Barclays Premier League: Manchester United 4-2 Manchester City - as it happened
Full time: Manchester United 4-2 Manchester City
Full time: Manchester United 4-2 Manchester City
City has the first word and the last, but United dominated in between and they end a run of four derby defeats with an emphatic win at Old Trafford. Ashley Young scored one, made two for Marouane Fellaini and Chris Smalling while Juan Matas netted the other. Sergio Aguero netted twice, including his 100th for City, but it they were mere consolations for the visitors who suffer their fourth straight away league loss, fall 12 points behind Chelsea and are only five points ahead of fifth place Southampton.
Well it has been a thrilling derby weekend in the Premier League, for vastly contrasting reasons. Chelsea still top, and United's revival continues. We're back with the return of the Champions League in mid-week but until then it's goodbye.
Goal: Manchester United 3-1 Manchester City (Juan Mata)
Three goals for United and that looks like three points against champions City. A brilliantly worked move down the left sees Rooney feed Mata, who is marginally offside when he collects the ball, but he slips the ball past Joe Hart. Game over, you feel.
Half time: Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City
Stunning first half at Old Trafford. Sergio Aguero had City ahead but Ashley Young has scored the equaliser and made the second for Marouane Fellaini to thrust the red half of Manchester into the lead. An enterprising first half from two of the best teams around. More of the same please.
Goal: Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City (Ashley Young)
City ahead for just six minutes as United level with their first genuine attack of the game. Fellaini forces Zabaleta into a mistake and when the ball breaks to Herrera his cross finds Young who can't make proper contact with his first effort, but when the ball breaks back to him he lashes past Joe Hart from two yards.
Manchester City into the ascendency and they should be ahead. Demichelis's ball over the top releases Navas and his fellow countryman De Gea is forced to make a good early save. City all over United in the early stages and Toure has the chance to take aim but the home side lash the ball clear in the nick of time.
So what is at stake this afternoon? United and City are separated by one point, and are six and five points above fifth place Southampton in the race for a top four spot. City are champions but are set to be dethroned by Chelsea, while United have bounced back well from their seventh place finish last season and a tough start to the campaign to all but secure a Champions League place. In reality, this game today is more about local pride than league position, given where both teams are on the league.
Their title ambitions might be over but there is little doubt local pride and cementing a top four spot take precedent at Old Trafford as United and City go head-to-head in an eagerly anticipated encounter. Louis van Gaal's side start the game a point above the champions and go into today's game as favourites, after City's loss to Crystal Palace saw them fall further behind Chelsea. With Rooney, Aguero, Toure and Mata on show, we're guaranteed entertainment. Aren't we?
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