Fellaini sees red in tense Manchester derby

Manchester United held on after Marouane Fellaini’s late sendingoff for headbutting Sergio Aguero to eke out a 0-0 draw at Manchester City in the English Premier League yesterday, keeping the race for Champions League qualification congested.

Fellaini might have been about to receive a second booking anyway for fouling Aguero when he went head to head with City’s striker and aimed a headbutt in the 83rd minute, earning a straight red card.

City sent on fit-again striker Gabriel Jesus in an attempt to score a late goal and the striker had a stoppage-time headed goal disallowed for offside in a tense finish at Etihad Stadium.

United manager Jose Mourinho’s defensive tactics suffocated another heavyweight rival - it resembled an attackv-defence exercise in the second half - but whether a goalless draw does the team any good is open to question.

It left Mourinho’s team in fifth place, both a place and a point behind City with five games remaining in the race for a topfour finish to qualify for the Champions League. Liverpool is a point ahead of City and has played a game more than both Manchester clubs.

United have the more difficult run-in, with trips to come to Tottenham and Arsenal, and are still in the Europa League.

By becoming only the second team to stop City from scoring at home this season, United extended its unbeaten run in the league to 24 games dating to a loss at Chelsea in October.