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Martin Rickett
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Manchester United vs Manchester City, Premier League

Jose Mourinho welcomed Pep Guardiola’s table-toppers to Old Trafford for the first Manchester derby of the season.

Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.

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Kick off is at 4.30pm.

Right then, let’s get started with the team news…

So, today’s teams in full are:

Man United: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Rojo, Young, Ander Herrera, Matic, Martial, Lingard, Rashford, Lukaku

Subs: Lindelof, Jones, Mata, Ibrahimovic, Romero, Shaw, McTominay

Man City: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Kompany, Delph, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Silva, Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Sane

Subs: Bravo, Danilo, Gundogan, Aguero, Mangala, Bernardo Silva, Alexander Zinchenko

It’s a superb day for football this afternoon as the Merseyside Derby continues to whet the appetite for the main event at Old Trafford. Normally hype often does not correlate with expectation, however you simply cannot avoid it as we near kick-off in the first Manchester derby of the season.

Since the opening weekend of the season Pep Guardiola’s side have taken a firm grip of top spot and have only gone from strength to strength since. They look sublime and are, to use the terrible cliche, playing like champions and forcing results even when they aren’t at the top of their game.

On the other half of this fixture is their arch-rivals from across the way. Manchester United have started well this season and despite lagging behind City by eight points already, remain the only legitimate threat to the title this season.

Not only is it United versus City, but this afternoon’s clash also offers up another chapter in the age-old rivalry of Pep against Jose.

There’s no hiding the fact that these two really don’t like one another. They differ both on a personal level and in the way they approach the game — win at all costs, or win with style. To be loved as champions, or feared by your adversaries.

It’s going to be a good one!

Just 15 minutes to go before kick-off as the stands begin to fill around Old Trafford. Naturally enough Sky Sports have Noel Gallagher as one of their pundits.

Good Lord Jose’s in great form today. Sporting a fashionable black turtleneck he refuses to give away his reasons for playing four at the back to Geoff Shreeves. “Thierry will tell you about that”, he laughs pointing at a slightly embarrassed Thierry Henry.

It’s all good banter.

Less than ten minutes to go now as David Silva runs through his final warm-ups.

Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League - Old Trafford Mike Egerton Mike Egerton

Kick-off: We’re underway…

Early break for Manchester United via Marcus Rashford on the counter, however he is shuffled out of play by a concentrated city defence. We are about to see the first booking of the game as Michael Oliver blows his whistle.

Kyle Walker is shown an early yellow card by the referee for a loose kick on Ander Herrera off the ball. He would say he was simply laying down a marker, however he finds himself in the book regardless.

City now just toying with possession and just now Raheem Sterling very, very nearly put Gabriel Jesus in on goal. It was a tidy little pass from Sterling following some patient build-up play outside the United box, but Jesus slightly mis-timed his run and ran over the ball.

City have enjoyed 77% possession so far with 10 minutes gone. They have been happy to play the ball about but the game is yet to present a meaningful chance so far. The calm before the inevitable storm, perhaps.

It’s fair to say not a huge amount has happened so far with 20 minutes gone. The Sky cameras have taken the opportunity to show Jose Mourinho taking a sip of water and Pep Guardiola make some manic hand gestures.

That said, some feisty challenges are being thrown about at the moment. Vincent Kompany got the ball with a lunging tackle, however he also took a chunk of Ander Herrera with him. The home supporters inside Old Trafford weren’t liking that one bit, as the City captain goes unpunished by Michael Oliver.

Fernandinho finds a pocket of space 30 yards from goal between the lines. He takes one touch to set himself up and smacks a horrific effort flying wide of the target. Sky don’t bother with a replay of that one, but another gripping shot of Mourinho drinking from a water bottle inside his technical area is prioritised.

The bosses watch on from the touchline.

Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League - Old Trafford Martin Rickett Martin Rickett

That was almost a chance for City and it’s that man Raheem Sterling who is instrumental again.

With a pair of dancing feet he squeezes in and out of challenges inside the box before attempting a one-two with David Silva with his back to goal.

The return pass comes within a crowd of jerseys clads in red, however, and Sterling can’t get his shot away to test David De Gea.

Both Rojo and Silva have gone down needing treatment. The United defender is slightly bloodied and has gone off to change his jersey.

For his part in that challenge Marcos Rojo has been given a yellow card by referee Michael Oliver. Bandaged up and with a new jersey he is back on the field of play again.

Chance! Oooof that was an excellent, excellent save from David De Gea. A sweeping ball in from Fabian Delph picks out Leroy Sane and he arrows a brilliant effort flying towards the top corner.

De Gea stands his ground and palms it out for a corner.

GOAL! MAN UNITED 0-1 MAN CITY (SILVA 43)

Manchester City have taken the lead just before the break! Sane’s shot forced a corner from De Gea and from that City capitalised on a disorganised United setup to stick it into the back of the net.

