Manchester City vs Manchester United: EPL Live scores, blog
Roar Guru 
2,550 readsThere may never have been a Manchester derby with more at stake. Join us from 5.00am AEST in what is shaping one of the most hyped EPL deciders in years
Two clubs; one the institution, the monolith that have been near or at the top of the Premier League table every year since its inception. And then there’s City; the young upstarts, backed with billions of petro-dollars and fearing nobody.
And at 5:00am this morning, they’ll face off. And two hours after that, we’ll be a lot closer to knowing who is going to lift the Premiership trophy in a couple of weeks from now.
The 6-1 drubbing the Red Devils suffered at Old Trafford in the first meeting this season will still be fresh in their minds.
Manchester City’s phenomenal home record has seen them drop just two points all season, and Fergie’s men will probably be satisfied if they drop two more. A draw is very favourable for United who would remain three points clear at the top.
Since that defeat to Arsenal, City has gone on a three game winning streak, in which they’ve scored 12 goals and conceded just the one. Their confidence will be a lot higher than their rivals’, who threw away a two goal lead in that enthralling 4-4 draw with Everton last week.
The polarising Mario Balotelli returns from a three-match suspension, but given the form of his striking partners Sergio Aguero and the prodigal son Carlos Tevez, he may not be in Roberto Mancini’s plans.
But let’s not forget it was Balotelli’s two goals to open the game that got the rout underway in that 6-1 drubbing.
City is averaging an astonishing three goals a game. United over two. And yet, I wouldn’t be at all shocked if this game fizzled into a bore draw.
I just hope I’m wrong.
Join us just before kick-off for all the formations, line-ups and team news from 5.00am AEST.
The Crowd Says (81) | Page 1 of Comments
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6:55am
Matt Bungard said | 6:55am | Report comment
FULL TIME
MANCHESTER CITY 1
MANCHESTER UNITED 0
6:56am
Matt Bungard said | 6:56am | Report comment
Well we were hoping for a better second half, but it wasn’t really. United did their best Blackburn impersonation throughout, barely mustering a shot in the match and never looking like scoring a goal. Not a performance befitting Europa League qualifiers, let alone Champions.
City were a bit better but even they were well below their attacking best. That said, they got their goal and when they had the lead, identified how dominant their grasp was on the game and seemed content to hold on for 1-0.
Wayne Rooney was anonymous today, to put it bluntly. His supporting cast was no better. But honestly, THIS is the game that is going to decide the title? It was sadly, very much the anti-climax we were all fearing.
Seriously, throw them both out and give the title to Wigan…the real entertainers of England!!
Kudos to Gareth Barry for being awarded the man of the match…and kudos to all of you for sticking through this one for it’s boring entirety…feel free to send me a tweet @TheMattBungard with your views and feelings on the match.
Oh, and well done to City. It’s their premiership to lose now.
I’m going back to bed.
7:07am
Patrick Angel said | 7:07am | Report comment
Gareth Barry was man of the match? That must have been the worst game ever played.
6:54am
Matt Bungard said | 6:54am | Report comment
95th min:
Finally, Rooney has a shot! It’s blocked and then Hart is fouled in a skirmish. That should be enough.
6:53am
Matt Bungard said | 6:53am | Report comment
95th min:
A United corner? Surely not…
6:53am
Matt Bungard said | 6:53am | Report comment
That was garbage from Young. Cleared away for a throw.
6:52am
Matt Bungard said | 6:52am | Report comment
93rd min:
Milner on for Nasri. Just eating up more time.
6:49am
Matt Bungard said | 6:49am | Report comment
Five minutes of added time. For what? You couldn’t make this up.
6:49am
Matt Bungard said | 6:49am | Report comment
90th min:
And Nasri couldn’t pull the trigger!!! Toure did really well to keep the ball in (I don’t think he did, by the way) and it found it’s way to Nasri who jinked and stepped players in the area instead of shooting and eventually somebody took it away from him!
6:47am
Matt Bungard said | 6:47am | Report comment
88th min:
De Gea’s first real save!!!
The ball from Zabaleta down the right was too over-hit to reach Aguero, it found his fellow fullback Gael Clichy out the back and the left footed drive from distance was clawed away by the Spaniard. United running out of time and still looking decidedly average.
6:45am
Matt Bungard said | 6:45am | Report comment
86th min:
Keeping the ball down near the flag, City win a free kick.
