Manchester Heavyweights Serve Up Knockout

Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United
FA Cup R3, Etihad Stadium, Att: 46,808

Two headed goals from Wayne Rooney helped Manchester United put out arch-rivals, and Cup holders, Manchester City in one of the most compelling FA Cup games of all time.

A re-run of last season’s FA Cup semi-final provided the spectacle for an unforgettable derby day, which at half time seemed to be going only one way after Rooney’s double (right) sandwiched Danny Welbeck’s acrobatic volley which saw the visitors enter the break with a 3-0 lead.

A City fightback seemed all the more improbable on 12 minutes, when, at 1-0 down, Vincent Kompany was shown a contentious straight red card by referee Chris Foy for a two-footed lunge on Nani.

If it looked like United were going to return the 6-1 drubbing they received earlier on in the season with interest then all inside the Etihad Stadium, and across the country were wrong. Goals from Aleksandar Kolarov and Sergio Aguero within 20 minutes of the interval set up the tensest of grandstand finales.

The technical excellence of the first two United goals – Rooney’s 10 yard header and Welbeck’s swivel-like volley from similar range –contrasted significantly with Kompany’s ill advised tackle on Nani.

As the Belgian centre half saw red, so did his manager five minutes before half time, when, after Welbeck was upended in the penalty area by Kolarov, Rooney nodded home once his initial strike had been parried by Costel Pantilimon in the City goal.

If Sir Alex Ferguson’s men smelled blood and sensed revenge, they turned down a blind alley to find a more composed and resolute City minus David Silva and Adam Johnson, with Pablo Zabaleta and Stefan Savic in their place.

Paul Scholes’ reintroduction to the fore, after coming out of retirement until the end of the season, was as rusty as his ginger hair. Once Kolarov had curled home a well executed free kick, Scholes gifted the chance for Argentine Aguero to set up an incredible finish, which he duly took. The remaining 25 minutes enthralled, encapsulated and raised expectation for the destination of the Premier League crown.

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