Romelu Lukaku went to clear the corner at the first hurdle, however he only succeeded in pushing the ball into the path of David Silva who did brilliantly to steer the ball goal-bound and beyond De Gea to take the lead.

There will be four minutes of additional time either for City to double their lead or for Jose Mourinho’s men to grab a leveller.

GOAL! MAN UNITED 1-1 MAN CITY (RASHFORD 45+3)

This game has exploded into life at the end of the first half! Right at the other end United have responded immediately and drawn the scores level in injury time.

It’s a costly mistake from Otamendi following Ashley Young’s cross and Marcus Rashford is on hand to mop it up, taking one touch before slamming it beyond Ederson to make it 1-1.

HALF-TIME: MAN UNITED 1-1 MAN CITY

Well, then, what do we make of that? The opening half an hour was nothing to get too excited about but boy did the game kick into life as we neared the break.

David Silva with the opener to match City’s domination in possession (78% in the opening half) before Marcus Rashford clinically punished some sloppy concentration at the back from Nicolás Otamendi.

That late equaliser has really set it up for the second half hasn’t it? 45 more minutes of Manchester derby action to come very shortly.

Second-half: We’re back underway…

Substitution for Man City: İlkay Gündoğan replaces Vincent Kompany.

Substitution for Man United: Victor Lindelof replaces Marcos Rojo.

Some good link-up play from Rashford and Martial almost sets Jesse Lingard in for a sweeping volley, however the cross is just too quick for him and he misses his connection with the ball inside the penalty area. A promising counter from the hosts nevertheless.

GOAL! MAN UNITED 1-2 MAN CITY (OTAMENDI 54)

Manchester City have re-gained the lead following some calamitous defending from their opponents yet again.

It’s a standard ball into the box aimed at the back post, but Romelu Lukaku makes a hames of his clearance. The ball deflects off a United defender and into the path of Nicolás Otamendi who slams a brilliant effort beyond De Gea from no more than three yards out.

Substitution for Man City: Eliaquim Mangala replaces Gabriel Jesus.

Marcus Rashford has been shown a yellow card for throwing the ball away. Frustration beginning to creep in for Man United now with just under half an hour remaining to try and grab another equaliser.

Chance! Oh goodness that was close again from City. David Silva is playing superbly along the left wing and he cuts Jose Mourinho’s defence to pieces with some brilliant play. It’s a dangerous ball across the face of goal but Ashley Young is on hand to clear it last-ditch.

At the other end a chance comes Romelu Lukaku’s way. It’s a brilliant through ball from Jesse Lingard to play him in, but the Belgian striker can’t keep his shot on target and narrowly misses the goal with a powerful strike on his right foot.

It’s a yellow card for Raheem Sterling for a very cynical foul on Anthony Martial who was bearing down on goal with menace. It means United have a free-kick right on the edge of the box…

Marcus Rashford stands over the set-piece. He tries to get it up and over the wall with a sharp dip but the ball flies over the top of Ederson’s crossbar harmlessly.

Chance! It’s really end-to-end at the moment with chances at both ends. David De Gea is forced into a sudden stop with his right glove following a shot from distance. The Spaniard palms it out for a corner kick, which comes to nothing for the visitors. Just 20 minutes to go.

David Silva is shown a yellow card following a collision with Ander Herrera along the half-way line. He will say it wasn’t malicious, but the City number 21 did manage to nick a decent chunk of the United midfielder’s ankles.

Nicolas Otamendi celebrates giving City the lead for the second time this afternoon:

Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League - Old Trafford Mike Egerton Mike Egerton

CHANCE! That was so very close from Marcus Rashford there to bringing us level again. He takes a crossfield ball down just outside the edge of the box and forces a low save from Ederson down into his bottom corner.

Controversy inside Old Trafford now as Ander Herrera claims a penalty following a challenge for the ball, but is booked for diving by referee Michael Oliver to the outrage of the home supporters.

Substitution for Man United: Juan Mata replaces Ander Herrera.

CHANCE! Oh wow, how on earth did that not go in for Man United?

Ederson pulls two incredible saves right out of the top drawer, the first a low effort from Lukaku six yards out before the Brazilian gets right back up to deny Juan Mata.

Jose Mourinho simply can’t believe it and neither can most inside Old Trafford. City remain ahead with five to go.

Substitution for Man City: Bernardo Silva replaces Leroy Sane.

The game is slowly beginning to peter out now. There will be four minutes of additional time to come if another goal is to come, as City make their final change — bringing on Bernardo Silva.

City go in search of a third as Sterling breaks and feeds the ball through to Bernardo Silva, but the pass is just behind the striker and the move comes to nothing. Less than a minute to go now.

FULL-TIME: MAN UNITED 1-2 MAN CITY

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