moment of concern, before Ederson pounds it back downfield with Lukaku closing in.
1 min: City immediately seize control of the ball, with Lingard apparently slotting in alongside Lukaku, off the ball at least.
Let's do this
A handshake between the two managers – and a pat on the head from Mourinho – and United get this derby started.
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@niallmcveigh Long balls would be...rugby balls? So that's Man U's secret weapon. Anyway, it'll be a belter. A total belter.
— Andrew Benton (@thangnangman) December 10, 2017
Let’s hope so, eh? It’s almost time.
Just over five minutes until kick-off. Sky have got Noel Gallagher in as a pundit. Come on guys, this isn’t Soccer AM.
A few words from both managers:
José Mourinho: “An attacking team? It’s not true. When they have the ball, we have to defend with 11. When we attack, we attack with 11. We are not going to have a huge percentage of time with the ball.”
Pep Guardiola: “We’ll play to win like we have done for the last season and a half. With long balls and with counter attacks, they are so dangerous – but we come here to visit our neighbours with the intention to win.”
“Anton, 10, thinks City will score an early goal, but then United will get one before half time, then a second late goal,” says Jackie Copley. “He’ll be cheering United on!”
Lovely stuff – enjoy the game.
Pep v José
The mutual emnity between these two managers extends over eight years and seven clubs, and adds some barely necessary spice to proceedings. This is their 20th meeting – Guardiola leads the head-to-head 9-4, with six draws. Mourinho is the only winner in the needle stakes however, from sprinting onto the Camp Nou turf with Inter to an unseemly touchline fracas in the clásico.
Last season their beef only simmered as City won at Old Trafford in the league but lost in the League Cup, before a dreary 0-0 draw in April. Mourinho has thrown the kitchen sink at his rival in this week’s build-up, accusing City of diving, tactical fouls and even having a go at Pep’s yellow ribbon. Guardiola has played a straight bat, but I’ll wager he will love it, love it if he outsmarts his rival today.
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“Thoughts? I think United need to make a statement tonight. It’s all for City to lose,” says Ahmed Aly. “Predictions? 3-2 to United. Hopes? I hope it’s not a drab nil-nil draw after all those column inches about ‘the game of the season.’ Fears? Spiders.”
Steven Macey is concerned: “Seems an unnecessary risk from Mourinho. I’d take out one the three supporting Lukaku and put in Phil Jones as another defender. We seem very open at the moment.”
“Genuinely fearful of not having Fellaini,” says Tony Kuchio. “What happens when we go 1-0 and need to park the bus?” Your confidence levels are all over the place, Tony.
“By starting Jesus over Aguero, Guardiola is going to let the young stallion run wild for the first half to exhaust the United rear guard,” coos Gregory Mullins. What I like about Gabriel Jesus is that he’s a rather un-Brazilian centre-forward, scoring unfussy goals from six yards out. I mean, he’s not Fred, but you get the idea.
Over on Merseyside, Liverpool have dominated Everton – but a Wayne Rooney penalty has made it 1-1 with five minutes to play. Join Ben Fisher for the final stages:
José has taken the handbrake off the bus, naming Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford in a lively front three behind Romelu Lukaku. United also revert to a back four, with Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo at centre-back. There’s no place in the squad for either Marouane Fellaini or Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Fabian Delph are all fit to start for the visitors, with the only slight surprise in City’s line-up the inclusion of Gabriel Jesus, preferred up front to Sergio Agüero.
Thoughts? Predictions? Hopes? Fears? Send them my way.
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The teams
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Rojo, Young; Ander Herrera, Matic; Martial, Lingard, Rashford; Lukaku.
Subs: Romero, Lindelof, Jones, Mata, Ibrahimovic, Shaw, McTominay.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Kompany, Delph; Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne; Sterling, Sané, Jesus.
Subs: Bravo, Mangala, Danilo, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Bernardo, Agüero.
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Preamble
The Manchester derby has always been a big deal, but as one son of the city might put it, some derbies are bigger than others. From Denis Law’s backheel to Wayne Rooney’s bicycle kick it has routinely delivered drama but five years ago, the rivalry went supersonic. When Sergio Agüero settled the Premier League’s greatest title race, he capped a golden era for this fixture.
From Michael Owen’s late winner to Mario Balotelli’s message via a Wembley semi-final and a provocative poster, the derby seemed to grow in importance and intensity with every meeting. Then suddenly, things went quiet – United and City have not competed for the title since. City’s mean position is snugly between second and third; a post-Ferguson United’s is between fourth and fifth.
Things are different this season. After a season of settling in, Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho have tweaked and tightened their respective teams, making them the standout sides in the country. City are already 11 points clear of Chelsea after their breakneck start, and only Mourinho’s battle-hardened United look capable of catching them.
It’s not just in Manchester where the title race has been missed – since 2012, the title has been won by an average of more than seven points. If City can collect a 14th straight league victory today, another procession will be firmly on the cards. On the other hand, a home win will send United clear of the chasing pack. It’s only December, but it feels like a pivotal moment.
What it all boils down to is this – for the first time in six seasons, this is the biggest game in England. It’s about time. Kick-off is at 4.30pm.
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