Evening all - it's the big one! In fact, it's the match that a lot of people have been waiting for all weekend - the Manchester derby. It's also the country's top two teams. What more could you want on a Monday night?

Who would have thought at the start of the season that there would be very little riding on the outcome of this fixture when it came around? Don't lie! Nobody did! However, the truth is that in terms of the title, the result should have little bearing. 15 points is a massive lead to have at this stage of the campaign and it would take a miracle for City to overhaul that.

Not that it will lessen their desire to win today because there is no way that they will want to give United the bragging rights as well as the title. Roberto Mancini's men also have an FA Cup semi-final this weekend against Chelsea so a victory here would no doubt give them a lot of confidence ahead of that encounter.

There is no team news from Old Trafford yet - that may not be with us for another 20 minutes or so. However, early reports have suggested that Wayne Rooney will return from a groin problem for Man United. However, don't be surprised if he is only among the substitutes. After all, who expected him to be dropped for the Real Madrid match last month?

From a City point of view, they will almost certainly have skipper Vincent Kompany back from injury. However, who will play alongside the Belgian? Speculation earlier today claimed that Mancini would make a decision between Joleon Lescott and Matija Nastasic prior to a team meeting.

While we wait for the team news, let's take a look back at the meeting between the two rivals earlier in the season. A Wayne Rooney double put United in the lead, but that was cancelled out by strikes from Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta. Then, with seconds left, Robin van Persie stood over a free kick 25 yards from goal and everybody remembers the rest!

But just incase you were living underground last December, here's video highlights of the clash at the Etihad Stadium. Listen out for a rather excitable commentator!

Just to show that we are very fair here at Sports Mole, here is a video for all you City fans. This is what happened at Old Trafford last season:

Right, the team news is just beginning to filter through. Let's start with the visitors...

MAN CITY XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy; Barry, Yaya Toure, Milner, Silva, Nasri; Tevez

So, it's Nastasic that gets the nod at centre-back alongside Kompany. Elsewhere, former Man United player Carlos Tevez will start as a lone striker, with Sergio Aguero not included in the starting lineup. Samir Nasri and Gareth Barry are also named in the midfield.

MAN UNITED XI: De Gea; Rafael, Vidic, Smalling, Evra; Welbeck, Carrick, Jones, Giggs; Rooney, Van Persie

Good news for United fans - Rooney has recovered from a groin injury and starts up front alongside Van Persie. What is surprising about that home lineup is the absence of Rio Ferdinand. It was meant to be Nemanja Vidic that was struggling, but he starts at centre-back with Chris Smalling. Whether Ferdinand is injured or dropped will no doubt come clear between now and the start of this match.

TEAM CORRECTION: Ignore those last couple of posts because Ferdinand does start for United and as expected Vidic misses out with a calf problem. There is also no Smalling, with Phil Jones dropping into the defence. Seems as though there has been some crossed wires at Old Trafford so in the next post will be the confirmed United lineup.

MAN UNITED XI: De Gea; Rafael, Ferdinand, Jones, Evra; Young, Carrick, Giggs, Welbeck; Rooney, Van Persie

And while we are here, who has made the respective benches.

MAN UNITED: Lindegaard, Valencia, Hernandez, Nani, Cleverley, Kagawa, Buttner

MAN CITY: Pantilimon, Lescott, Dzeko, Kolarov, Garcia, Aguero, Kolo Toure

This may well sound obvious, but the return of Rooney should be a big boost for United this evening. There may be concerns over his fitness level at times, but his quality and ability to win a match is there for all to see. It's no coincidence that of United's three cup exits this season, Rooney has not started any of those matches.

He also loves finding the net in a Manchester derby. In the last 10 meetings between the rivals, he has scored fives goal, including this one:

Talking of strikers, the decision not to start Sergio Aguero was somewhat of a surprise. He has been injured lately, but had been tipped to return for this one. However, Mancini has just been explaining the Argentine's omission to Sky Sports News:

"He is not 100% fit. He's ready to play but not 90 minutes. Maybe he can play 45 minutes."

Someone that is concerned about Mancini's entire lineup and not just the absence of Aguero is Danny Mills, who is working for BBC Sport this evening. Here is some of what the former Man City and England full-back has just said:

"Manchester City look quite defensive, will Yaya Toure play behind Tevez or in midfield? It looks like a conservative line up, United look like they are going to go for it. I fear for City, if they go behind, how will they respond, especially after everything Roberto Mancini has said about his players?"

Where United are concerned, the inclusion of Jones as a centre-back has raised a few eyebrows. He's not played in that position very often since he joined from Blackburn Rovers in 2011. Having said that, Sir Alex Ferguson was left with little choice thanks to injuries to Vidic, Smalling and Jonny Evans. The manager, though, is not concerned.

"I've got no issues about that - he's an outstanding footballer. He's got the experience of Rio Ferdinand alongside him," he just told Sky Sports News.

