City’s little comfort

And when he rifled the ball into the roof of the net past David de Gea, the memories of the explosion of joy that greeted Aguero’s title-winning goal against QPR came flooding back.

“We are the champions, champions of England,” the City supporters in the corner of the stadium sang.
And they still are. So the City directors were all smiles at the final whistle and the players hugged each other in celebration and walked over to applaud their fans.
They had salvaged something. Some pride.

Some self-respect. They had kept the memories of their 6-1 victory at Old Trafford last season in tact.
But that was it. It was a gesture, really. A gesture that said plenty about their spirit and their ability but a gesture nonetheless.

Because it is still a matter of time until United get the title back. Monday night was important to City but it won’t change anything. United won the title long ago.
When City stung United with their triumph last season, United’s reply was immediate and savage. They adopted John Self’s maxim from the Martin Amis novel, Money.
“Maximum violence, instantly,” Self advises as the first rule of a bar fight. “Hit them with everything. Milk bottle, car tool, clenched keys or coins.”

That’s what United did this season. Maximum violence, instantly. They took a glancing blow and responded with a brutal beating.
If City were noisy neighbours, United have been on a nine-month rave since August.

They turned the decibel level up and they hit City with everything they had. On Monday night, they finally fell silent but the job is already done.
Sure, City deserve plenty of credit for the way they took the game to United at Old Trafford on Monday night and outplayed them for periods of the first half.

When they took the lead through man-of-the-match James Milner six minutes after half-time, they deserved it.
And when Sergio Aguero put them ahead again 10 minutes from the end with a quite magnificent solo goal, it was like one final echo of last season’s glory. But whatever City did on Monday night, it was always going to be too little, too late. It’s not a case of if United will win the title.
It’s when and where.

If City continue to fight like they did on Monday night, it may take longer but it is a matter of time.
United have not just grabbed the title back this season. They have annihilated the opposition. — The Mirror.