Good afternoon and welcome to NigerianEye's coverage of the 171st Manchester derby as City host United at the Etihad Stadium.
Results yesterday saw Manchester City fall 15 points behind Premier League leaders Leicester City, as well as the gap to fifth-placed West Ham United being cut to just one point.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are three further back than the Hammers in the race for Champions League football and come into this match off the back of a Europa League exit at the hands of arch rivals Liverpool on Thursday.
Today's derby promises to be a pivotal day in the top-four race, and you can follow all of the action with our minute-by-minute updates below.
Team News
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Hart; Sagna, Demichelis, Mangala, Clichy; Fernandinho, Toure, Navas, Sterling, Silva; Aguero
Subs: Caballero, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Fernando, M.Garcia, Bony, Iheanacho
MAN UTD STARTING XI: De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo; Schneiderlin, Carrick, Lingard, Mata, Martial; Rashford
Subs: Romero, Fosu-Mensah, Valencia, Fellaini, Schweinsteiger, Januzaj, Memphis
Thank you very much for joining Nigerian Eye for this enthralling Manchester derby. It has been a pleasure serving you this evening. It is goodbye for now!
What a huge victory that is for Manchester United! They breathe new life into their Champions League hopes by closing the gap on Man City to one point with a 1-0 victory over their local rivals in their own back yard. Marcus Rashford will dominate the headlines again having scored the only goal of the game to leave City 15 adrift of leaders Leicester. It is all about that top four for City now!
90+6 min FULL TIME: Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United
90+4 min Everyone is back for United right now as they desperately cling on to this lead. Just a couple of minutes stoppage time remain!
90 min There will be SIX minutes of added time at the end of this match!
88 min They do indeed do that, but Martial just can't curb that instinct to attack the defender and City have a chance to break which they eventually win a corner from.
87 min Martial does well to win his side a free kick in a good position. They could put the ball in the box here, but will surely play it short and waste a bit more valuable time.
85 min United want a penalty now as Martial collects the ball and bursts into the box before being checked by Fernandinho. It is worth asking the question, but Michael Oliver is this time right to wave the claims away.
84 min MAN UTD SUB: Darmian has gone down with cramp a couple of times in the last few minutes and will now be taken off by Van Gaal, being replaced by Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
81 min Man City have now had 22 shots in this match, but only three of those have been on target. They just haven't been clinical enough in the final third this afternoon.
79 min The resulting free kick is nodded wide of the target, but the home fans are not pleased with Michael Oliver here. They have a point too - they should have had a penalty and probably a red for Smalling too.
78 min City fans want a red card for Smalling here as he trips Aguero after being turned by the Argentine. There is little doubt he would have been booked had he not already been on a card there!
76 min YELLOW CARD! Mangala goes into the book for a late challenge on Lingard, giving United a free kick in a decent crossing position.
75 min SHOT! Navas skips away from his man into another good shooting position, but he drives the ball over the top of the bar. City's pressure is pretty much relentless right now, though.
72 min CHANCES! City keep pushing for that equaliser and almost get it here as Silva's floated cross to the back post finds Aguero in space. He goes for goal, but can only direct his header back across where Toure is waiting. He pulls it back to Bony, but the striker is unable to get a clean shot away and it goes behind for a corner. Bony has another swipe from the resulting deliver, but United eventually survive.
70 min MAN UTD SUB: Another change for the visitors as Bastian Schweinsteiger is brought on in place of Mata.
70 min Aguero looks to bend one in at the far post, but sends it quite a way off target.
68 min There is a real sense of urgency about Man City at the moment, and rightly so. Their pressure is growing, but United are so far holding firm with a little over 20 minutes to go. Clichy sends the latest effort well over.
66 min OFF THE POST! City are inches away from levelling things up! Toure gets forward down the right flank and puts a cross into the box, which Aguero meets at the near post. He steals a yard on his marker and powers a header goalwards, but it hits the upright and bounces away
64 min Brilliant defending from Smalling to get in front of Bony and make a crucial challenge to thwart the Ivorian at the front post following Sagna's low cross.
63 min MAN UTD SUB: The visitors make a change here as Rojo departs to be replaced by Antonio Valencia.
62 min Good block from Smalling to deny a low strike from Silva after some quick passing in and around the edge of the United box. City's threat is gaining momentum!
60 min Aguero is beginning to see a little bit more of the ball now and seems to be taking it upon himself to get City back into this match. He tries to flick one around the corner for Silva here, but the ball is put behind for a corner.
58 min It's all getting very frantic at the moment, with the match being played at a quick tempo. There is a sense that United feel they have a real chance of getting a second here, but City are beginning to get the ball forward quickly themselves and are looking dangerous on the break.
56 min Aguero looks to spark City into action, picking the ball up on the right flank and trying to take them all on. He drives into the box before trying to lash one in from a tight angle, but he misses the target.
55 min CHANCE! United go straight up the other end and, after Martial's deflected effort is pushed away by Willy Caballero, Rashford sees his close-range flick deflected behind for a corner.
54 min Bony looks to make an immediate impact as the ball is stood up for him in the middle, but he can't get enough on the header to trouble the keeper.
53 min MAN CITY SUB: The situation was so dire for Pellegrini that he has opted to use his final change on hauling Demichelis off. Wilfried Bony comes on in his place, which means that Fernandinho will drop back into the heart of the defence - a sign of just how poorly Demichelis was playing.
52 min Demichelis is all over the place at the moment. He gives the ball away inside his own half twice in quick succession as United begin to smell blood. They come down the left flank and the ball is played low into the box, which Caballero stops.
50 min MAN CITY SUB: There is the change as Hart is stretchered off to be replaced by Willy Caballero. Not great news for England with the international break coming up either.
