United Wins Manchester Derby
Fabregas’ late winner takes Chelsea one step closer to title
Manchester United beat rivals Manchester City for the first time in five Premier League attempts with a stirring 4-2 comeback victory at Old Trafford.
City’s title defence had crumbled heading into the match amid a run of five defeats in seven matches across all competitions, but the champions briefly displayed their fluent best in the early stages - Sergio Aguero’s seventh goal in derbies after seven minutes the reward.
The direct, high-tempo approach United have found success with in recent weeks provided their route back into the match, with Ashley Young levelling before supplying the ammunition for Marouane Fellaini to give the hosts a 27th-minute lead.
Although Louis van Gaal’s men were fortunate to be ahead at that stage, they proceeded to dominate their neighbours, who Team P WD Chelsea 32 22 8 Arsenal 32 20 6 Man Utd 32 19 8 Man City 32 18 7 S’hampton 32 17 5 Liverpool 31 16 6 Tottenham 32 16 6 Swansea 32 13 8 West Ham 32 11 10 Stoke City 32 12 7 Palace 32 11 9 Everton 32 9 11 Newcastle 31 9 8 WBA 32 8 9 Aston Villa 33 8 8 Sunderland 32 5 14 Hull City 32 6 10 QPR 33 7 6 Burnley 32 5 11 Leicester City 31 6 7 slipped into the kind of lethargic performance now synonymous with their 2015 efforts - heaping pressure on Manuel Pellegrini.
Juan Mata, the hero of United’s recent triumph at Anfield, added a third midway through the second half amid strong suspicions of offside and Chris Smalling put the game beyond doubt, with Aguero’s late strike - his 100th for City - providing scant consolation for the visitors.
United sit four points clear of fourth-placed City, who face a battle for Champions League qualification with their season on the brink of total collapse.
Smalling - sent off in United’s 1-0 loss at the Etihad Stadium in November - returned from illness to line up in the home defence, with Marcos Rojo dropping to the bench.
City’s backline was boosted by captain Vincent Kompany passing L 2 6 5 6 10 9 10 11 11 13 12 12 14 15 17 13 16 20 16 18 GF GA GD 64 26 38 63 32 31 59 30 29 65 34 31 44 22 22 45 36 9 50 46 4 38 40 -2 42 40 2 36 40 -4 42 43 -1 40 43 -3 33 49 -16 30 46 -16 24 45 -21 25 48 -23 29 45 -16 38 58 -20 26 50 -24 32 51 -19 Pts 73 66 65 61 56 54 54 47 43 43 42 38 35 33 32 29 28 27 26 25 a late fitness test.
Despite their wretched recent form, City settled quickly and Jesus Navas raced clear of the United defence on the end of Martin Demichelis’s lofted pass, but fellow David De Gea stood firm to deny him.
Pellegrini’s team pegged their opponents back thereafter and, in a move that echoed the duo’s combination play in City’s famous 6-1 win at Old Trafford in October 2011, James Milner’s reverse pass picked out David Silva to set up Aguero for a simple finish.
The visitors pressed forward to increase the damage, but United were back on terms after 14 minutes,Young scrambling home Ander Herrera’s low cross at the second attempt.
Young turned then turned provider, combining cleverly with Daley Blind on the left flank and Team Bayern Wolfsburg M’gladbach Leverkusen Schalke Augsburg Hoffenheim Eintracht Bremen Dortmund Hertha Mainz Köln Freiburg Hannover Paderborn Hamburger Stuttgart P WD 28 22 4 28 18 6 28 15 8 28 14 9 28 11 8 28 12 3 28 10 8 28 9 8 27 9 8 28 9 6 28 9 6 28 6 13 28 7 10 28 6 11 28 7 8 28 6 9 28 6 7 27 5 8 hanging up a cross for Fellaini to power past Joe Hart at the back post.
Fellaini’s muscular presence caused City a persistent problem and Pablo Zabaleta made a vital headed clearance to deny the Belgium international a second in first-half stoppage time.
Kompany - who was booked for a rash lunge on Blind late in the first half - made way at the break due to further injury problems, meaning a first derby appearance for Eliaquim Mangala.
United came close to a third in the 52nd minute as Hart pushed a Wayne Rooney free-kick out of the top corner and the England goalkeeper saved from Michael Carrick’s follow-up amid a frantic penalty box scramble.
City’s early poise had faded to a distant memory by the time United made the points safe in L 2 4 5 5 9 13 10 11 10 13 13 9 11 11 13 13 15 14 GF GA GD 74 13 61 62 30 32 44 22 22 52 31 21 37 31 6 34 36 -2 41 42 -1 51 57 -6 41 54 -13 35 37 -2 34 45 -11 37 39 -2 26 33 -7 27 36 -9 32 45 -13 25 53 -28 16 43 -27 28 49 -21 Pts 70 60 53 51 41 39 38 35 35 33 33 31 31 29 29 27 25 23 the 67th minute - Demichelis out of position as he ceded possession to Blind, who found Rooney to send Mata scampering through for his eighth league goal of the season.
Questions over Pellegrini’s position in the Etihad Stadium dugout are now sure to increase, and the scrambled mindset of his players was thoroughly exposed when Smalling was granted ample room to head home Rooney’s free-kick amid further Old Trafford delirium.
Aguero then tucked home Zabaleta’s 89th-minute cutback to reach his milestone on arguably the bleakest day of his City career.
Earlier in the day, Cesc Fabregas netted a late winner to give Chelsea a vital three points against local rivals QPR at Loftus Road.
The victory takes Chelsea a big step closer to the Premier League title they so crave while Team PSG Lyon Monaco Marseille St Etienne Bordeaux Montpellier Lille Rennes Nantes Guingamp Caen Nice Bastia Gaillard Reims Lorient Toulouse Metz Lens P WD 31 17 11 31 18 7 32 16 10 31 17 6 32 15 11 31 14 9 31 14 7 31 12 8 31 11 9 32 10 10 31 12 3 32 10 8 31 10 8 31 9 10 31 11 3 31 9 8 31 10 4 31 9 5 31 6 8 31 6 7 condemning QPR to another week in the bottom three of the Premier League.
QPR will be gutted not to have got anything out of the game having had Chelsea on the back-foot for much of the game against after a lacklustre Blues performance.
The first half was a scrappy affair with only a 44th minute effort from Charlie Austin troubling either goalkeeper.
The second half continued in much the same manner but Chelsea managed to get the three points despite a very poor performance.
Chelsea now go seven points clear at the top with a game in hand on Arsenal and only need four wins from their last seven games to win the title. QPR sit two points adrift of safety but will take heart from a superb performance against the champions elect. L 3 6 6 8 6 8 10 11 11 12 16 14 13 12 17 14 17 17 17 18 GF GA GD 58 30 28 60 25 35 39 22 17 62 34 28 39 25 14 40 38 2 42 33 9 30 27 3 31 37 -6 25 33 -8 33 44 -11 46 48 -2 35 39 -4 31 37 -6 34 48 -14 37 53 -16 34 44 -10 33 52 -19 25 44 -19 28 49 -21 Pts 62 61 58 57 56 51 49 44 42 40 39 38 38 37 36 35 34 32 26 25