Manchester City vs. Manchester United: 9 Talking Points from the Match

Manchester United narrowly defeated Manchester City 3-2 in the third round of the FA Cup today, in a match filled with thrills and spills from start to finish.

The Manchester derby is often an entertaining affair, and this one was no different.

Let's take a look at some of the major talking points from the game.

Was It or Wasn't It a Red Card?

Let's kick off with the most obvious talking point of today's game: the Vincent Kompany red card.

The real issue of this sending off is the letter of the law versus common sense.

The letter of the law side of this argument says that Kompany had both of his feet off of the floor and 12 studs raised, immediately meaning that he was being reckless and could have caused Nani a serious amount of damage had Nani not jumped to avoid the tackle.

The common sense side of the argument says that Nani did jump to avoid it, which meant that it was a good tackle. Nani didn't react and chased the ball, so obviously he saw nothing wrong with the tackle. Despite being two-footed, the tackle itself was very well timed, and the commentators did point out that it's not always easy to keep both of your feet on the ground when throwing yourself into a tackle.

The red card was obviously the result of what Chris Foy saw as malicious intent, and let's face it, referees have a difficult job. We can criticise them all we want after we have seen four or five replays, but they have to make a decision based on what they have seen in that particular split second. Obviously, Foy thought that Kompany was acting recklessly.

The card arguably changed the game, and City will undoubtedly be appealing to the FA to have the decision reversed.

Let me leave you on this matter with a quote taken from Twitter, from Marcus Speller (presenter of the Football Ramble):

"

Kompany probably deserved a yellow more than a red but the point remains - why is a world class defender going in two footed? Crazy behaviour.

"

Is Scholes' Return to Football Really Going to Work Out?

Paul Scholes made his return to Man United today, but is this going to be the best thing for both the club and the player?

To start with, Scholes looked a little wooden on the ball. For the majority of his time on the pitch he stuck to safety-first passing, instead of playing the killer balls we all grew to know him for. Unfortunately, his return could be remembered for an error which led to Sergio Aguero's goal and brought Man City back into the game.

This mistake aside, in the 40 minutes Scholes played he racked up 71 passes, more than any City player in 90 minutes. Of these 71 passes, he had a pass success rate of 97%.

Scholes has been training with the reserve team since his retirement, so there aren't too many qualms over his fitness. However, there is a significant difference between playing against EPL opposition and playing against reserve team players in training.

Will Scholes be a deciding factor in United's race for the title? I guess only time will tell.

Did Lindegaard Put in a Performance Worthy of Being United Number One?

The big question before kickoff was whether SAF was going to go with Lindegaard or De Gea as his starting keeper.

Fergie plumped for Lindegaard, and he put in an arguably good performance, including one particular save from Sergio Aguero.

Lindegaard was not at fault for either of the goals, the first being the unstoppable free kick and the second being Scholes' fault.

Was the performance enough to keep DDG on the bench for now? Or will Linde just be playing in the cup matches from now on?

Is Wayne Rooney Back on Form?

Following his recent bout of bad luck with the press, Wayne Rooney seemed to be back of top of his game against Man City, netting two headers.

Rooney kissing the United badge on his shirt was also an obvious hint that he is going to stay loyal to the club, regardless of what the papers are saying.

But the main question is whether Rooney will take this performance forward and turn it into some decent form. As most United fans know, Rooney is not a consistent goalscorer like, say, Robin Van Persie, but instead he is a player who enjoys spells of good form where he scores a lot. This season is a perfect example, and it will be interesting to see if he will continue to grab goals in the coming games against Bolton, Arsenal and Stoke.

Will Rooney be at United come February? Definitely, and he'll no doubt be at United for many years to come.

Is This Loss a Blessing in Disguise for City?

It was clear that City's priority for this season was to win the EPL, so you have to wonder whether getting knocked out of this competition will actually improve their chances of lifting the Premiership trophy in May.

Of course, it is every club's goal to win as many trophies and medals as possible, but getting knocked out of this competition means that they have five or six less games to play this season, which could prove crucial.

Yes, they were the reigning champions, but there are bigger issues at hand for the Citizens.

Antonio Valencia: Key Player or Handy Back-Up Man?

Antonio Valencia turned in another stellar performance today for United and was a consistent attacking threat to the City defence.

He seemed eager to prove his worth in his favoured position of right winger, rather than the right back role he has recently been covering for the injured Rafael.

He caused Aleksander Kolarov quite a few problems and was not afraid to take the ball up the byline or cut inside to beat his man. He made two key crosses: one for Wayne Rooney's opening goal, and another that Danny Welbeck so nearly put in the back of the net.

So when Ashley Young returns to the squad, there may be some real competition for first team places, with Young, Valencia and Nani all vying for the two spots. Will Valencia return to the bench upon Young's return, or will Young and Nani be fighting for the second place on the wing?

Welbeck and Richards: Is Capello Watching?

With the European Championships fast approaching, it won't be long before Fabio Capello has to name his preliminary squad.

Two particular England stars put in good performances today that could catch the eye of the England manager.

Danny Welbeck, for starters, got his name on the score sheet with an impressive volley which put United 2-0 up. Welbeck really took to his role as lone striker and showed a lot of enthusiasm towards the game. The striker looked extremely frustrated when SAF subbed him off for Anderson.

Micah Richards also had a good game, really limiting Nani on the edge of the box, but also throwing himself forward during attacking movements when City were on for a comeback. Without doubt he was the most passionate and spirited player on the pitch during the game.

Richards has been a big fixture in the City first team this season, but he'll have to continue churning out great performances if he is to displace Glen Johnson from the England right back spot.

Also, how many right backs are there out there who would attempt a bicycle kick in the last ten minutes of a game?

What Caused the Second Half Resurgence? United Complacency or City Spirit

When Man United went in for halftime with the score at 3-0, the game was effectively over. For those of you watching in England you may, like me, have noticed that all the betting adverts were offering quotes for United to win 6-1. It seemed impossible for United to lose a three goal lead to ten men. So how did it nearly happen?

Did Mancini give a Rafa Benitez Champions League Final-esque pep talk to his team? Or did the United players get a little lax and let City in?

Some United fans would argue that, nostalgia aside, Paul Scholes shouldn't have come on in the second half because United needed to keep up their first half pressure. At one point in the second half, the average age of a Man United midfielder was 32.75 years old, and it was obvious that there were tired legs up the centre of the park.

In the second half you would have imagined that it was City who had the extra man, as they seemed to be piling the pressure onto United at every opportunity.

They say football is a game of two halves, and the two halves of this game could not have differed much more.

What Does This Mean for the Title Race?

Had Man United carried their first half dominance into the second half, then you could have argued that they had built some momentum. In fact, it is probably City who have taken the most momentum, as their impressive almost-comeback will no doubt have them rolling into their next games against Wigan, Tottenham and Everton.

Admittedly United took a big scalp today, but they did it by the skin of their teeth. Had Phil Jones' handball/ball-to-hand resulted in a penalty, then we could have witnessed one of the best fight backs in a long time.

If Kompany's red card isn't rescinded, City could be without their captain and star defender until February. Couple this with Kolo Toure being away at the African Cup of Nations, and you realise that Mancini could be a little short at the back for the next couple of weeks, which could lead to City dropping valuable points.

United, despite being three goals up at one point in this match, still look very uneasy and will definitely have something to prove in their next couple of games. On today's performance you'd expect City to be lifting the title in May, but it's not to say that that is by any way set in stone.

It's going to be an exciting couple of months.