Another United player who has been the subject of much talk recently is Van Persie. He has an impressive return of 23 goals from 40 outings this season - but none of those have come in the last nine matches. That equates to his worst goalscoring form in two years. Nevertheless, his goals are a large reason why United find themselves on the verge of winning the title. How different could things have been had he joined City instead of United?

Right, with 15 minutes left until this one gets started, let's have a look at a few statistics shall we? Why not...

The two sides have met at Old Trafford on 77 occasions in all competitions. United have won 36 of those, while City have triumphed 16 times. The remaining 25 encounters have ended in draws. The Red Devils have hit 126 goals, while the visitors have contributed an impressive 96 goals.

What makes this short trip look even more difficult for City is the fact that only one team (Tottenham Hotspur) have left Old Trafford with three points this season. The other 14 visitors have all been sent packing with nothing to show for their efforts. Meanwhile, City's away form has stuttered. They've won seven, drawn five and lost three times. That's pretty much why they find themselves so far behind their hosts.

Right the players - and Patrice Evra's son, who is the mascot tonight - are in the tunnel. Van Persie and Nasri are busying having a chat about there Arsenal days. Almost time for this one to get started.

The handshakes are done and the players are now going through a few final warm-up routines. As expected, there's a cracking atmosphere inside Old Trafford. 'Champions' is the cry from the away faithful - may as well get it in while they can!

GAME ON! United, kicking from left to right, get the Manchester derby off an running...

SAVE! First piece of involvement for City goalkeeper Joe Hart as he gets across to his near post to hold a glanced header from Danny Welbeck. He then instantly sets up an attack for the visitors. 100 mph stuff so far.

Bad decision making from Welbeck just now as he races through into the Man City half. If he squares it for Rooney, the United striker is through on goal. Instead he tries to go beyond Kompany and the City defender gets in a tackle. You won't be surprised to hear that Rooney is not overly pleased with his teammate!

CHANCE! Positive link up play between Rooney and Van Persie ends with the latter using his strength to hold off Pablo Zabaleta. The angle is narrow but he tries to shoot anyway, only succeeding in dragging a low effort just wide of Hart's post. The wait for a goal continues.

It's been a really pacey start to this encounter. Both sides have seemingly decided that attack is the best form of defence, which is making for some real dangerous moments. United have perhaps been the brighter, but City are beginning to see more and more of the ball.

Things have settled down a little now, which isn't surprising. The players couldn't have kept going like that. We've seen City come into the match a lot more over the last few minutes. The likes of David Silva and Tevez in particular are showing some good footwork in key areas.

But for some fantastic defending by Jones, visiting City would be in front. Silva gets away from Rafael at the back post and slides the ball along the face of the goal. It looks as though Tevez is going to have a simple tap-in, but Jones has other ideas and slides in to clear the danger. City are now looking the more likely to score.

CHANCE! Nasri is not overly popular with some City fans and he has done nothing to enhance his standing with that shot. The ball drops to him after Ryan Giggs blocked Silva's cross, but from 10 yards out, he sends an effort horribly wide of the target. He should have made David de Gea work from there.

BOOKING! Silva's best Diego Maradona impression has just seen him receive a deserved yellow card. Zabaleta floats over a cross from the right, which the Spanish attacker attempts to divert goalwards with his left hand. He tries to protest his innocence, but Mike Dean is having none of it and issues a caution.

BOOKING! It's now one apiece where yellow cards are concerned. It's Rooney's seventh of the season and a needless one as well. For no particular reason he slides in late on England teammate James Milner on the touchline and is rightly cautioned.

A stat from Opta on Twitter: "7 - After picking up only one PL yellow card in the whole of 2011-12, Wayne Rooney now has seven in 2012-13. Revert."

A potentially dangerous moment for Man United is wasted by Ashley Young, who has been poor in possession so far tonight. Rooney collects the ball on the edge of his own box and motors forward, before releasing Young. The winger beats Zabaleta with a trick, but his cross is lacking in accuracy and is easily cleared.

BOOKING! "He jumped" says Kompany as Young goes down under his sliding challenge. Well he had little choice Vinny because if he hadn't he could have suffered an injury from your late tackle. The City skipper is booked, which further annoys him.

OFF THE POST! Nearly a great end to the half for United as Van Persie flicks Michael Carrick's lofted pass into the path of Rafael. The Brazilian hooks an effort from 10 yards out goalwards, but the ball hits the outside of the upright and goes out of play. Meanwhile, we will have one minute of stoppage time.

The half-time whistle is blown and City are not happy with Mike Dean. He calls time on the half just as Gael Clichy is crossing from a dangerous area out on the left. They feel that they should have been allowed to continue to attack and in ways you can understand their frustration. Still, it's a goalless 45 minutes at Old Trafford.

It was a half that promised much from a United point of view, particularly when you consider how well they started. They came out of the traps like a greyhound, but as the match went on, the wind seemed to be knocked out of their sails.