48 min This doesn't look good for Hart. He tries to stand but immediately collapses, and it doesn't look like he will be able to continue here.
46 min Demichelis had a shocker of a first half, and he has started the second just as poorly! He sells Hart short with a back-pass that interests Martial. Hart just gets there first, but looks to have pulled his calf in doing so.
46 min KICKOFF: United get us back underway for this second half as they look to pull off what would be a huge victory over their local rivals.
Manchester United have so far been sturdy defensively, absorbing the pressure applied by Manchester City and in turn employing a counter-attacking approach. City meanwhile have struggled defensively with the pairing of Mangala and Demichelis looking particular shell-shocked.
Watch Rashford's goal again
45+4 min HALF TIME: Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United
45+2 min PENALTY SHOUT! Huge penalty shout for United right at the end of the half as Rojo keeps the ball in and Schneiderlin flicks it through to Rashford. The goalscorer skips past Demichelis before going down, but Michael Oliver doesn't point at the spot. It all kicks off after the lack of a decision, but Demichelis must know he is a lucky guy there. That looked like a spot kick to me.
45 min CHANCE! The free kick is flicked on at the neat post by Sagna before reaching Toure at the back post. He is involved in a wrestling match with Carrick and flings the United midfielder out of the way, but can't get a clean connection on his finish. City claim for a penalty, but it was six of one and half a dozen of the other at the back post there.
44 min This one is starting to bubble over a little here, with Aguero and Blind involved in a personal duel after that earlier clash. The latest instance sees Blind concede a free kick in a good crossing position for City...
42 min Van Gaal is unhappy with a challenge from Aguero here as the Argentine puts his studs up to contest a bouncing ball. Blind goes down in pain, but there was no malice involved and the referee is right to let play continue.
40 min Mata does well to keep hold of the ball under pressure from Fernando, working the ball out to Darmian in a good position. However, the right-back's cross is very disappointing and goes straight behind for a goal kick.
38 min Time is ticking away to half time here, and United will be delighted with what they have come up with in this first half so far. City have had a few decent sights of goal, but no really clear-cut chances.
36 min It is Navas who is looking like the biggest danger for City at the moment. Toure works the ball out to him this time and he cuts inside, but his effort is deflected wide on this occasion.
35 min City's threat is beginning to grow here! Again Navas provides the threat, stealing a yard before fizzing a low ball into the box that Smalling turns behind.
33 min CLOSE! City come forward down the right flank this time, with Navas dropping the ball back to Toure. The Ivorian opens up his body and just tries to steer an effort into the bottom corner, but it bobbles inches past the post. De Gea looked to have it covered, but it was a clever effort from Toure.
30 min United move into a good position through Martial, who is drifting over to the right and seems desperate for Darmian to make the overlapping run. Darmian is slow to do it, though, and in the end the attack comes to nothing.
28 min That change has seen Yaya Toure move a little further forward, effectively into the same set-up as the midweek match against Kiev.
26 min MAN CITY SUB: The hosts are forced into an early change here, with Sterling never fully recovering from that challenge by Mata. He limps off to be replaced by Fernando.
22 min CHANCE! Silva lifts it into the area and Rojo slips as Demichelis towers over him. The City defender should do much better from relatively close range, but he can only steer his header wide of the target.
21 min There is concern for City over Raheem Sterling here as he went down under a sliding challenge that gives the hosts a free kick just outside the area...
19 min Another quick break from United sees Rashford and Martial link up to almost found Lingard, but the final pass through is just behind him. That goal has given the visitors a real boost, though.
18 min SAVE! Almost a second for United in quick succession! Again Demichelis should do better as Martial collects the ball and lines up an effort from 25 yards. He gets plenty behind the strike, but Hart beats it away to safety.
16 min He's had a few highlights in his short career to date, but this will be right up there for Rashford as he scores on his Manchester derby debut! It is a fine solo effort too as he bursts past Demichelis before keeping his composure to slot the ball beyond Hart. Demichelis was beaten far too easily, though, and Hart may feel that he should have done better too.
16 min GOAL! Man City 0-1 Man Utd (Marcus Rashford)
14 min SAVE! City do come close here as Toure drives forward from midfield, eluding one challenge after picking up a loose pass. He slips on the edge of the box but manages to get the ball to Silva anyway, and the Spaniard moves it on to Sterling. His cross finds Navas, whose powerful low drive is stopped by the feet of De Gea.
12 min Still no big chances to report from this one, with Navas's volley the only shot for either side so far. The game is being played at a good tempo, though, and the atmosphere is helping to add to the occasion.
10 min YELLOW CARD! Smalling becomes the first man in the book today having come a long way out of defence to follow Aguero. The Argentine still spins away from him, though, and Smalling tugs him back to earn the card.
9 min United have seen a fair amount of the ball in the opening exchanges, but it is notable that they are being very deliberate in possession, taking their time and just looking to settle into it. City, meanwhile, are looking to get forward quickly.
7 min SHOT! Again City come bursting forward down the left, with Silva this time playing in Sterling down the left. His eventual cross is only cleared as far as Navas, who chests the ball down but then volleys wide with a difficult chance.
5 min City almost get in behind down the left as Silva moves to the edge of the box. He looks up and waits for support, but his low ball into the box is blocked.
3 min UPDATE: No goals in the derby so far but there has been a very early one in the other 4pm Premier League kickoff, with Harry Kane giving Spurs a 1-0 lead against Bournemouth in the very first minute. Not good news for City's slim title hopes.
1 min United don't deal with the corner too well initially, but after a bit of pinball the visitors do clear the danger.
1 min KICKOFF: Here we go then! Man City get us underway and go straight on the attack, with Darmian conceding an early corner by putting a Navas cross behind.
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