Premier League Review: Manchester derby stalemate – Part 1
Manchester City (0-0) Manchester United
The much-hyped Manchester derby ended in a stalemate at the Eastlands.
The tempo of the match was really high and both teams were fired up to down the other but both defended quite well and didn’t allow any opportunity to score. There were a few chances in the game but the keepers didn’t allow the
ball to pass through them. It was rather like a chess game: neither team was willing to give any space to the opposition player. The match was limited to just few shots on target and occasional saves from the goalkeepers.
(And we were promised so much drama and action, speaks the disgruntled fan within.)
City manager Roberto Mancini would be happy that at least this time there was no injury-time heartache. In 3 out of 4 previous encounters, United won in the stoppage time.
It looked as though both teams were set out not to lose this game. United stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 25 games. For most of the time, they looked in control and seemed more likely to score.
Chelsea won their match against Fulham at Stamford Bridge and they would be more than happy with the derby result, as their lead at the top of the table has extended to 4 points. However, United still maintain the 2nd spot
after the draw.
With City now 7 points behind the Champions, it looks even more difficult now for them to pose any real threat to win the league.
Carlos Tevez was playing against his former employers. He was included despite of fitness issues he had before the match. Although he showed energy by running around and closing down on the opposition, he didn’t appear to be a
real threat for United. He forced a regulation save from Edwin van der Saar in the 1st half. Other than that, there was nothing special from the Argentinean. He
did have a heated argument with United right full-back Rafael Da Silva which the referee did well to defuse.
Looking at the starting line-up of United, their fans must have breathed a sigh of relief as most of their virus-ridden players were fit.
Berbatov was upfront with Luis Nani supporting him on the right wing and Park Ji-Sung on the left. The midfield was packed with the likes of Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher. All of them worked very hard in the
game and Ferguson will be quite pleased with their work rate.
Darren Fletcher’s workout, especially, was incredible. He covered every inch of the space and didn’t give opposition a real chance.
United’s passing on occasions was breathtaking but the side couldn’t translate any chances. One such chance came though the neat passing of South Korean Park Ji-Sung to French fullback Patrice Evra but it lacked the finishing touch.
The move ended when City keeper Joe Hart made a comfortable save.
The home side had a good start though, and in the 1st fifteen minutes kept the possession and passed the ball very well. However, they started to give the ball away cheaply and lost control of the match soon enough.
City supporters were a little disappointed with Yaya Toure in particular. Considering his big money move, people expected more from him but instead he was found guilty of wasting possession.
To be continued.
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