58 min Le Fondre is furious. He thinks he's won a corner off Evra but the referee awards a goal-kick.
57 min Bicycle kick from Le Fondre is impressively executed but not dangerous enough to bother Lindegaard.
56 min Lindegaard flaps at the corner! It breaks to Morrison who patiently picks a pass to McAnuff. The winger tumbles under a challenge but the ref is having none of it, spotting that the ball was won cleanly, and awards a corner.
55 min Rooney's free-kick hits the wall and Reading storm upfield. Roberts gets into the final third but his ball in towards Le Fondre has too much on it. The Royals regroup and force a corner.
54 min Tabb with a foul on Young to give United a free-kick about 10m outside the Reading box. Rooney to take.
52 min Please correct me if I'm wrong but as it stands I have United as the Premier League leaders and Reading in 19th. Plenty of time for that to change though.
50 min Evans makes a meal of a long ball and Roberts latches onto the bouncing ball. He gets into the box but can't capitalise and United move the ball away from the danger zone.
49 min Van Persie gets to the byline and clips a ball in towards United's most advanced attacker, Darren Fletcher. Reading get it clear before the Scot can try and get a head on it.
47 min Young fails to trap a pass and hands Reading a throw-in. Reading lose the ball but McAnuff recovers it before unleashing a long-range shot on goal. It's high and wide.
46 min One assumes the hairdryer has been deployed. United come out attacking but Rooney can't control and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
18.33 Players back on the field, with Van Persie reminding the referee he should have been awarded a second goal.
18.26 Have a stat:
18.25 "Sloppy defending from United," says Martin Keown. "Absolutely clueless from Tabb," says Craig Burley. "So sloppy. The marking is non-existent," adds Keown.
18.24 Was that a bit ridiculous and comic or actually a bit amazing? Mail me with your verdict on the match.
45+3 min Peep, peep. That is half-time. But what a half!
45+2 min We're meandering towards half-time now, which completely goes against the ethos of this fixture. I demand a goal.
45 min Roberts is fouled and Reading have a free-kick in the first of three added minutes before the break. They send plenty of men forward but United get it clear.
44 min A gilt-edged chance for Robson-Kanu but his shot is saved at close range by Lindegaard.
43 min Change coming for United. Phil Jones is about to replace the injured Anderson.
42 min Seen the replay. Goal. Van Persie followed up a saved far-post header from Smalling and scored a legimate goal:
41 min Not had a chance to see a replay on that Van Persie effort as we haven't had a break in play yet.
40 min Chance! Van Persie has a shot cleared off the line but he believes it was over! Looked it!
39 min Rooney, on the right flank, tries to pick out Young, on the left, but his Hollywood pass is wayward.
37 min No goal. Actually surprised. Shorey shoots straight at Lindegaard.
36 min Shorey has a free-kick just outside the Untied box so there will probably be a goal very shortly. Stand by.
33 min Euuuugh, this game is so boring. Hasn't been a goal, in like, forever.
31 min Humiliation for Da Silva. He's substituted by Ferguson, with Chris Smalling replacing him.
29 min Rooney (just about) clears the danger. United looking hopeless in defence.
28 min McAnuff cruises past Da Silva, who has to resort to a foul to halt his opponent's progress. The ref intervenes and books the Brazillian.
27 min Another ball into the United box results in utter defensive chaos. It's a shambles.
25 min Full credit to Jason Roberts for some lovely NFL-style blocking on Lindegaard on the line. Anyway, it's Shorey over a free-kick. But fear not, United fans, it's about 60 metres from goal.
22 min Robson-Kanu whips another ball into the mixer and Evans takes no risks and heads it out for a corner before Lindegaard can act.
21 min United have another set piece to defend. McAnuff and Shorey stand over it. Evans gets it (half) away but the ball finds its way to Robson-Kanu on the right wing. He beats Carrick, gets to the byline, and drills a ball into the box but United survive.
20 min The defending has been a bit rubbish in the Premier League this season, I think we can all agree.
18 min Well that Reading lead didn't last long, did it? 1,000 Premier League goals for United this century.
15 min PENALTY TO MAN UTD! Evans tripped by Tabb
12 min Lovely control from Roberts with his back to goal as Reading go in search of a second. The ball makes its way to Le Fondre but his cross from the right is claimed by Lindegaard.
10 min United concede first yet again. This stat explains more:
6 min The match continues to script. Reading giving away possession and territory to a profligate United. Van Persie the latest culprit as his pass goes out for a goal-kick.
5 min Man United are wasting their chances but my word are they getting a lot of possession handed to them in the Reading half. Must be a concern for McDermott.
4 min Anderson threads the bal wide to Young and he advances into the box but his effort is way off target and nearly goes out for a throw.
3 min Young cuts in from the left wing and bends a ball into the box but it's far too close to Federici and he comfortably claims the ball.
2 min Shorey whips the ball into the box but it's cleared by the United defence.
1 min Low-key start to the match with United knocking it about among themselves until Fletcher gives the ball away. He follows that up with a foul and Reading have a handy attacking free-kick.
17.29 Hugs followed handshakes and now he have huddles. Hurry.
17.26 The handshakes have been completed and we are almost ready to go.
17.25 John Madejski is out on the pitch of the ground named after him, trying to whip up the supporters. Looks absolutely freezing out there.
17.20 A stat attack from Infostrada:
17.19 Big news from the ESPN studio. Martin Keown's favourite cereal is Rice Krispies.
17.18 Here's an article I wrote about why the Madejski Stadium is one of the most entertaining grounds in the country. I stand by it. Have a read.
17.16: Reading manager Brian McDermott with some confident pre-match chat:
17.12 Here are the teams:
Reading: Federici, Cummings, Mariappa, Morrison, Shorey, Robson-Kanu, Leigertwood, Tabb, McAnuff, Le Fondre, Roberts. Subs: Taylor, Pearce, Pogrebnyak, Hunt, McCleary, Guthrie, Harte.
Man Utd: Lindegaard, Da Silva, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Anderson, Carrick, Young, Rooney, van Persie. Subs: De Gea, Jones, Giggs, Smalling, Hernandez, Welbeck, Cleverley.
17.00 Wayne Rooney is in something of a scoring slump. Here's what manager Sir Alex Ferguson had to say about it:
16.50 Let's hope we get as good as game as this cracker from the FA Cup in 2007:
READ A MATCH PREVIEW:
Manchester United enter December top of the Premier League for the sixth time, having gone on to win the title on four of the previous five occasions.
They have won five away games, but lost on their last trip, at Norwich a fortnight ago. On the same day, Reading won their first league game, beating Everton, but have lost away twice since then.
Betting: Home 5-1, Away 4-9, Draw 11-4.
Stat of the game: Reading have beaten United just once in 16 games, an FA Cup victory 85 years ago, in 1927.
Gerry Cox's prediction: Reading 1 Manchester United 3
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