FT: Man City 1-2 Man United 

It’s all over! A stunning week for United, and an even bigger week for Solskjaer! 

As for City – they are now 14 points behind Liverpool…and have they just given up their title? 

Remarkable stuff, a hugely deserved win for United. Thanks for following, bye! 

90+4′ – Man City 1-2 Man United 

Walker drives forward, crosses and Tuanzebe puts it behind. the corner goes short, De Bruyne hoists it to the back and there’s pinball in the area, it’s hacked away in front of the line! 

90+3′ – Man City 1-2 Man United 

De Bruyne spreads a pass wide for Walker that Young does brilliantly to step in and intercept. He draws a foul from Walker, who is booked, and United see off another minute…

90+2′ – Man City 1-2 Man United 

Maguire leaps highest to head the ball clear from an Angelino cross, and United lash the ball downfield. Another minute survived…

90+1′ – Man City 1-2 Man United 

United counter with Daniel James, and rather than slip the ball through for Rashford, he takes his time to cut inside and pass to Andreas. His shot is blocked behind for a corner, over which United are taking their time…and keeping the ball in the corner. That’s eaten up a minute. 

90′ -  Man City 1-2 Man United 

Guaridola is exasperated as Gundogan overcooks a pass through for Jesus and the ball goes right out of play. 

89′ – Man City 1-2 Man United 

FIVE added minutes. 

87′ – Man City 1-2 Man United

Wan-Bissaka makes a crucial interception in the box and United get a breather. Shaw is on the floor with cramp, his day is almost done. Solskajer makes a double change to try and cling on: Ashley Young and Axel Tuanzebe for Shaw and Lingard. 

86′ – Man City 1-2 Man United 

De Gea saves! Mahrez cuts inside, shoots low but the ball is clawed away by De Gea’s left hand! 

GOAL! Man City 1-2 Man United (Otamendi) 

Here we go! Otamendi barges through the box and dirves a header beyond De Gea from a De Bruyne corner. 

Rrodri is gone for Gundogan, the ground roars, and we have a hell of a finish in prospect! 

83′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

De Bruyne has swapped to the left in the hope of sparing something. United are dealing with everything pretty well at the moment. There is no siege yet…

82′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Oh, United go close. Andreas flights a lovely ball over the top that evades Lingard’s touch by about half an inch. 

81′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Mahrez jinks into the box, leaves Shaw on the ground, but his pull-back form the endline for Sterling in front of goal is too high! It was a definite tap-in had it been a fraction lower. 

80′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

McTominay is writhing on the ground again, this time after a sliver of contact from Jesus. 

79′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

City are frustrated. Walker barges into Fred, and then De Bruyne is booked for a late tackle on McTominay a second later. 

The Etihad is very subdued at the moment. City need something big in these last 15 minutes: surely the title is gone if they lose? 

76′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Another fine block by Wan-Bissaka stops an Angleino shot troubling De Gea. Shortly after, he blocked a Mahrez cross for yet another corner. 

74′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Andreas involved immediately. First his cross to the back post for Lingard is agonisingly overhit, and then he takes a wild swipe at Sterling to thwart a counter. It was a subtle as a sledgehammer, and he picks up a yellow card. 

Change for United – Martial off for Andreas Pereira. 

71′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

City turn the screw, but Lindelof does well to poke the ball from Jesus’ toe. The corner goes short again, but United hold firm, McTominay eventually heading away in front of his own goal. 

City earn another corner through Mahrez, which Otamendi manages to divert wide from the middle of the six-yard box!

70′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Maguire comes across to deal with Sterling, who goes down as the ball ran out of play. No penalty, and there were no appeals from City, to be fair. 

69′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Otamendi dealt with the corner, and City survive. 

68′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Now Ederson gets busy, parrying a Lingard shot behind for United’s first corner of the game. As Fred goes to take it, objects are rained down on him from the City fans. 

There are a couple of lighters on the turf, and Fred has definitely been struck by something. David Silva gestures to City fans to stop, and after walking away, Fred returns to finally take the kick. 

66′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Wan-Bissaka is thus far winning his battle with Sterling. The winger jinks inside and shoots, but Wan-Bissaka got enough of a deflection to take the ball away from goal and just far enough beyond Mahrez at the back post. 

65′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

De Gea denies Rodri! Angelino pulls the ball back to De Bruyne who shuffles it further right to Rodri, whose first-time shot is turned over by the goalkeeper! 

Mahrez, meanwhile, replaces Bernardo for City. 

62′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Now Angelino is too easily dispossesed, by James. He drives forward with electric pace, but his cross is covered by Rodri and Ederson mops up the danger. United’s counter threat remains…

61′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

United deal with a couple of corners, and McTominay eases the pressure by earning a foul from a typically rash Otamendi. 

60′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Lindelof gets away with a big mistake. He is robbed too easily by Sterling, who drives into and across the box but Wan-Bissaka eventually blocks the ball behind for a corner. Excellent recovery defending. 

58′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Oh, City make a mess of the corner and pass directly to James. United counter again, and Walker ultimately scythes down Lingard to bring it to an end. 