To be fair to City, they deserve a lot of credit for that. Since around the 20-minute mark, they've dominated the possession and have been comfortable on the ball. While they haven't had any clear cut goalscoring opportunities, they've been in dangerous positions on numerous occasions.

Looking at the way that the half went, it's doubtful that either manager will be in a rush to change their teams. United boss Ferguson will no doubt demand a bit more urgency and care when they get hold of the ball, while his opposite number Mancini will be eager for his side to create more chances from all their possession. It's delicately poised.

Here is another stat from Opta which highlights how that half went: "43 - Yaya Toure made 43 passes in the first half, 19 more than any Manchester United player did (Carrick 24). Involved."

Here we go then - City get the second half started with United now attacking the famous Stretford End.

Early shout for a United penalty as Welbeck hits the deck after his run is blocked off by Gareth Barry. Mike Dean waves play on and rightly so. After all, the City midfielder had no time to get out of the way.

It's not often Giggs makes mistakes, but he has made a costly one here. He tries an ambitious path inside his own half that Barry cuts out. The midfielder pulls the ball back for Tevez, whose route to goal is blocked. The ball then drops to Milner and the England international beats De Gea with a drilled shot from the edge of the box that deflects off a sliding Jones. Game on at Old Trafford.

You have to say that on the balance of play City deserve to be in front. They've had more of the ball and have posed a greater threat. The goal has prompted a reaction from the home faithful, who are attempting to rally their team. They are yet to respond, but you'd have to imagine that it will come sooner rather than later.

Bang! There is the reaction. It's a wicked free kick from Van Persie on the right which leaves Hart grasping at thin air. Jones is waiting on the line, but instead of scoring, he heads the ball across goal. Thankfully for United, his effort hits Kompany on the back and trickles over the line. The noise level has just gone up a few decibels. We have a game on our hands!

Some words from Danny Mills over on BBC Sport: "It was an absolutely glorious free kick, whipped with tremendous pace. It came off Kompany in the end, it has to go down as an own goal. That was all about the quality of the free kick, absolutely fantastic from Van Persie."

The United equaliser has prompted Mancini to send Aguero out to get warm. It's a decision that is approved by the City fans, who give the striker a positive reception. Whether he replaces Tevez or partners him remains to be seen.

SUBSTITUTION: And here comes that man Aguero. He will indeed play up alongside Tevez as it is Nasri that exits the action. It was another below-par performance from the French midfielder and worryingly for United, they have another striker to deal with.

SAVE! The goal has given United a new lease of life. They are in the ascendancy now and it's Young who has just tried his luck from distance. It ends up being a routine stop for Hart, but it's a sign that the home team are trying to win this encounter. As are City, who immediately push forward and see a shot from Yaya Toure blocked by Rafael.

Boy are City trying to win this! Aguero broke Man United hearts last season and he has just drove another dagger in. The Argentine has virtually run the length of the United box before thrashing the ball into the roof of the net, leaving De Gea no chance. Great impact from the substitute and United need to respond again.

SUBSTITUTION: Ferguson reacts to the goal by bringing off an ineffective Welbeck, who is replaced by winger Antonio Valencia. A penny for Javier Hernandez's thoughts right now. He's a clinical striker, United need a goal and yet he remains on the bench.

The first sign of handbags as Zabaleta and Young square up following a challenge. It's quickly stamped out by their teammates, who get between the pair. Now, now children!

BOOKING! It's a yellow card for Tevez, who goes in late on Jones. It's a deserved caution for the City striker because he made no effort to get out of the way.

SUBSTITUTION: Here is Hernandez, who has been given just a few minutes to find his clinical touch. It's Rooney who has come off - the England striker looked a little rusty it has to be said.

BOOKING! Now it's kicking off! The likes of Giggs, Jones, Ferdinand, Aguero and Barry are all involved. It's all to do with United's refusal to kick the ball out of play when Silva was on the ground injured. To be fair to the home team, they were on the attack and the City midfielder was down in their half. The only one to be cautioned is Barry, while Silva limps off and is replaced by Lescott.

United have four minutes of stoppage time to rescue a point from this encounter.

SUBSTITUTION: A late, late change for United as Shinji Kagawa comes on in place of Young, who has picked up a knock.

SUBSTITUTION: Final switch for the away side as Tevez leaves the field of play to a chorus of jeers. He is replaced by Javi Garcia as City look to see out the remaining 60 seconds.

United have a corner. It's now or never...

Never is the answer to that previous post! City hold on and they are not going to simply give the title away. It probably won't change the destination of the title, but the visitors will be delighted nonetheless. United on the other hand will be bitterly disappointed because they had a real chance to end it once and for all tonight.

That's all we have time for from Old Trafford. Thanks for joining us this evening and be sure to look out for our analysis of the action, which will be on the site shortly. Until next time, goodbye.