Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the first Manchester derby of the 2011/12 season. The meeting at Old Trafford is also a clash of the Premier League's current top two with the victor, if there is one, guaranteed top spot in the league. City are currently top of the table by two points and champions United will be hoping for a repeat of the same game last year when Wayne Rooney scored that overhead kick.
In the build-up to one of the fiercest derbies in the land the two managers have had high praise for one another with Sir Alex Ferguson commending Roberto Mancini's handling of the Carlos Tevez affair, while the Italian has described Fergie as a "teacher".
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00min: No Haka, but the atmosphere is just a strong as this morning in Auckland. Rooney and Welbeck get us underway...
02min: First Aguero then Nani try to get to the by-line in the opening minutes but nothing comes of it.
04min: Micah Richards is adjudged to have brought down Ashley Young on the edge of the box. Young takes the resulting free-kick but fires it straight at Nani's back.
07min: United doing most of the early pressing here, with a few free-kicks and corners already. Royston Drenthe has just put Everton 1-0 up at Fulham.
09min: James Milner now brings down Ashley Young although replays suggest it was a little theatrical. Young with the free-kick...
10min: It's fired in dangerously but headed away well by Kompany.
12min: Still all United, apart from that early venture near United's box from Aguero the Blues have hardly been near the home side's box.
13min: Smalling brings down the so far unnoticed Balotelli. City need to get some more of the ball, United currently have around 70% possession.
15min: Silva manages to dance and bulldoze his way through the United defence before the ball eventually falls to Yaya Toure, but his shot is blocked. City have a corner...
18min: The visitors are starting to edge their way back into this, having a little more of the ball. United still look the more likely to break the deadlock though.
19min: United fans scream for a penalty as Kompany wins the ball well from Rooney.
20min: The camera pans to Balotelli cutting an unsurprisingly frustrated face. Few fireworks from him so far.
22min: GOAL! City 1-0 BALOTELLI
22min: Well I'm eating my words then. James Milner is fed by Silva and then provides a cut-back for the Italian whose precise finish finds the bottom corner. He reveals a t-shirt saying "why always me?"
24min: City suddenly look threatening after the goal, Aguero's cross evading the head of Balotelli.
26min: Richards brilliantly intercepts Evra's through ball before surging into the United half and then having a rush of blood to the head by attempting a shot from around 50 yards.
28min: Funny how goals changes games. United suddenly look the away side.
29min: Gervinho puts the Gunners 1-0 against Stoke at the Emirates.
32min: Young's corner finds its way to Anderson on the edge of the box; his fierce shot goes straight at Hart.
35min: Silva's free-kick sails straight over De Gea as Peter Crouch equalises for Stoke.
37min: Here come Fergie's men, trying to end the half on a high, Rooney this time stinging Hart's palms.
38min: City have a free-kick around 25-30 yards out. Balotelli looks interested, but he nails his effort into the wall.
40min: Jonny Evans with a true defender's finish from Rooney's cut back, swing and a miss from the Irish centre-back.
40min: Aguero and Milner exchange clever passes before the Argentine's close-range effort is blocked. At the other end, Kompany is cautioned for a challenge on Welbeck.
44min: City will be delighted with this first-half display if they can hold out for a couple more minutes.
45min: The fourth official indicates one minute of added time.
HALF-TIME: Mark Clattenburg blows his whistle and its Mario Balotelli's strike midway through the half that separates the two sides. Other half-time scores are Arsenal 1-1 Stoke & Fulham 0-1 Everton.
Second-half underway: No changes for either side at the break. Can United pull this back or will it be City stretching their lead at the top of the league to five points?
47min: RED CARD JONNY EVANS
47min: Balotelli gets in behind the Irishman who tugs back the striker, Clattenburg had no choice as Evans was the last man. Free-kick right on the edge...
48min: Balotelli disappointly smashes it straight into the wall.