The free-kick comes to nothing, but City have another problem: John Stones is slumped on the turf shaking his head. His day looks done, and Otamendi has come on in his stead. 

55′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Oh City are picking United apart now. De Bryne picks an outrageous pass for Bernardo that nobody else could see – never mind execute – and Maguire comes across for a last-ditch block of his own.

55′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Superb block by Lindelof! Fred is robbed of the ball on the edge of his box, Rodri sets De Bruyne in on goal but the defender throws himself at the shot at the last moment. 

52′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Oh dear, Martial butchers a glorious counter chance. Fernandinho’s pass is intercepted by James, and United break four on three. But Martial picks the wrong pass: he tires to thread a ball through for Rashford, which the pacy Walker reaches first. 

At the other end, De Gea is booked for dawdling over a goal-kick. 

50′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

STAT: United have led by two or more goals at half-time in the Premier League on 170 occasions. They’ve gone on to win 167 of them, and drawn the other three. So they’ve never lost from this position in the Premier League. 

49′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Great work by Angelino, who disguises a neat pull-back for Silva as a cross. Silva, however, makes a hames of his attempted ball to De Bruyne at the back post and the chance is spurned. 

United can’t breathe at the moment. 

47′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

United half-clear the corner, and Angelino is tempted into a first-time shot from distance that flies miles over De Gea’s crossbar. 

46′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

No changes for either side, by the way. City begin on the attack, and De Bryne forces a corner off Fred.

Peeeeep!

We’re back underway, after a long interrogation of fourth official Mike Dean by Guardiola. 

HT: Man City 0-2 Man United 

City are going spare again, as they want a penalty for handball. Fred slid in to block a Walker cross. The ball hit his hand…but VAR says no penalty! The ball was, presumably close enough to his body to count as a natural position. (We realise that sentence makes zero sense to anybody who doesn’t follow football.)

And that’s half-time: the boos are likely for the officials. 

45′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Another City chance goes begging. Bernardo cuts inside and beats Shaw too easily, slides a ball in for De Bruyne, who stands a cross to the back post that Silva gets some contact on..but not enough to steer inside the back post. 

It’s all City now; United need the whistle. 

42′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Silva hit it instead of De Bryne, and it is comfortable for De Gea. 

42′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

City dictating things now. De Bruyne battles on the right with Fred, gets the better of him but the cross is hacked away by Maguire. 

United then foul to interrupt the following attack, and City have a free-kick in a good position here. 

39′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

De Bruyne went for goal but it skimmed a few inches over the crossbar. 

39′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Wan-Bissaka, who has had Sterling’s number to now, fouls the winger on the edge of the box. This is KDB territory…

38′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 

Jesus misses a SITTER! 

Amazing whipped cross by De Bruyne finds Jesus at point-blank range, but he throws himself at a diving header that is glanced tamely wide. That was a big chance!

37′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

That move began with a Messi-on-Milner-esque nutmeg from Fred on Rodri. He has been – honestly – brilliant so far. 

36′ – Man City 0-2 Man United 
James fizzes a cross across the box that’s just ahead of Martial. Poor Angelino isn’t having a great day down that side for City.

35′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Walker finds space behind Shaw, but his low cross is too close to De Gea. That’s better from City and a reminder that United need to keep their wits sharp. 

33′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

Oooh, Jesus stumbled at the last second as he was about to pounce on a poor United error in front of De Gea. 

City attack again and Silva stings De Gea’s gloves with a shot from distance. 

31′ – Man City 0-2 Man United

It’s so, so rare to see City so addled defensively at home. They have been totally unable to deal with the pace and movement of the United quartet of James, Lingard, Martial and Rashford. 

28′ – GOAL! Man City 0-2 Man United 

This is sensational from United. James picks Martial out in the box, who takes a touch and lashes the ball into the near corner, just beyond Ederson. 

Alex Ferguson is grinning in the stands; this is a spectacular opening from Manchester United! 

26′ – Man City 0-1 Man United 

And now Rashford hits the bar! 

This is remarkable, City cannot deal with United’s pace on the counter. James dashes down the right and picks out Rashford in loads of space on the edge of the box. He has time to stand up and curl a shot that clips the top of the bar.

Will United regret these missed chances? 

25′ – Man City 0-1 Man United

What a chance for Rashford! 

United are cutting City to ribbons on the counter here. Fred – who has been genuinely brilliant – picks out Rashford, but this first-time shot is tamely wide! 

24′ – Man City 0-1 Man United 

City may feel aggrieved at VAR again, but they have no reason to moan this time. It’s a clear penalty, and remarkable that referee Anthony Taylor missed it in real time. 

City respond and win a corner, but it’s cleared. 

22′ – GOAL! Man City 0-1 Man United

Rashford scores! Ederson went right, the ball went left, and United have a deserved lead! 

Wry smile on Pep’s face, but it’s a definite penalty. It’s United’s tenth spot-kick of the season so far, and Bernardo is booked. 

Rashford to take…

PENALTY GIVEN! 

