adminMANCHESTER. — Too strong, too hungry and too powerful – all over the field Manchester United were just too good at Old Trafford yesterday and it has been a while since we have said that, in this fixture at least.A season that seemed to be heading down a cul-de-sac when Arsenal defeated them here in the FA Cup last month will perhaps now be remembered not only for a return to European football but also for this, a victory over their neighbours, that was even more complete, more brutal, than the 4-2 scoreline suggests.
Manchester City actually bookended this game with two very good goals,
Sergio Aguero scoring in the eighth minute and the 88th minute.
What happened in between, however, served to confirm what recent form had hinted at, namely that United have finally found their true selves again while Manuel Pellegrini’s City have fallen off the edge of the proverbial cliff.
There have been some convincing victories in these games in recent times, just about all of them going City’s way.
Here – from the moment Ashley Young equalised in the 14th minute – it was United’s turn to deny their opponents some mercy.
Marouane Fellaini – the Barclays Premier League’s renaissance man – headed United in to the lead from a Young cross seven minutes later and from that point on the score line simply glowed red.
City clung on to half-time – at which point they lost their captain Vincent Kompany to injury – but were engulfed by the tide from that point on.
Joe Hart saved magnificently from Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick but was subsequently beaten by Juan Mata and Chris Smalling.
Louis van Gaal’s United, meanwhile, will head to Chelsea next Saturday believing anything is possible.
It was City who struck first, left back Gael Clichy drifted past Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera far too easily and when Silva was eventually released to the byline he was able to pull the ball back to Sergio Aguero, who had arrived in to the penalty area simply by running harder than Juan Mata and Michael Carrick.
It was a lovely goal and a simple one, too.
Matches can turn in single instants, however, and that was what happened here.
United still hadn’t found their feet really when ‘keeper David De Gea was called upon to dash from goal and clear hastily from the edge of the area as Jesus Navas bore down on him.
As the ball dropped towards the left touchline, however, City got themselves in to a pickle and after an exchange of passes Daley Blind was able to cross to the near post where the excellent Young bundled the ball in after winning his dual with Clichy.
It was a goal rather out of nothing but it was one that typified United’s current mood.
As United began to smell sky blue blood and move forwards, it soon became clear that City were not comfortable dealing with Fellaini.
The first half was still in its relative infancy when Fellaini edged United ahead.
This time Young was in his usual position on the left flank where he was causing City right-back Pablo Zabaleta all kinds of trouble.
Looking up across the field, there really was only one option as he saw Fellaini easing towards the back post. Criminally, City had left Clichy to deal with him and when the cross arrived the contest was brutally one-sided as Fellaini climbed to head the ball through Joe Hart and in to the back of the net.
Kompany could have been sent off for a wild challenge on Blind and damaged his thigh in making the tackle.
He was booked and did not appear for the second half.
At half-time, the game was technically speaking still in the balance.
The lead was only one. However, the momentum shift that had started when Young scored was already beginning to look too much for the visiting team.
What happened in the second half was only to confirm that. — Mailonlione.
Online Reporter