Manchester rivals draw 0-0 in derby lacking attacking edge

MANCHESTER, England (AP) - The Manchester rivals provided a telling demonstration of how heavy spending does not always translate into glory on Sunday as United and City managed just a single shot on target each in their 0-0 Premier League draw.

It took until the 82nd minute of the 170th Manchester derby for Jesus Navas to curl a shot at United goalkeeper David De Gea at Old Trafford. And Joe Hart only made his first save six minutes later when the City goalkeeper stretched to tip Chris Smalling's shot wide, just after Jesse Lingard hit the crossbar.

Competing domestically on television with one of the NFL's London games, there was a lack of quality and intensity too often from the rivals whose squads are estimated to have cost more than $1.2 billion combined to assemble.

City still returned to top spot, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference, with United two points back in fourth.

For this most tribal of footballing rivalries, there was not a single Manchester-born player in either lineup as the neighbors produced their first goalless stalemate in five years.

Such all-round mediocrity for once took the heat off Wayne Rooney, who was largely anonymous a day after his 30th birthday.

Few doubt the striker's commitment. After a clash of heads in the first half with City captain Vincent Kompany, staples were applied to stem the flow of blood and the striker returned to action.

Rooney's day was summed up by wayward passes and a lack of goal threat that has come to define his game in the twilight of his career.

City's forwards were no better, with Yaya Toure the closest any visiting player came to scoring before the break. The midfielder headed over and scooped a shot wide with a first-time connection from Kevin de Bruyne's cross.

Not until the start of the second half did United look like it could breach Hart's goal, although Smalling's header from a corner floated wide.

The chants of "attack, attack, attack" seemed more in desperation than expectation.

Only in the last ten minutes did either side show the desire required to collect all three points. But it was too late in this poor advert for the world's richest soccer competition from two of its wealthiest teams.