HUMILIATED BY THE BLUES

 

 

Last time around, Man City were certainly a rising force in the Premiership but their 0-0 draw at the City of Manchester Stadium suggested they they still were slightly too timid to take games to the established big guns. Furthermore a 2-1 win at Old Trafford was enough of a reality check for the Blues though they still did enough to claim a Champions League spot while we claimed the title. The last time we did the double over the Blues was back in the 09/10 season. Former United assasin Mark Hughes started the season as City manager but we still won 4-3 at Old Trafford. Then Roberto Mancini took over but we still won 1-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium, with Paul Scholes hitting the winner.

Well United may have beaten them in the Community Shield this time around but credit where credit's due, City have made it to the top of the league. However they have yet to face any real heavyweights his season and so now the best City team yet in my memory come to Old Trafford for a Premiership match. It's been a long time since a Manchester derby pitted the league leaders vs the reigning league champions. However that's what we have here. De Gea in goal, Rio and Smaling in central defence, Evra captain, Nani right mid, Anderson and Fletcher centre mid, Wayne and Wellbeck up front. This was going to be one hell of a rumble.

In the early stages of the match, it was certainly a rumble that United had the better of, the Reds keeping posession pretty smoothly though not seeming that threatening just yet though we certainly could have had a pen in the early stages. However out of nowhere City struck. David Silva found James Milner in the 22nd minute who pulled the ball back to Mario Ballotelli who slammed it in the bottom corner. United certainly had their chances to get an equaliser but the City goalie got in the way. Finally, we had paid for one of our substandard first halves by conceding a goal, yet though I was slightly nervous, I knew we could turn this round.

I reckoned without us going down to ten men early in the second half though. Now we were surely doomed but not even the most optimistic City fan could have predicted what was to come. In the 60th minute Silva found Milner who found Balotelli for his 2nd goal. Then in the 69th minute Micah Richards crossed to Sergio Agurro who grabbed City's third. United weren't quite done yet and in the 81st minute sub Hernandez played a 1-2 with Fletcher who stuck the ball into the net. The comeback was doable...but it didn't happen. Yet surely we wouldn't concede any more? Well in the 89th minute a Joleon Lescott freekick was nudged in by Edin Dzeko for City's fourth. In the 90th minute Silva surged through our defence to join the goal party before setting up Dzeko in injury time for the Bosnian to grab his second.

Elsewhere, Newcastle faced Wigan at St James' Park. Despite being on a bad run of form, the Latics were certainly up for given the home side a match and it took a while for the Magpies to really get going, however, neither side were able to get any goals. The Magpies were able to do a better job in the second half though and forced the visitors to play more defensively only to still be breached by a late winner from Yohan Cabaye. That and the City anhiliation mean that United remain 2nd in the Premiership and still on course for the Champions League group stages though they now lie five points behind leaders City and just one point ahead of Newcastle and a detour through the preliminaries.

North of the border, Aberdeen faced Celtic at Celtic Park in the SPL. Ki Sung-Yeung opened the scoring for the Celts but unlike previous visits to Celtic, the Dons had no intention of crumbling on this occasion and the game was very much till on at half time. In fact, the Reds even equalised through Jack which was enough to spook the Celtic fans untill ex-Don Charlie Mulgrew hit the winniner for the Greens and then the Dons found themselves finishing the game with ten men. It was a bummer to see the Dons beaten but a close match on Old Firm turf is not exactly a disgrace and Craig Brown recognised that, things certainly are starting to look up for the Reds.

Elsewhere, St Mirren lost 3-2 to Hibs at St Mirren Park in a game that went all over the place. Hobs opened the scoring only for the home side to turn it round before Hibs equalised before half time and then got a second half winner. Inverness CT drew 1-1 with Dunfirmline at the Caledonian Stadium with Caley opening the scoring before half time but the visitors were still able to get away with a point after a late penalty with both sides increasingly desperate. That means that Aberdeen remain 7th in the SPL, one point behind St Mirren and the top half of the table and three points clear of Inverness CT and relegation. Could be worse.

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