Can they do this for the 19 minutes of stoppage time, though?
6:48am
Hbomb@hotmail.com said | 6:48am | Report comment
19 mins of stoppage ? Joke or did something happen ?
6:43am
Matt Bungard said | 6:43am | Report comment
85th min:
Nasri twists and turns in the area before eventually taking it to the corner flag and winning a throw. A bit early for that, surely?
6:42am
Matt Bungard said | 6:42am | Report comment
84th min:
Young’s first involvement is to win a free kick.
He whips it in himself, but it’s cleared away easily again!
6:41am
Matt Bungard said | 6:41am | Report comment
83rd min:
Changes for both teams…
City – Micah Richards is on for David Silva
United – Ashley Young is on for Nani
6:40am
Matt Bungard said | 6:40am | Report comment
82nd min:
And that might have sealed it!! Toure wins possession near halfway, dribbles forward to the edge of the area and his left footed drive is just wide.
6:39am
Matt Bungard said | 6:39am | Report comment
80th min:
Rooney called for a high foot. That’s been about as involved as he’s been today.
6:37am
Matt Bungard said | 6:37am | Report comment
78h min:
Valencia finally on the field! Scholes is off.
Shortly after, Carrick goes into the book for a bad tackle on his England midfield partner, Gareth Barry.
6:36am
Matt Bungard said | 6:36am | Report comment
78th min:
Aguero with another shot, this one from a very tight angle and it’s into the side netting.
6:35am
Matt Bungard said | 6:35am | Report comment
76th min:
De Jong with a cynical challenge (I know, I’m as surprised as you) on Welbeck and he is booked.
Oh, and now Mancini and Fergie are nose to nose in the dugouts. Awesome.
6:34am
Matt Bungard said | 6:34am | Report comment
76th min:
Aguero turns and fires a shot from near the penalty spot but it’s blocked immediately
6:33am
Matt Bungard said | 6:33am | Report comment
Crowd; 47,259
6:31am
Matt Bungard said | 6:31am | Report comment
72nd min:
Toure puts his foot right through that one and it flashes a metre or so wide of the near post.
6:28am
Matt Bungard said | 6:28am | Report comment
70th min:
Phil Jones with a harsh challenge on Barry who stays down, and that will be a yellow for the United defender.
6:28am
Matt Bungard said | 6:28am | Report comment
69th min:
Yaya goes on a mazy run down the right, slaloming past a couple but it’s taken away from him near the penalty area.
6:26am
Matt Bungard said | 6:26am | Report comment
68th min:
City change. De Jong on for Tevez.
Fantastic. MORE defensive players on the field.
6:24am
Matt Bungard said | 6:24am | Report comment
65th min:
An awful cross from Jones this time. It’s out for a throw.
6:22am
Matt Bungard said | 6:22am | Report comment
64th min:
A Phil Jones cross from deep sees United win another corner.
6:22am
Matt Bungard said | 6:22am | Report comment
Cleared away by Gareth Barry.
6:19am
Matt Bungard said | 6:19am | Report comment
61st min:
City have a free kick in the most advanced position of the day…Zabaleta is barged over by Welbeck
6:21am
Matt Bungard said | 6:21am | Report comment
And eventually they come very close to doubling the lead!! The original ball is cleared and some sharp passing from City results in a Yaya Toure ball being drilled low across goal and kicked to safety from a yard out by De Gea of all people! And the keeper is limping after that!
6:17am
Jorge Magana said | 6:17am | Report comment
I go with The City team.
6:17am
Matt Bungard said | 6:17am | Report comment
58th min:
A change for United – Welbeck is on for Park.
6:16am
Matt Bungard said | 6:16am | Report comment
57th min:
Aguero skips away from Scholes and plays in Zabaleta, who wins another corner, this time off Smalling.
6:16am
Matt Bungard said | 6:16am | Report comment
It’s cleared as far as Barry, who slides it to Nasri and his left foot curler is wide of De Gea’s far post.
6:16am
Jorge Magana said | 6:16am | Report comment
Not just in England people are following the premier, also here in Canada. Everybody expeceted a good game but for what I read here we all weere wrong. By far many believe this leagues is much , much better thant the Spanish league, a leaguee of just 2 teams.
Regards from the New Wordl! God bless the Uniited Kingdom!
