SCHOLES SCORES IN STOPPAGE TIME AS MANCHESTER UNITED TOPS MANCHESTER CITY

What looked  for most of the game like a lost opportunity for Manchester United to keep pace with English Premier League leading Chelsea turned into an amazing victory as Paul Scholes scored near the end of stoppage time to break a scoreless deadlock and give his team a 1-0 victory over Manchester City.  Combined with Chelsea’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur later in the day, the win pulled Manchester United to within a single point of the Premiership lead.

Soccer betting enthusiasts who backed Manchester United as a +120 road choice had all but resigned themselves to defeat before Scholes’ winning goal handed them the victory.  Manchester City had been priced at +180, with the odds on the game ending in a draw priced at +250.  The single goal went well UNDER the posted total of 2’.  This was the fourth meeting of the year between the two neighboring teams, with the previous three games producing an average of 5 goals per contest.

There were just 17 seconds left in the three minutes of added time when a defensive breakdown in front of the Manchester City net left Scholes wide open, and he expertly headed home Patrice Evra’s crossing pass from 10 yards out.  Scholes’ heroics game just one day after he’d signed a one year contract extension to remain at Old Trafford, and the goal was his 149th in a Manchester United uniform.
 
After the game, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that Scholes had single handedly kept his team’s Premiership title hopes alive:

''It would have been very, very difficult if we had not won. I think we deserved to win the match, no question, but I couldn't see a goal coming. 'I decided to put Scholes a bit further forward and it paid off. He was man of the match today, he was wonderful, he's such a skilful player.''

Man U finished with more scoring chances than their hosts, but none were particularly threatening until Scholes’ game winner.  Wayne Rooney started the contest but appeared out of sync and was replaced in the second half by Dimitar Berbatov.
 
Manchester City team manager Roberto Mancini is rumored to be on the hot seat, with Inter Milan manager and former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho mentioned as a possible replacement.  He was none too happy with the result of this edition of the Manchester Derby:

''That's football, it's incredible, but for us it doesn't change anything, we have another four games. We are very disappointed to lose and I'm very angry but always positive. We had some chances and we didn't deserve to lose but that's football. 'We played a good game but it was difficult for us and United, and when Scholes scored in the last few seconds it was unlucky. This doesn't change the situation for fourth place - the crucial match will be against Tottenham here.''

Ironically, Manchester United could help their crosstown rivals hold on to fourth place in the standings as they host Tottenham Hotspur next Saturday.  Manchester City will head to Emirates Stadium to face a slumping Arsenal team before finishing the season with home games against Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.