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28 March 2024

Man Utd vs Man City: Dzeko at the double as City tame United

Edin Dzeko of Manchester City celebrates scoring the second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on March 25, 2014 in Manchester, England. (GETTY)

Published
By Cricket Correspondent and Agencies

An Edin Dzeko double helped Manchester City move second in the Premier League with a 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United on Tuesday while Arsenal's title hopes almost evaporated with a 2-2 home draw with Swansea City.

City took the lead after 43 seconds and never looked like ceding control, exposing their opponents' soft centre almost at will, with Dzeko and Yaya Toure netting in the second half to inflict another painful defeat on United manager David Moyes.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was also facing difficult questions when his side conceded a 90th-minute own goal from Mathieu Flamini to draw with struggling Swansea on the back of their 6-0 thrashing by Chelsea.

It looked like Arsenal would claim all three points when two second-half goals within a minute from Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud had cancelled out Wilfried Bony's opener.

Everton made it four wins in a row to maintain their own push for Europe as they beat Newcastle United 3-0 with England hopeful Ross Barkley, Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku and Leon Osman all on target.

City have moved into the slipstream of Chelsea, three points adrift of the Premier League leaders with two games in hand.

Arsenal stay fourth, two points behind third place Liverpool who play Sunderland on Wednesday. Everton move fifth, six points behind Arsenal with a game in hand.
FULL TIME

Utd 0 City 3 (Dzeko 1" 56" Toure 90)

Edin Dzeko scored a goal in each half -- the first within 44 seconds off kick-off -- and Yaya Toure added another towards the fag end to steer City to a comprehensive 3-0 win over United in the 'Manchester Derby' on Tuesday night.

It was the Blues' third consecutive win over United at Old Trafford and it moves them to second spot on the table with 66 points from 29 matches, three points behind Chelsea who have played 31 matches and one ahead of Liverpool who have played 30.

United remain in seventh spot with 51 points from 31 matches.

Arsenal who were held by Swansea 2-2 have to be content with fourth spot on 63 points.

It was City all the way right from the beginning as Dzeko, replacing Alvaro Negredo in the starting line-up, was outstanding scoring his first goal before United could even settle down.

And again on resumption he nailed the second goal to nip in the bud United's hopes of a comeback.

Yaya Toure, who marshalled the midfield to a T, got his name on the scorer's list in the 90th minute to add to their 4-1 September thrashing of David Moyes' side at Etihad Stadium last September.

 

90" GOAL! Yaya Toure shows superb composure here as he traps the ball on top of the box and finds the far right of De Gea, what a goal.

88" The match is running away from United with just a few minutes left.

84" Toure shows a lot of calmness as he controls the midfield with superb one-touch passes and ball control.

80" Rooney free-kick zooms past a host of defenders but before Evra can go for the header Hart leaps high to punch it with his left hand to safety.

79" Dzeko is deprived of a hat-trick by Pellegrini as he is substituted but as he leaves he gets a rousing send off.

75" United now make their third and last substitution when Hernandez replaced Welbeck.

72" Samir Nasri makes way for Milner while Navas makes way for Garcia.

71" Oh that was the closest United came. It was a nice run down the right by Rafael who crossed and Welbeck with a backheel almost scored but thanks to Hart's quick reflexes as he tipped it out.

69" Welbeck's grounder is saved  by diving Hart.

68" Yaya Toure relays the ball to Fernandinho on the run shot goes over.

64" Moyes makes his second substitution brining in Valencia for Fellaini.

60" Thirty minutes for David Moyes' side to restore some credibility but they clearly seem to be missing Van Persie.  

Utd 0 City 2 (Dzeko 1" 56")

56" GOAL! Dzeko is the star again scoring from a corner kick. United have no clue and it looks like the Derby is being taken away from them.

City are missing some close chances here which might prove costly later.

51" Fernandinho comes close to scoring but his header from a Silva corner goes just over. It was an open goal and Fernandinho had his head in his hands.

48" Silva and Nasri weave their way dangerously from the left into the box but Silva is pulled up for off-side just when he was in a position to score.

46" City are already on the attack and Dzeko's shot is blocked by Phil Jones.

HALF TIME

Utd 0 City 1 (Dzeko 1")

Edin Dzeko scored the second-fastest goal in a 'Manchester Derby' when he netted within 44 seconds of kick-off to give the Blues a 1-0 lead at half time against United at the Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

George Best holds the record for the fastest goal in a Manchester Derby when he scored after 38 seconds in March 1968.