6:11am
Matt Bungard said | 6:11am | Report comment
53rd min:
Second yellow of the day for City! Toure booked for a shirt pull on Giggs.
6:09am
Matt Bungard said | 6:09am | Report comment
51st min:
A rabid counter from City and Zabaleta wins them a corner…which is over everyone’s head and out for a goal kick.
6:09am
Matt Bungard said | 6:09am | Report comment
50th min:
Nani tries a shot from an angle that could only be described as ambitious. It takes Hart by surprise who fumbles it over the byline for another corner, which is taken short and cleared away.
6:07am
Matt Bungard said | 6:07am | Report comment
48th min:
Nani wins a corner off the body of Lescott…
6:07am
Matt Bungard said | 6:07am | Report comment
And it’s tipped away by Hart! United have another one, from the opposite side..
6:08am
Matt Bungard said | 6:08am | Report comment
It’s finally cleared away by City.
6:06am
Matt Bungard said | 6:06am | Report comment
46th min:
United immediately press forward but the attack fizzles out into nothing.
6:04am
Matt Bungard said | 6:04am | Report comment
No changes announced…second half underway!
5:49am
Matt Bungard said | 5:49am | Report comment
HALF TIME
MANCHESTER CITY 1
MANCHESTER UNITED 0
5:49am
Matt Bungard said | 5:49am | Report comment
Well, I spoke about the chance of an anti-climax and if ever there was one, it was this first half. What a snoozefest – certainly not helpful when I’m doing my best to stay awake on minimal sleep. Although, Kompany did provide us with a goal right on the break.
City look far more enterprising but neither team has had any semblance of an end product in the first 45 minutes outside of set pieces… but given the firepower that both squads possess, I remain hopeful that the second half won’t be more of the same.
Mancini, put Balotelli on!! At least he might do something stupid!
Fergie, you can’t sit back now. Attacking changes await in the second half.
I’m going to put some coffee on. See you in fifteen.
5:56am
Stevo said | 5:56am | Report comment
SAF is running scared!! Is there any other way to look at it? Agree, Baloteli will be good for a brilliant goal and a coupla headlines on both the front and back pages of newspapers.
5:46am
Matt Bungard said | 5:46am | Report comment
46th min:
GOAL FOR CITY!!! VINCENT KOMPANY!!!
5:48am
Matt Bungard said | 5:48am | Report comment
Wow. After a completely lackluster first half, the skipper thumps a towering header home from the corner and City have the lead!! Not much else to describe there, the skipper timed his run perfectly and hit it with authority into the back of the net…United will have to come out of their shell now!
5:45am
Matt Bungard said | 5:45am | Report comment
45th min:
One last City corner for the first half, as two minutes of added time are announced.
5:46am
Matt Bungard said | 5:46am | Report comment
I stand corrected – it’s cleared away and they’ll have another corner….
5:42am
Matt Bungard said | 5:42am | Report comment
41st min:
Nani’s very deep cross was flicked back across goal by Rooney, partially cleared by Zabaleta and the end result is a United corner.
5:42am
Matt Bungard said | 5:42am | Report comment
Corner is played short and eventually slid in to Park in the area who shanks his shot miles too high.
5:41am
Matt Bungard said | 5:41am | Report comment
40th min:
City burst forward on a counter, Yaya Toure finding Aguero who comes back across the middle of the box, then turns and goes out wide before shooting off target from the angle.
5:40am
Matt Bungard said | 5:40am | Report comment
38th min:
De Gea with his first save but it wasn’t a difficult one, a very soft shot being easily gathered
5:39am
Matt Bungard said | 5:39am | Report comment
37th min:
First real chance!! Another slick short-passing movement from City and Aguero, under heavy pressure and off-balance, skews a shot wide from just in front of the penalty spot.
5:35am
Matt Bungard said | 5:35am | Report comment
35th min:
Jones obstructs Clichy this time and it’s another free kick near halfway for City.
5:34am
Matt Bungard said | 5:34am | Report comment
34th min:
Tevez with a solid tackle on Jones and Rooney is right in the referee’s face asking for a foul. I agree with him, for what it’s worth.
5:32am
Matt Bungard said | 5:32am | Report comment
32nd min:
Strong defending from Clichy on Park who first looked for a free kick and then a corner, but gets neither.
