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Unstoppable Tevez enjoys special night against old club

LONDON - Carlos Tevez continued his remarkable scoring run on Tuesday with both goals in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Manchester United to set up a mouth-watering second leg of their League Cup semi-final.

Tevez took his tally to 13 goals from his last 11 matches as City edged the first leg of their derby cup-tie at Eastlands against his former club although the holders are confident of bouncing back at Old Trafford next Wednesday.

“That was special for me, the goals were for the City fans,” Tevez told the BBC after a first-half penalty drew his side level and a second-half header won the match.

Ryan Giggs had put United ahead after 17 minutes and although the visitors pulverised the City defence for the last 20 minutes, they could not find an equaliser.

The rivalry between City and United had waned in recent years with the main threat to the Old Trafford club’s dominance of English soccer coming from London sides Arsenal and Chelsea.

However, City’s wealthy Arab owners and the acquisition of leading players like Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Robinho and others has suggested a change in the balance of power.

Tevez has played his part in City’s rejuvenation after leaving United in controversial circumstances at the end of last season with City displaying a huge poster in their Sky Blue colours in the city centre with the message “Welcome to Manchester” under his photo.

Tevez gestures

United manager Alex Ferguson has dismissed City as “noisy neighbours” while club captain Gary Neville said this week they had made the right decision in allowing Tevez to leave.

The Argentine taunted United by making gestures with his hands after his goals as if to say “whose talking now” but Ferguson refused to get involved in any debate about him afterwards.

He also declined to be drawn into a discussion about City’s penalty, controversially awarded by referee Mike Dean when he decided United defender Rafael had tugged Craig Bellamy down in the penalty area. TV replays showed there was no contact.

“I’m not going on about the penalty because everyone could see it for themselves, I don’t even need to talk about it. The decision went against us today, but it might go our way another day,” Ferguson told Sky Sports News.

He also brushed aside Tevez’s gestures towards the United bench.

“We’ve had many players who have left the club and scored against us. It’s not an issue, we are happy with what we have.”

City’s new Italian boss Roberto Mancini, guiding his team to victory in his first Manchester derby as they eye their first Wembley final since 1981, told Sky Sports:

“At Old Trafford we start 2-1 up but we know its going to be a very hard game. We can win, we can draw at Old Trafford, it is possible.”