Carlos Tevez scores two to sink his old club in Cup

Manchester City 2 Manchester United 1. The last time Manchester City won a major trophy Harold Wilson was prime minister, Brotherhood of Man were top of the charts and it was the hottest summer on record. Thirty-four years on from their 1976 League Cup triumph (a 2-1 victory over Newcastle), City have one foot in the 2010 Carling Cup Final after defeating Manchester United 2-1 in the first leg of the semi-final.

City must now travel across Manchester to Old Trafford on January 27 for the return match, arguably the most important game in the City's history since their 1981 FA Cup Final appearance against Tottenham Hotspur, a game they lost.
 
Manchester City owe their slender advantage to Carlos Tevez, whose brace of goals against his former club at Eastlands overhauled Ryan Giggs's strike on 18 minutes. The heroics of Tevez delighted the City faithful – the "noisy neighbours" as United boss Alex Ferguson had dubbed them in the pre-match banter - but those same fans are likely to face an FA probe after United defender Patrice Evra was hit by a cigarette lighter as he took a corner in the second-half.

And some of the players' conduct was hardly more edifying, notably a spat between Tevez and Gary Neville after the former had taunted the United bench following his first goal. Cupping his hand to his ear, Tevez appeared to be asking Neville to repeat his claims to the press that he wasn't good value for money. The England defender for his part seemed to respond with a one-fingered salute, a gesture that might land him in hot water with the FA.

Before kick-off the City supporters were introduced to the club's legendary 1969/70 team, winners of the European Cup Winners Cup, but it was a United legend who scored the opening goal. Antonio Valencia danced past Craig Bellamy on the right flank before a low cross to the far post was met by Wayne Rooney. His shot was parried by City keeper Shay Given but Ryan Giggs was on hand to tap in the rebound, his first goal against his Manchester neighbours since 1996.
 
City's controversial equaliser came three minutes before half-time when Rafael da Silva impeded Craig Bellamy. It was a foul, no doubt, but the initial contact appeared to be made outside the United penalty area. But referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot and Tevez smashed the ball past Edwin Van der Sar to send the City fans wild.

Giggs, hoping to appear in his seventh League Cup Final for United, came close to a second goal on the hour mark but his header was well dealt with by Given, and instead it was Tevez who bagged a brace on 65 minutes when he headed Vincent Kompany's cross into the visitors' goal.
 
There were further chances at either end in the closing stages, Shaun Wright-Phillips forcing a good save from Van der Sar and substitute Michael Owen – who looked threatening in his brief 18-minute cameo – having a shot cleared off the City line by Nedum Onuoha.

City boss Roberto Mancini was full of praise for Tevez afterwards, saying: "Is there a better striker in Europe at the moment? I don't know this, but I think he is a top player. We are just happy because Carlos now plays for us, but Manchester United have some big players. I'm very happy for Carlos because he is an ex-United player."

Alex Ferguson was surprisingly restrained when asked what he thought of the penalty decision, merely replying that, "I'm not getting into the penalty. The kind of decision that's gone against us today may go for us another day. For most of the game we were in control, but the mad two minutes before half-time brought them back into the game - after that we dominated."

The City crowd had mocked the United manager as Tevez celebrated his second goal, singing "Fergie, Fergie, sign him up", and Ferguson suggested the atmosphere in the return leg next week will be white hot. "It will be a Man United crowd at Old Trafford and with the occasion and what is at stake, we will be OK." ·