5:30am
Matt Bungard said | 5:30am | Report comment
30th min:
Yaya Toure has a shot from 20 yards that he slices so poorly it eventually becomes a lofted pass to his team mate Nasri out on the right flank. United eventually clear it away
5:29am
Matt Bungard said | 5:29am | Report comment
29th min:
Nasri jinks past his countryman Evra before seeing his cross hacked away by Ferdinand
5:26am
Matt Bungard said | 5:26am | Report comment
25th min:
Not a bad chance in the end! They play the corner short and then send it into the box, it comes to Aguero at the back post and he hits one on the volley which skews high and wide…should have probably done a bit better and Maradona agrees!
5:25am
Matt Bungard said | 5:25am | Report comment
24th min:
Clichy shows great pace to burn two would-be tacklers, then finds Aguero who dribbles towards goal but has the ball taken away from him – another City corner
5:24am
Trident said | 5:24am | Report comment
El Diego in the house!
Maybe they can look at signing him if they lose at Mancini gets his marching orders?
5:27am
Matt Bungard said | 5:27am | Report comment
He can slide around in the rain after they win the Carling Cup.
5:23am
Matt Bungard said | 5:23am | Report comment
22nd min:
Lovely buildup from City and Zabaleta’s cross from the right is headed away for a corner
5:23am
Matt Bungard said | 5:23am | Report comment
After a brief scramble at the near post, it’s out for a goal kick.
5:22am
Matt Bungard said | 5:22am | Report comment
21st min:
Maradona spotted in the stands…probably cheering on his son-in-law, Sergio Aguero.
5:20am
Matt Bungard said | 5:20am | Report comment
19th min:
A lovely raking ball from Nani finds Giggs (as Rooney lays on the ground near halfway) and the Welshman’s cross is eventually cleared and the referee will use that stoppage to give the first yellow of the match to City skipper Vincent Kompany, who hacked Rooney down.
5:16am
Matt Bungard said | 5:16am | Report comment
16th min:
First signs of life in the game!! Nasri dribbles through a couple and finds Tevez in the area who slides it across goal, only for Jones to clear it away
5:16am
Matt Bungard said | 5:16am | Report comment
15th min:
Aguero tries to get around the outside of Jones but in the end just dribbles it out for a goal kick.
5:14am
Matt Bungard said | 5:14am | Report comment
13th min:
Zabaleta slides in and takes out Rooney. United free kick in the attacking half but it’s out for a goal kick eventually.
5:12am
Matt Bungard said | 5:12am | Report comment
11th min:
Scholes concedes a free kick for handball just inside his own half, City play it short and eventually have to track all the way back into their own third before hoofing it away
5:10am
Matt Bungard said | 5:10am | Report comment
10th min:
Nani shoots from 25 yards and it’s miles over!! First jeers from the blue crowd
5:09am
Matt Bungard said | 5:09am | Report comment
8th min:
Evra comes forward and his cross clatters off Zabaleta – United with their first corner.
5:10am
Matt Bungard said | 5:10am | Report comment
It’s partially cleared by Lescott before Rooney crosses it back in and there’s a half-hearted penalty shout against Kompany but it was clearly off his chest
5:07am
Matt Bungard said | 5:07am | Report comment
6th min:
The first corner of the match comes after Aguero’s shot was deflected wide but it’s cleared to safety
5:07am
Matt Bungard said | 5:07am | Report comment
Hey everybody, there were some technicial issues but they appear to be sorted. Here are the teams:
Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Hart
Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy
Toure, Barry
Silva, Tevez, Nasri
Aguero
Bench: Pantilimon, Richards, Kolarov, De Jong, Milner, Balotelli, Dzeko
Manchester United (4-3-3)
De Gea
Jones, Smalling, Ferdinand, Evra
Park, Carrick, Scholes
Nani, Rooney, Giggs
Bench: Amos, Rafael, Young, Valencia, Berbatov, Hernandez, Welbeck
5:14am
Patrick Angel said | 5:14am | Report comment
Fletcher would have come in handy in this game you’d have to think. Luckily Man U have an expert in defence in Scholes whose perfect tackling technique has only improved with age.
5:21am
Matt Bungard said | 5:21am | Report comment
There’s a mistimed slide tackle coming from him, for sure.
5:30am
Patrick Angel said | 5:30am | Report comment
I don’t have Foxtel but please provide details.