Dzeko, who came in for Alvaro Negredo, made his presence felt with his first touch of the ball. The move originated from Yaya Toure and David Silva and then to Samir Nasri who saw his first-time effort beat David de Gea in goal but rebound off the post only for Dzeko to boot it home.

Dzeko could have added to the tally midway but after some fine work by Silva on the left Dzeko was a little off balance as he tried to reach for the ball which he did but the shot lacked power and De Gea had time to deflect it away.

 The first 20 minutes belonged to City and it reminisced their first match where City hammered United 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

Luckily Manchester United found their bearings but despite some hard running by Rooney, Welbeck and Juan Mata their best efforts lacked the spark to unnerve City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

United need to do much more. They are breaking into the City area but seem to lack ideas.

43" United are trying desperately for the equaliser before the breather but Hart stands tall in the City goal collecting whatever is thrown at him.

39" United make another foray into the City box. Rafael's cross from the right is mishit by Rooney but the ball comes to Mata who send his top-of-the-box shot over. 

38" Hart looks cool and composed as he steps out to collect a Evra cross in front of Mata, Welbeck and Rooney.

35" Ten minutes to go for the half time and United will have to do something different to avoid another 4-1 hammering which they suffered at the Etihad Stadium in September.

Referee Michael Oliver doing a good job of handling a fever-pitch match.

28" Zabaleta is on the receiving end here. First he is tripped from behind by Welbeck and later is elbowed in the face by Fellaini. Both United players were booked for the offence.

25" Match evenly poised now as United begin to hold some possession of the ball compared to the first 20 minutes where they looked like passengers.

23" Fellaini should have done better here after receiving a cross from Rooney but his feeble shot goes straight into the gloves of a waiting Hart.

18" United make their first worthwhile move to bring the stadium to life when Rooney found Mata on the left who crossed for Welbeck but Kompany clears to safety.

17" The Blues are all over the United goal and Dzeko is unlucky this time as his placement is saved at the last minute by De Gea.

13" United have their first shot at the City goal but Rafael is off target.

12" YELLOW! Kompany is booked.

11" City again threaten to score as Dzeko looks dangerous but his cross goes abegging.

9" United defence in shambles at the moment and Silva capitalises but on reaching the box mis-kicks the ball.

8" City look in good control as United seem to have been dumb-struck by the early goal.

Utd 0 City 1 (Dzeko 1")

1" GOAL! City score in just 44 seconds through Dzeko after he pounced on a rebound when Nasri struck the post after Toure and Silva breached the United defence.

City start the match with the kick-off.

The Manchester derby is ready to unfold as the players are out once again to a thunderous applause.

With just five minutes remaining for the kick-off both teams have gone back into the tunnel.

Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko: "We are ready - that's important. A derby is always the biggest game of the season, even if United are not in their best form. It's a massive game for both clubs and for the fans We come to win the game.

"We are not thinking about another big win. If we win 1-0 I'll take it."

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata: "It is my first derby. It's exciting, a massive game in the city. Manchester City are having a great season, with great players but we will try to win at home.

"The last week was very good for us. We will try to do the same, we try to score, play with passion and create lots of. It is a pleasure for me to play with Wayne Rooney, he is a top striker who can do everything. It is a pleasure for me to play behind him.

"I have very good friends in the City squad, David Silva, Alvaro Negredo, Jesus Navas. Today they are rivals, but tomorrow we are friends again."

Manchester United have scored just nine league goals from midfield with teenager Adnan Januzaj weighing in with a third of those.

Manchester City have 35 with Yaya Toure scoring 16.

In the face of those statistics, David Moyes has admitted his side are lagging behind their city rivals. "We still think Marouane Fellaini can get some goals. But I do agree," he said.

"They have quality - very good midfield players who are goalscorers."

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said: "Maybe we have more points, but I don't feel that we are the favourites. Manchester United are not in their best season, but they are a top team with great players.

"Winning today is one of ten steps that we must take towards the title. We hope that we can play as well as we did at the Etihad in September."

Thirty minutes to go for the Manchester derby at Old Trafford as players from both teams begin a light warm-up.

Juan Mata, Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney start in attack for Manchester United, while Rio Ferdinand is back in defence. For City defender Vincent Kompany returns from suspension with Edin Dzeko starting up front in place of Alvaro Negredo.

