As It Happened: Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United

Welcome to Nigerianeye's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Manchester City and Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.


The Citizens can win a fifth top-flight crown in record time this evening should they pick up all three points on home soil against their city neighbours.

United are left battling for a second-placed finish, meanwhile, knowing that a point or more from this game will merely delay the inevitable of their closest rivals lifting a third title in seven seasons.

Follow all of the action as it unfolds with our extensive updates below.

OFFICIAL LINE-UPS

MANCHESTER CITY: Ederson; Danilo, Kompany, Otamendi, Delph; Fernandinho, Gundogan, Bernardo; D.Silva, Sterling, Sane

SUBS: Bravo, Laporte, Walker, Aguero, G Jesus, Yaya Toure, De Bruyne

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea; Young, Bailly, Smalling, Valencia; Matic, Pogba, Herrera; Lingard, Lukaku, Sanchez

SUBS: Pereira, Lindelof, Rojo, Mata, Martial, Rashford, McTominay
























































Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match!

Martin Atkinson brings the match to an end - and what a match it was! The Citizens were two goals to the good at half time thanks to goals from Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan - a scoreline that would have secured them a fifth top-flight crown. United hit back completely against the run of play, though, scoring twice through Paul Pogba early in the second half and then through Chris Smalling to stun their opponents.

90+6 min FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 2-3 MANCHESTER UNITED

90+4 min YELLOW CARDS! Vincent Kompany and Gabriel Jesus both appear to have been shown yellow cards, making it six bookings for the home side, compared to three for the visitors. Victor Lindelof has just come on for Ander Herrera.

90+2 min Man City the side asking all the questions as we enter the second of five added-on minutes at the Etihad Stadium. The Citizens will wonder quite how they trail in this contest, but credit must go to United for stepping things up.

90 min OFF THE POST! This initially looked to be a big save from De Gea but Sterling's shot actually hit the post and then the keeper. Five minutes have been added on here so there is still time for at least one more goal.

88 min SAVE! That man yet again - De Gea produces another huge save to push Aguero's header over the crossbar. The Argentina international is stuck on 199 goals for the club - that would have been a great moment to reach the landmark.

86 min MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Scott McTominay is now on for Jesse Lingard as United look to see this one through. This will be a huge victory for the Red Devils if they can hold on, although City will still be 13 points clear at the top.

84 min Great defending from Young at the back post to block the cross. Jesus then gets a shot away which was blocked by Smalling. A truly enthralling contest at the Etihad Stadium, with City in need of two goals to clinch the title... sound familiar?

82 min MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Marcus Rashford replaces Alexis Sanchez for the closing stages. Debate still rumbles on regarding that penalty shout - I guess it depends on which side of the divide you sit!

80 min YELLOW CARD! Fernandinho is furious with the decision and has been cautioned, meaning that he will now miss City's league games against Tottenham and Swansea. Pogba also cautioned as things threaten to boil over.

78 min PENALTY APPEAL! Big shout for a Man City penalty at the end of a swift counter. De Bruyne slotted through Aguero, who was taken out by Young inside the box. Young caught his opponent right on the shin, but only after first getting a touch to the ball.

76 min MANCHESTER CITY SUB! A third and final sub for the home side - Sergio Aguero comes on for Ilkay Gundogan to join Gabriel Jesus in the forward line. Interestingly, Mourinho has held off making any changes thus far.

74 min City not panicking just yet, but it is looking as though they will have to wait for their third Premier League title. Not many people would have predicted that at half time when they were two goals ahead and cruising towards three points.

72 min MANCHESTER CITY SUBS! Here comes the cavalry. David Silva goes straight down the tunnel with a slight injury problem, replaced by Kevin De Bruyne, while Gabriel Jesus is on for Bernardo Silva. What a thrilling finale we are in store for.

70 min This is incredible! Man United, dreadful in the first half and two goals down, are a goal ahead with 20 minutes left to play. Chris Smalling, beaten by Vincent Kompany for the opener, volleys home Alexis Sanchez's free kick from eight yards.

69 min GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2-3 MANCHESTER UNITED (CHRIS SMALLING)

67 min An evenly-balanced match over the past 10 minutes or so since United's double. As things stand City will have to wait to win the Premier League title, but there is still plenty of time to play and that can all change in the remainder.

65 min Sane and Gundogan stand over the free kick and it is the latter who eventually takes it, bending the ball a fair bit over the crossbar. Guardiola looks as though he is about to make a change or two, with Aguero among those warming-up.

63 min YELLOW CARD! Raheem Sterling joins opposition players Ander Herrera and Romelu Lukaku in the referee's book. Neither manager yet to make any changes at what is a pivotal moment in this Premier League clash.

61 min Lingard flashes a shot wide of Ederson's far post. Home fans now urging their side on, with United the side in the ascendancy and chasing a third goal. The Citizens ruing those numerous chances they missed in the first half.

59 min Alexis Sanchez heavily involved in both of those goals, though the credit has to go to Pogba for taking both of them. The travelling United fans now making themselves known, as David Silva's pullback is collected by De Gea - he should have gone for goal.

57 min From absolutely nowhere, Man United are all square in this Manchester derby. It is Paul Pogba yet again, as he continues his run into the box to meet Alexis Sanchez's cross and head it past Ederson in the City goal. What a game we have on our hands now!

56 min GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2-2 MANCHESTER UNITED (PAUL POGBA)

55 min United right back in the game through a fantastic team goal. Alexis Sanchez was heavily involved down the right, picking out Herrera who in turn chested the ball through for Pogba to lift over Ederson. The Red Devils are right back in this one!

