Marouane Fellaini saw red for headbutting Sergio Aguero as Manchester City retained a slim advantage in their top-four battle with Manchester United following a frantic goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Fellaini’s moment of madness came six minutes from time in a tense stalemate that leaves City a point in front of their neighbours and in charge of the Champions League race.
Fellaini had been booked moments before for a trip on the City striker and was in wide-eyed and animated mood as he eventually left the pitch, a stunning denouement to a match the home side had dominated without finding the net.
MANCHESTER CITY
GK – CLAUDIO BRAVO – 5/10
Had very little to do most of the game, although he nearly gifted United a goal in the first half when flapping at a ball into the box. Went off injured after an awkward landing when collecting a corner kick late in the second half.
RB – PABLO ZABALETA – 5/10
Restored to the starting lineup, Zabaleta struggled early on with Anthony Martial’s pace and trickery, but looked comfortable after that as United went into their shell. However, didn’t attack with the spirit and zest Pep Guardiola expects of his full-backs.
CB – VINCENT KOMPANY – 6/10
It goes without saying that the shaky City defence looks infinitely more solid when the club captain is fit. Kompany gave young Marcus Rashford an education in the physicality of the Premier League, but was rarely called upon to do more.
CB – NICOLAS OTAMENDI – 6/10
Followed Kompany’s lead in marshalling Rashford, although was lucky to escape a yellow card for some of his tackles on the youngster. The shakiness he showcases alongside John Stones disappears when Kompany is alongside him.
LB – ALEKSANDER KOLAROV – 5/10
Like Zabaleta on the other side, Kolarov was steady in defense but didn’t offer enough in attack apart from a couple of wayward shots from range.
MF – YAYA TOURE – 7/10
Apart from a spell in the first half, he was comfortable for most of the game without being a dominating force. He saw a lot of the ball and was heavily involved in City’s build-up play but couldn’t make it count.
MF – FERNANDINHO – 6/10
Was fortunate to escape a yellow card for a first-half challenge on Ander Herrera. Covered a lot of ground but did little on the ball.
RW – RAHEEM STERLING – 7/10
Plenty of pace mixed in with a little trickery and he had United defenders back-tracking regularly. He wasn’t able to produce an end product but certainly created inroads. Had a few shots on target without really testing De Gea.
CAM – KEVIN DE BRUYNE – 8/10
Bore the play-making responsibility in David Silva’s absence and created plenty of chances, taking three shots at goal himself. Needed to be a little more clever to unlock United’s defence.
LW – LEROY SANE – 6/10
Went on a few exciting runs but wasn’t able to threaten the United defence enough.
ST – SERGIO AGUERO – 6/10
Was a constant threat, firing eight times at De Gea’s goal but to no avail. Missed City’s best chance of the first half, unmarked from close range, but could only strike the post. He began to snatch at chances and missed another point-blank chance late in the game.
SUBS:
WILLY CABALLERO – N/A
Had nothing to do after coming on for Claudio Bravo. His biggest moment of stress was deciding whether or not to go up for a last-minute corner.
JESUS NAVAS – 5/10
Was perhaps a surprise choice as City’s first man off the bench. With United packing the box in defence, the Spaniard struggled to find the cross to threaten the visiting defenders especially since he was up against Matteo Darmian who appeared to be struggling.
GABRIEL JESUS – N/A
Had very little time to come up with a miracle, but nearly pulled it off nonetheless. His would-be game-winning goal was rightly chalked off for offside.
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MANCHESTER UNITED
GK – DAVID DE GEA – 6/10
Commanded his box with usual aplomb, and stopped every shot that came his way. Was never called on to be spectacular though.
RB – ANTONIO VALENCIA – 6/10
Showcased his usual form at right-back, rendering Leroy Sane largely anonymous. Offered little going forward, but that was partially down to Jose Mourinho’s defensive game plan.
CB – ERIC BAILLY – 8/10
Was imperious, commanding United’s back-line and was the best player on the pitch. For all the talk of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, Bailly has shown why there are United fans who think he was the club’s best signing last summer.
CB – DALEY BLIND – 6/10
Fans wondering how Blind would cope with the pace of City’s front four needn’t have worried. The Dutchman was sloppy on occasion but his sense of positioning ensured he was rarely beaten by Aguero, Sterling, and company.
LB – MATTEO DARMIAN – 6/10
What Valencia did with Sane on the opposite flank, Darmian did with Sterling, albeit to a lesser extent. Was running on fumes towards the end but was still committed to the cause.
MF – MAROUANE FELLAINI – 3/10
Should never have put himself in the position to be red-carded and can have no complaints. Offered little to the game even before those 19 seconds of madness.
MF – MICHAEL CARRICK – 6/10
Was the calm head needed in a potentially fiery game. Could rarely affect the game from an attacking sense but marshalled Kevin de Bruyne and negated the Belgian’s impact.
MF – ANDER HERRERA – 6/10
Was his usual busy, feisty self in midfield, snuffing out City attacks although unable to conjure any for United. Fluffed his lines when presented with the standout chance of the first half, heading wide from point-blank range.
RW – HENRIKH MKHITARYAN – 5/10
Lasted the whole game, unlike the first Manchester derby of the season when he was infamously hooked at half-time (and then withdrawn from the team for two months). However, he couldn’t produce the attacking impact that Mourinho expects of him and lost the ball on a few occasions as well.
ST – MARCUS RASHFORD – 6/10
A learning curve for the young star striker. Kompany and Otamendi gave him grudging respect with the level of physical play they needed to keep him quiet. To his credit, he was a willing runner throughout and had a few good moments in the first half.
LW – ANTHONY MARTIAL – 5/10
Martial finally gave Mourinho the defensive work rate the manager has been asking of him all along, tracking back and ensuring Sterling couldn’t have an impact. He went on a few fine runs forward as well in the opening 45 minutes, skinning Kompany on one occasion and Zabaleta on a couple.
SUBS:
JESSE LINGARD – N/A
Many would have expected him to start, given his superior defensive work rate compared to Anthony Martial. With United under the cosh, he was unable to have an impact on the game after coming on.
TIMOTHY FOSU-MENSAH – N/A
Made only his third appearance in the Premier League, coming on immediately after Fellaini’s sending off.
ASHLEY YOUNG – N/A
Came on as a late substitute for Marcus Rashford, to help out in defence as Matteo Darmian began to tire.
Manchester United scraped over the line, that's a given. But what did we learned from the #ManchesterDerby?goo.gl/ZkYfGi
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