50min: Is there any way back for United now? City have certainly looked more dangerous since the opening 20 and now with the man advantage will they push on and get more.
51min: Mark Clattenburg makes a peculiar hand-warming gesture after Micah Richards appeals for a penalty under the challenge of Anderson. There was definitely contact.
54min: Richards certainly getting himself involved here. The City right-back fires a left foot effort over the bar from inside the box. United need something.
54min: And right on cue Ashley Young has a chance to equalise, somewhat scuffing Darren Fletcher's cutback.
56min: The noise levels at the Stretford End increase as first Evra then Young threaten down the United left.
59min: Richards really putting in a man-of-the-match performance down City's right. Evra brings him down this time near the touchline.
60min: GOAL! 2-0 City BALOTELLI AGAIN!
60min: It's another well-worked goal from the league leaders. Silva and Milner outwit the United defence inside the box before the Englishman fizzes a cutback to give Balotelli the easiest of finishes at the back-post.
64min: Javier Hernandez and Phil Jones about to come on for United as City win another corner.
65min: City could run riot here. Chris Smalling prevents Mario Balotelli grabbing his hat-trick.
66min: Jones replaces Anderson while Chicarito takes Nani's place.
67min: Evra receives a booking for a nasty looking challenge on Barry as Bryan Ruiz scores his first goal for Fulham at Craven Cottage to pull the home side level.
69min: GOAL! City 3-0 AGUERO!
69min: City are tearing United apart here. The excellent Richards finds space on the right before finding Aguero for another easy tap-in.
70min: So close to four as Edin Dzeko, who has just replaced Balotelli, fires a left foot shot just wide.
74min: This time it's Silva who wastes the chance to score a fourth. His pass deflects high in the air, dropping around the six-yard box but the Spanish international blazes over.
76min: Samir Nasri replaces Aguero as Van Persie scores again to restore Arsenal's lead against Stoke.
77min: Will City make it four today? Another chance goes begging as Dzeko's shot is well saved by De Gea after a surging run from his own half by the tireless Silva.
79min: Smalling gets a booking for for bringing down Dzeko. United look disconsolate.
81min: GOAL! United 3-1 FLETCHER!
81min: They may have been completely outplayed but Fletcher has just scored by far the best goal of the game. The Scot plays a quick one-two with Chicarito before curling an excellent effort past Hart. They couldn't, could they?
83min: Welbeck enters Clattenburg's book for a challenge on Richards. He'll have a few war wounds. Van Persie's just scored again for Arsenal.
87min: Micah Richards is deservedly announced as the man-of-the-match.
88min: City have done well to stop any potential United comeback. Yaya goes close for the visitors again, shooting just wide of De Gea's right upright.
89min: GOAL! City 4-1 DZEKO!
89min: Substitute Dzeko completes this stunning result. Silva's corner is headed down by Barry before Lescott pulls it back to the Bosnian.
90min: GOAL! City 5-1 SILVA!
90min: Wow. This will go down as one of the great Manchester City results. Silva runs clear of the United defence before cooly slotting past De Gea.
90min: Should've been six. Sliva lays in Dzeko who blazes high over the bar. Louis Saha looks to have scored a last-minute winner for Everton at the Cottage and Van der Vaart has put Spurs ahead in the 3 o'clock kick-off at Blackburn.
90min: GOAL! City 6-1 DZEKO!
90min: If I said wow before, what do you say now? Silva volleys a long ball up to Dzeko, whose left foot effort evades De Gea. Amazing scenes at Old Trafford.
FULL-TIME: Clattenburg puts an end to United's misery. City go top of the league by five points but I've got a feeling the league position will seem insignificant compared to the result. Surely one of the greatest days in City's recent history. United 1-6 City.
90min: Late goals galore as Jack Rodwell makes it 3-1 to Everton against Fulham. Arsenal also win 3-1 at home to Stoke thanks to their talisman Van Persie.