54 min GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 MANCHESTER UNITED (PAUL POGBA)

52 min OFF THE POST! Good play from Sterling to pick out Ilkay Gundogan - the scorer of the second goal - and the German so nearly found the back of the net. His shot left De Gea rooted but it clipped the frame of the goal on its way through.

50 min SAVE! Better from United as they win themselves a couple of corners. They come to little, though from the next move Pogba did well to work some space for the shot, which Ederson had to deal with down to his bottom right.

48 min David de Gea actually managed more touches than any other United player in the first half. All the more surprising that Mourinho has stuck with things, though that will surely change if there is no response over the next five or 10 minutes.

46 min RESTART! We are back under way at the Etihad Stadium, where neither manager has made any changes at the break. Half expected Jose Mourinho to turn to his bench at the interval, but he is clearly happy to wait for a little longer.

Manchester City take a commanding two-goal lead into the interval, and in truth it could have been a whole lot worse for Manchester United. With the chances the Citizens created in the opening 45 minutes, I am sure even a few Liverpool fans are looking on a little concerned right now.

45+2 min HALF TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 2-0 MANCHESTER UNITED

45 min SAVE! Man City have created four big chances since going two goals in front. This latest one was for Ilkay Gundogan, who could only glance a deep cross into the hands of De Gea - he needed to go either side of the Spaniard.

43 min SAVE! The Citizens knocking around the ball with ease at the moment. Sterling finally gets to shoot on his left foot, but it is only marginally better than his right - De Gea with a simple stop to make down the middle.

41 min Sterling with the type of finish of a winger playing through the middle. That is now two glorious chances the England international has squandered - could that come back to haunt the home side? Probably not, but only time will tell. Herrera booked for taking out Fernandinho.

39 min CHANCE! City two goals ahead but it really should be three. The party has already started around the Etihad Stadium, with a little over five minutes of the first half still left to play. Sterling has just sent another shot over the bar from close range.

37 min Sterling was a little too desperate to take that chance on his stronger foot. It allowed Valencia to get across and put him under enough pressure for the shot to become more difficult, and in the end he could not even test De Gea.

35 min CHANCE! That turn from Gundogan was something special, taking his man out of the game and then getting the better of De Gea - not many players have been able to say that this season. Sterling clean through for a third, which he skies.

33 min Star carving their name into the title! Man City have themselves a second with a little over half an hour played, courtesy of a brilliant finish from Ilkay Gundogan. The midfielder turned in the box and prodded the ball out of David de Gea's reach.

32 min GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2-0 MANCHESTER UNITED (ILKAY GUNDOGAN)

30 min Young is unhappy with Lukaku after his cross goes straight out of play without anybody near it. United have offered very little in an attacking sens this evening so far, but they now need to come out of their shells as they are a goal down.

28 min Man City closing in on another title thanks to Vincent Kompany's powerful header 26 minutes in. Smalling attempted to pull the centre-back down after losing his man, but it did not matter and now the hosts simply need to see things through.

26 min Vincent Kompany just loves score headers in big games! This latest one may just win Man City their third Premier League title, as he got in front of Chris Smalling and powered the ball past David de Gea from the edge of the six-yard box.

25 min GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 1-0 MANCHESTER UNITED (VINCENT KOMPANY)

23 min SAVE! The first save of the evening is made by David de Gea in the United goal. The ball was prodded through by Raheem Sterling for Bernardo Silva, who could not get the beating of De Gea down low - smart stop.

21 min Lingard makes a run around the back but Lukaku cannot quite find him from his deep starting position. United yet to register a shot of any sort in the opening 21 minutes; City's only real effort ended with the ball in the stands.

19 min The hosts looking the more threatening of the two teams in the opening quarter of the match, but finding a way through will obviously prove very tough against a well-drilled United side. United have not conceded on their last two trips here.

17 min Incidentally, Bernardo Silva looks like being the player tasked with leading the line through the middle, with Sterling and Sane either side. Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero are among the Citizens' subs for this evening's clash.

15 min The Red Devils have definitely worked on their shape heading into this game, but City are still managing to get in behind. Only once has that looked like paying off, with David Silva's cross being cut out by Young with the unintentional use of his hand.

13 min Still just that one Danilo attempt so far, which sailed high and wide in the opening few minutes. City have also had a penalty shout turned down for handball, although that appeared to be the correct call from Martin Atkinson.

11 min United continuing to press high up the pitch but City are finding some gaps to break into. The referee has just upset home fans for blowing his whistle, instead of playing advantage with Sterling one-on-one with his man out wide.

9 min On the day that United's rivals can win the title, Pogba has gone with a sky blue hair colour today. Not sure if that will go down too well, particularly on the back of Guardiola's comments on the eve of this huge showdown.

7 min The ball did indeed hit Young's hand, but it would be harsh to class this one as deliberate handball. The full-back slipped and knew little about it, so referee Martin Atkinson made the right call from that very early decision.

5 min PENALTY APPEAL! United looking organised in midfield but David Silva has just been slipped clean through down the left. The Spaniard crossed the ball into the middle and Young cut it out - illegally, according to City's players. I'll need a replay to clear that one up.

3 min Sane exchanges passes on the edge of the box but could not get a shot away. Danilo could, though, putting his boot through it from all of 30 yards and managing to pick out the Man United fans behind the goal - terrible effort from the full-back.

1 min KICKOFF! We are up and running in the 176th Manchester derby. Manchester United, sporting red tops and black shorts, are aiming to delay rivals Manchester City's title celebrations by at least a further week.