TEAMS

Manchester United: De Gea, Rafael, Ferdinand, Jones, Evra, Carrick, Cleverley, Fellaini, Mata, Welbeck, Rooney.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Yaya Toure, Fernandinho, Nasri, Silva, Navas, Dzeko.

Manchester United will have to make do without star striker Robin van Persie who is injured and Nemanja Vidic who is serving suspension. City are without Sergio Aguero but Edin Dzeko could come in for Alvaro Negredo.

STAT ATTACK

This is the 150th league meeting between Manchester United and Manchester City.

Man City have won 11 of their last 13 matches in the Premier League.

Man City have kept a clean sheet in their last 4 matches in the Premier League.

Man Utd have seen over 2.5 goals in their last 5 home matches against Man City in all competitions.

PREVIEW

Manchester United are closer to rediscovering their best form than reports would suggest, manager David Moyes said on Monday ahead of their Premier League clash with rivals Manchester City.

Moyes's team host City on Tuesday, with most making the title-chasing visitors favourites for the Manchester derby at Old Trafford for the first time.

The Scotsman has endured a difficult first season in charge at United but argues his team are not far off a return to trophy-winning ways despite languishing in seventh place in the league, 12 points behind City having played two games more.

"We're not as far away as many people would have us and I've no doubt it'll improve," Moyes told a news conference.

"We want to show we're still in there fighting."

"In the last couple of games, a lot of the players have stepped up to the plate and performed. But I'm not surprised by that at all - that's what they're capable of and I've been saying that all year.

"We have a good squad with good players - we maybe haven't played as well as we should have, but I think we have those capabilities within the squad."

United have enjoyed a resurgence in the last week, beating Greek champions Olympiakos Piraeus 3-0 at home to qualify for the last eight of the Champions League and enjoying a comfortable 2-0 win at West Ham United in the league on Saturday, to ease the pressure on beleaguered Moyes.

However, it is in the games against the Premier League's top four teams that Moyes has endured his most torrid time, with a resounding 3-0 defeat at league leaders Chelsea, a humiliating 3-0 home loss to bitter rivals Liverpool and a 4-1 thrashing in the reverse fixture with City earlier in the season.

"We want to perform better in the bigger games than we have done, I have no doubt about that," Moyes said.

"But we don't go into it any differently - we want to win them all.

"We go out to win every game - not just the derby. Its no different. Obviously it means a lot more to the supporters and the city to win a derby game, but we go into every game with the same intention to win."

United will have to cope without suspended captain Nemanja Vidic and injured defenders Chris Smalling and Johnny Evans for City's visit, with Moyes hopeful he can recall Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, who both missed the trip to West Ham.

In the absence of Vidic, who is set to leave for Inter Milan at the end of the season, and vice-captain Evra it was England striker Wayne Rooney who stepped in to captain the side in their last league outing.

Rooney scored both of United goals in the win and moved to third in the club's all-time goalscorers list, strengthening his claim to wear the armband permanently next season and possibly again on Tuesday.

"Wayne has led by example all season," said Moyes.

"But maybe he's taken a wee bit of pride when wearing that armband and showing exactly what it means. He wants to take responsibility and I think you always need players who do that."

RELUCTANT FAVOURITES

Despite a reversal of fortunes for the Manchester clubs this season City boss Pellegrini moved to play down his team's favourites tag ahead of the derby.

"We are in a good moment but we are playing against a big team in their own stadium, so I don't think we are the favourites," Pellegrini told a news conference.

"Of course we always expect to go and win every game but, I repeat, just because Manchester United have had a difficult season it does not mean we are going to win. We have to go there and play a very good game."

In his first season in English football Pellegrini has led his side to the League Cup and to third place in the league, six points off leaders Chelsea but with three games in hand.

City had been touted as potential winners of an unprecedented quadruple of trophies but exits in the Champions League and FA Cup in the same week meant that the Premier League remains the one trophy they can still win.

"When you are eliminated from other competitions it's not a good thing but one positive is you can just focus on the league so we don't have problems physically or mentally," Pellegrini explained.

"We are just trying to fight for the title. I know we must go game by game and we just have to win on Tuesday and then at Arsenal on Saturday after that."

After City, United play host to Aston Villa in the league on Saturday before welcoming Champions League holders Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals on April 1.