Derby Delight for United

Goals and Highlights of Manchester Derby

It was not just a game of three points, it was not just any other derby game between the Manchester teams, this was a game to show intent, to gain an upper hand, bragging rights in Manchester. For all the hype created prior to the fixture, it did not disappoint one bit, did it?There were heated pre-match exchanges between both the camps, one trying to dismiss another, the other trying to stand up to be counted. Whilst Sir Alex called City ‘noisy neighbours’, Mark Hughes warned Sir Alex that he would help City knock United off their perch.

United started brightly, opened the scoring within the first two minutes. Evra caught City’s defense unaware and Rooney showed his strength to brush of two challenges to slot home his sixth goal of the season. After that, it was all about United and really looked up for it until a Ben Foster howler which allowed City to get back in the game. Foster has the talent to challenge for United’s and England’s No.1 jersey but he isn’t doing himself any favours by committing such school boy errors. He has the tendency to make a howler for every three good saves. City were gifted a goal and their three man mid-field started to get a hold of the mid-field. De-Jong and Barry were able to influence the flow of the game from there on in the first half. Chances were fluffed at both ends and the easiest undoubtedly fell to Tevez. He had a full view of the goal but could not find the target as he hit the post. That was a moment that vindicated Sir Alex’s decision to let him go, for all the terrier like attributes that he possess, he lacks real quality in front of the goal to demand such high fees and wages.

United started the second half as they did in the first, scored through a Darren Fletcher header. But United’s lax defending once more allowed City back into the game. To Bellamy’s credit, it was a screamer but a shot which should have been blocked in the first place. Bellamy is a right-footed player and O’shea should have closed him down and allowed him to run down the left. United got right back at City and the introduction of Valencia brought more directness to their play. Valencia pinned back Bridge and this stretched Man City’s mid-field as Ireland and De-Jong had to venture on the wide positions. Evra and Giggs, who was outstanding, created havoc on the left side. United played through the middle in the first half and were over run by City’s mid-field. Giggs started to hug the touch line in the second half and that stretched City which inturn allowed Fletcher and Anderson to boss the mid-field. Giggs bombarded City’s defense with cross after cross and United should have wraped up the match but for Given’s saves from Berbatov. Fletcher found the net again thanks to a pin-point cross from Giggs. That should have sealed all the three points for United. Rio Ferdinand, this time, made the howler which were associated with his West-Ham days and presented Bellamy with a chance to equalize. City were delighted with the equalizer and decided to settle for a point, they kept hoofing the ball into United’s half. Inexperience and cowardice cost them. Giggs brilliantly found Owen at the edge of the box in injury time and Owen duly obliged coming up with a wonderful finish in a nervy situation. He was bought to finish off matches under such situations and that is any player’s true worth not the transfer fee that they demand.

As Sir Alex described, it definitely was the best derby ever and one to savour for the United fans.

Owen stole the headlines but the stars of the day were undoubtedly Fletcher and Giggs. Giggs was by far the best player on the pitch that day. He rolled back the years and delighted the fans with his mazy runs. He skinned Richards, fourteen years junior to Giggs, time and again. If Giggs continues the season the way he started it, one wonders if he might win the player of the year award again this year.