MANCHESTER UNITED 4-3 MANCHESTER CITY
Michael Owen scored a winning goal in the 5th minute if injury time, as Manchester United won an drama-filled game agianst their local rivals.
The late strike set Sir Alex Ferguson on a wild dance along the touchline, while his opposite number Mark Hughes demanded to know how the decisive moment of a thrilling game could come almost six minutes into four minutes of stoppage time.
Craig Bellamy looked to have earned City an unlikely point as they came from behind for the third time to level only seconds before the end of the 90 minutes.
And an agitated Hughes was already questioning the amount of time being added on when his hopes of a draw were wrecked by Owen’s first goal for United at Old Trafford as City slipped to their first defeat of the season. Earlier Carlos Tevez, back at his former club for the first time after his acrimonious switch to City, had threatened to return to haunt United in a game that had everything – apart from competent defending.
Wayne Rooney put United ahead after two minutes, but City swiftly restored equality when Tevez took advantage of Ben Foster’s inept skill to provide the opportunity for Gareth Barry’s equaliser. Darren Fletcher restored United’s lead with a header just after half-time, but Bellamy ensured parity quickly returned with a thunderous 25-yard effort.
City had Shay Given to thank on numerous occasions as he dealt with the ensuing red onslaught.
Fletcher looked to have finally confirmed the three points for United with another header 10 minutes from time, though, but as Ferguson moved to the touchline and ordered his side to nail down the win, a moment of madness from defender Rio Ferdinand looked to have thrown away two points.
He gifted possession to City substitute Martin Petrov, who sent Bellamy away to beat a poorly-positioned Foster to score. City’s fans inside Old Trafford were understandably jubilant – but a game that put everything the Premier League has to offer on full show, offered up one final twist with Owen’s winner.
For United, it was eventually a deserved win for their efforts, but City have shown that they are ever-closer to achieving boss Hughes’ stated aim of knocking their rivals “off their perch”.
The controversy does not look set to stop, though, as the FA and the Police look into a heated exchange between Bellamy and a supporter, and the injury time debate is bound to be football’s talking point over the coming days.
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