DERBY VERDICT: CITY 0 UNITED 0
WITH the world watching, millions of pounds worth of talent on show, and a place in the Champions League possibly at stake, this derby will be remembered for an act of utter stupidity.
It has been a mixed season for Marouane Fellaini, but surely the Reds midfielder reached his lowest point of the campaign when he headbutted Sergio Aguero and was rightly sent off.
There maybe some - including United boss Jose Mourinho – who say the City striker made the most of it. But in the end, Fellaini made contact and that means red.
It set up a frantic final 15 minutes which saw City have the ball in the net through the returning Gabriel Jesus, only for it to be ruled offside.
The Blues dominated the second half, created several chances and the fact they had 69 per cent of possession shows why United are happier with the point.
But the draw also means City retain a slim advantage in their top-four battle with the Reds.
Fellaini had been booked just seconds before his red card for a trip on Aguero and was in wide-eyed and animated mood as he eventually left the pitch. Aguero came closer than anyone to breaking the deadlock, hitting the base of the post from a yard in the ninth minute, and City piled on the pressure right up to Jesus’ disallowed goal in injury-time. Mourinho may have been missing Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Juan Mata but in uniting Fellaini, Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera in midfield he appeared to be acknowledging his side were outgunned. So it proved, as Pep Guardiola’s side enjoyed the lion’s share of opportunities, though United had chances to dish out a bloody nose when Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Herrera wasted first-half efforts. The opening exchanges were a flurry of activity, little of it entirely effective but all of it fast, frantic and fullblooded. There were a handful of heavy challenges and some permissive refereeing from Martin Atkinson, with Nicolas Otamendi closer than most to being penalised for a tussle None None 69% 31% 19 7 3 4 54,176 Jesus (88) Fellaini (83) None Fellaini (83) Martin Atkinson with Marcus Rashford. Physically, the England striker is no match for the Argentinian but it quickly became clear that any foot race between the two would finish handsomely in the teenager’s favour.
On three occasions Rashford ate up the ground to speed past Otamendi, but as the first half progressed that began to look like the only ace up United’s sleeve.
City were a better unit overall and should have taken the lead when good work from Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne teed up Aguero.
He nipped into the six-yard box and connected low with the outside of the post. A quick glance at the skies