20′ – Man City 0-0 Man United 

United have a huge penalty shout here, and it is going up to VAR! 

Fred wins the ball in midfield, Unite dcounter, and as Rashford drives into the box he is clearly shunted off the ball by Bernardo! This looks like a stonewall decision…

18′ – Man City 0-0 Man United

De Bruyne clips a ball to the left for Jesus, who drives into the box and sees a shot blocked by Lindelof. 

16′ – Man City 0-0 Man United

Ederson saves again! City lose the ball in midfield, Rashford rolls it right to James who knocks it back for Martial in the box. The striker takes a toch and drills the ball goalward, but it is too close to Ederson. 

Poor finishing so far, but United are finding so much space either side of Rodri. 

13′ – Man City 0-0 Man United

Divine City play carves United open in the box, and Jesus’ shot is blocked at the last-second by Lindelof. There are more howls for a penalty – it definitely hit his hand – but the ball bounced off his leg and onto his hand, so ref and VAR agree no penalty. 

11′ – Man City 0-0 Man United 

“You live in the past” is ringing around the Etihad, at the United fans rather than Noel Gallagher, presumably. 

Mike Egerton Mike Egerton

8′ – Man City 0-0 Man United

Another Ederson save! Rashford slips through Lingard, but his first-time shot is blocked by a splayed goalkeeper. United are finding plenty of space behind City, and are having a go. 

6 – Man City 0-0 Man United

Blimey, this is hectic. Sterling skates by Wan-Bissaka, pulls the ball back for Silva whose shot bounces off Jesus and away from goal. The ball is recycled to De Bruyne who snaps a shot over the bar. 

5 – Man City 0-0 Man United

City kept the corner short, and have United totally hemmed in. But United do well to clear whatever comes their way, and then they break: James finds space on the right and clips a delightful ball over the top for Martial, who is matched stride-for-stride by Walker and the danger is snuffed out. 

3′ – Man City 0-0 Man United
Silva slips a ball through for Sterling, which McTominay slides in and intercepts brilliantly. There are roars for handball, but the ball rebounded off his chest. 

United can’t keep hold of the ball, and City attack again and win a corner. 

2′ – Man City 0-0 Man United

Big save Ederson! A brilliant counter by United ends with James fizzing a shot in the box at the City ‘keeper. 

City break from there, but Wan-Bissaka slides in well to block a De Bruyne ball across the penalty area. 

1′ – Man City 0-0 Man United 

Early pressure by City turns the ball over high up, but Sterling’s cross is headed away by Maguire. It’s a pretty raucous ground at the moment! 

Kick-off! 

Aaaaand off we go! 

City pretty much need to win here, given Liverpool’s ridiculous form. They kick off fully 14 points the leaders. 

In spite of United’s wretched season, Chelsea’s defeat this morning brings the top four into view. Win today and it’s a five-point gap! 

The teams are in the tunnel, so not long to go to kick-off now. It’s a pretty loud Etihad it has to be sai-…ah, it’s been buried beneath a PA blaring Hey Jude. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has never won a Manchester derby, as either a player or a manager. While his side will inevitably play on the counter-attack, Solskjaer has stressed United will have to keep the ball well as City can “out-football anyone.” 

Earlier today… 

• Troy Parrott made his Premier League debut for Spurs in an easy 5-0 battering of Burnley. 
• Liverpool won yet again, this time away to Bournemouth. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Mo Salah were on target in a routine 3-0 win. 
• Duncan Ferguson provoked some life from Everton, in a rollicking 3-1 win at home to Chelsea. 
• And Palace and Watford drew 0-0. 

Team news

Man City 

Here’s how City line up. John Stones comes in for Otamendi, as Rodri and Jesus continue following impressive midweek showings. 

Here's how we line up for the 179th Manchester Derby...

XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Fernandinho, Angelino, Rodrigo, D Silva (C), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, G Jesus.

SUBS: Bravo, Gundogan, Mendy, Mahrez, Cancelo, Otamendi, Foden.

📋 @HaysWorldwide
🔵 #ManCity #MCIMUN 🔴 pic.twitter.com/Q8hdQQbpvz

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 7, 2019

Man United

United, meanwhile, are boosted by the return of Anthony Martial from injury. Luke Shaw, meanwhile, starts a league game for the first time since August. 

In the red corner... 🔴🥊#MUFC #MCIMUN

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 7, 2019

Tonight, the clash of two sides looking to recover a former images of themselves. Man City’s reference point is at least more recent – earlier this year – while United are fumbling back to the 1990s.

That said, midweek provided a bit of succour for both. City looked back to their slicker selves in a thumping win over Burnley, while United found one of their best performances of the season to beat Spurs. 

United have roused themselves for the big games this season, and they’ll need to do so at the Etihad today as City lay chase to a relentless Liverpool, currently 14 points ahead of them following win at Bournemouth this afternoon.

Welcome to our live coverage of this evening’s Manchester derby, which is kicking off at 5.30pm. 

Get in touch below the line or email gavincooney@the42.ie, and team news follows next…