Derby day delight for City

Geovanni: Goal hero

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Teams

• Manchester City
• Manchester United

Players

• Geovanni

Also see

• Man City reaction
• Man Utd reaction

Manchester City took the derby day spoils with a 1-0 victory over rivals Manchester United at Eastlands.

Geovanni's first-half strike against the run of play was the difference between the two sides as Sven Goran Eriksson got the better of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Brazilian scored just past the half-hour mark with only City's second shot of the game, as he fired past Edwin van der Sar from 25 yards.

United had the better of the possession throughout the match but were unable to convert their dominance into a goal past Kasper Schmeichel, who is still to concede this season.

Top of the league

City sit top of the Premier League on maximum points after three games, but United remain winless with just two draws to start their title defence.

Geovanni was City's matchwinner, but the real hero of the day was Micah Richards, who barely put a foot wrong, in what was an immaculate display.

There was no evidence of United's poor start having any effect on their confidence in the opening stages, as they proceeded to tear City apart.

With Owen Hargreaves back after injury and anchoring the visitors' midfield, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick were given licence to roam and the amount of space they found was nearly to City's cost early on.

Nani twice tested the reflexes of Schmeichel, initially with a rasping near-post effort which he kept out with his legs, then with a first-time shot after Scholes flicked a pass into his path.

Twice Richards brushed Carlos Tevez aside in a one-on-one foot race for possession and it was his tackle which launched the move which eventually saw City seize the initiative.

In the entire first 45 minutes there was virtually nothing to worry Ferguson but as the veteran Scot is only too aware, a failure to make superiority count can prove very costly indeed.

And his heart must have sank as his defenders stood off Geovanni when the midfielder collected a short pass from fellow countryman Elano 30 yards out.

Vidic made a belated attempt to close the midfielder down but turned his back on the shot, which flicked off his legs and flew past Van der Sar.

Immaculate display

If anything, Richards' first-half efforts threatened to be eclipsed by what he produced in the second.

As Giggs drilled in a low cross from the left, either Scholes or Tevez seemed certain to score, yet the teenager somehow muscled his way between them and cleared magnificently.

It was turning into the most one-sided defeat imaginable, as Chris Eagles' introduction for Nani only increased United's attacking momentum.

Ferguson's final gamble 17 minutes from time saw him hand Huddersfield-born striker Fraizer Campbell his debut. It did not reap dividends.

There was just one last chance at salvation as John O'Shea swung over an injury-time corner. A yard out, on his own at the far post, Tevez seemed destined to score.

Ferguson was already celebrating when the striker's header went wide. It was that type of afternoon for United.