Manchester City have picked up a record-equalling 14th Premier League victory in a row by edging out rivals Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford this afternoon.
The Citizens were pegged back at the end of a first half that they dominated, with Marcus Rashford cancelling out David Silva's opener, but Nicolas Otamendi found a key winner for the Citizens 54 minutes in.
Victory lifts City 11 point clear of their opponents at the top of the league table, while also putting them level with Arsenal's record of 14 successive wins set between February and August 2002.
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Something had to give at the Theatre of Dreams, as a side boasting a perfect home record - and without a defeat here in 40 games - welcomed one boasting perfect away form in 2017-18.
Jose Mourinho brought in Rashford for Victor Lindelof and deployed a four-man backline, while Ander Herrera was tasked with filling in for the suspended Paul Pogba.
The Portuguese, as predicted by many pre-match, asked his two deep midfielders to man-mark City's creative duo Kevin De Bruyne and Silva, who boasted 16 league assists between them heading into this clash.
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The tactics deployed by Mourinho did not work all that well for 45 minutes or so, however, as City's free players were given acres of space to operate in and they slowly turned possession - 75% of it in the first half - into presentable opportunities.
Gabriel Jesus, preferred to the benched Sergio Aguero, tested David de Gea down low 15 minutes in and did likewise soon after once gliding past Marcos Rojo.
There was also half a chance for Silva, whose angled shot deflected into the hands of his compatriot, but the Citizens finally had something to show for their dominance shortly before the break.
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After De Gea brilliantly tipped Leroy Sane's bullet shot over the crossbar, United fell asleep at the corner and Silva was there to sweep the ball home from close range.
United had failed to muster a single shooting chance up until that point, though they responded well to the setback as Anthony Martial got an effort in and Rashford then converted from his side's first big chance.
A cross into the box was missed by both Otamendi and Fabian Delph, allowing Rashford to slot home an equaliser against the run of play in first-half stoppage time.
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Both managers were forced into making a change for the second half, with Rojo and Vincent Kompany replaced by Lindelof and Ilkay Gundogan respectively - Fernandinho temporarily slotting into the City backline.
Following a more evenly-matched start to the second period, it was the visitors who snatched the vital third goal of the game in almost identical circumstances to their first.
Lukaku thrashed at the ball when defending a set piece, hitting it straight into a teammate and gifting Otamendi the chance to make it two goals in two league games with a close-range volley via the rebound.
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The big Belgian looked to make amends by creating a shooting chance just past the hour, which ended with the ball flying high into the Stretford End.
Eliaquim Mangala's introduction in place of Jesus signalled Pep Guardiola's intent to hold on to the one-goal lead, going with no recognised striker for the remainder.
De Gea, beaten just once on home soil prior to this match, was at full stretch to push aside a De Bruyne drive as the pacesetters looked to hold on for an eighth win in 13 Manchester derbies.
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As the game entered the final 10 minutes another Delph error, again letting the ball sneak through for Rashford, was this time thwarted by Ederson in the City goal.
With time nearly up Mourinho threw on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the all-out attack looked as though it may have paid off when Herrera went to ground under a challenge from Otamendi, only for replays to prove referee Michael Oliver right in penalising the midfielder for a dive.
Late chances would arrive, though, as Lukaku was denied from six yards and substitute Juan Mata from even closer range in a big double save from Ederson.
Despite their best efforts, the Red Devils could not create any more chances, with the final opportunity of the game being squandered by Bernardo Silva in added time with only De Gea to beat.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Rojo (Lindelof 46'), Smalling, Valencia, Young; Herrera (Mata 82'), Matic; Lingard (Ibrahimovic 76'), Rashford, Martial; Lukaku
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Kompany (Gundogan 46'), Delph; Fernandinho, D.Silva, De Bruyne; Sterling, Jesus (Mangala 59'), Sane (B.Silva 88')
Daniel Lewis
