Head-butt spices up drab derby
Fellaini’s dismissal lone ‘highlight’ of Etihad snoozer
MANCHESTER, England — Marouane Fellaini was banished for brainlessly headbutting Sergio Aguero in an otherwise tedious 0-0 draw between Champions League qualification rivals Manchester United and Manchester City at Etihad Stadium on Thursday.
Booked for tripping Aguero in the 84th minute, Fellaini fouled him again seconds later and then blatantly butted the Argentine, leaving referee Martin Atkinson no option but to send the Belgian off.
City remains fourth, a point behind third-place Liverpool with a game in hand, with United — which also has a game in hand on Jurgen Klopp’s side — a point further back in fifth place.
“We were the better team in the first half, they were the better team in the second half,” said United manager Jose Mourinho.
“They had more of the ball, more chances, but my players were amazing the way they fought.
“Marouane Fellaini is frustrated. He said were he any other player, it would probably not have been a red card.”
While United is now unbeaten in 24 Premier League games, equaling the club record at Etihad, City retains the upper hand in the push for a top-four finish.
Despite controlling the game, City came no closer to scoring than an early Aguero effort that hit the post, while substitute Gabriel Jesus had an injury-time header disallowed for offside.
City also lost goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to an apparent calf injury, sustained as he caught a high ball, with Willy Caballero taking his place for the last 14 minutes after Bravo was stretchered off.
“They created two clear chances and I am satisfied,” City manager Pep Guardiola told BBC Sport.
“We all have tough games coming up now and we know it’s not an option to not win these games.”
City remains on course for a top-four finish, its last remaining objective after last weekend’s FA Cup semifinal loss to Arsenal consigned Guardiola to his first trophyless season as a coach.
United could yet qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.
Thursday’s drab derby served to illustrate why the Manchester rivals are squabbling over fourth place rather than fighting for the title.
Conservative
With Paul Pogba injured, Mourinho aligned a conservative midfield trio of Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and Fellaini, setting the tone for a disjointed contest.
Marcus Rashford returned in one of four changes and while his lightning speed enabled him to repeatedly elude Nicolas Otamendi, the teenager cut an isolated figure.
The soccer that managed to emerge above the midfield melee was almost all City’s.
The host hit the woodwork in the ninth minute when Aguero blasted a volley off the base of the right-hand post from Kevin De Bruyne’s rightwing cross.
United goalkeeper David de Gea fielded curlers from De Bruyne and Aguero and saved at his near post from Aleksandar Kolarov, while Aguero and Raheem Sterling arrowed shots over the bar.
But there were two moments of unease in the hosts’ box, the first when Bravo clawed Anthony Martial’s cross into the path of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, whose shot he was then forced to block.
Shortly before halftime, Rashford’s freekick from the left found Herrera unmarked at the back post, but the Spaniard headed wide.
City continued to force the action after the break, but United stood strong.
De Gea twice made big saves on Sterling and thwarted Aguero, while De Bruyne ruffled the side-netting with a low drive after cutting in from the left.
Otamendi looked poised to break the deadlock when he rose to meet Kolarov’s corner, but Bailly diverted his header over the bar.
Fellaini’s dismissal gave City the edge and Guardiola immediately brought in Jesus, who returned from a broken foot.
The stadium erupted when the Brazilian headed in Aguero’s cross, but an offside flag quickly silenced the fans and a stretching Aguero could only volley wide from De Bruyne’s blistering cross moments later.