On-Song City Annihilate United

In a city synonymous with its music scene a cacophony of silence rumbled through Old Trafford yesterday.
It was interrupted by a jubilant away end, by fans so used to being shouted down at the famous stadium.
Manchester United supporters had been mute long before Edin Dzeko made it 6-1, but for Manchester City supporters this was a chance to revel in their greatest victory over their famous neighbours.
Only the euphoric blue quadrant of the stadium sang out loud, buoyed by the slamming of seats as reds headed for the exits. “Cheerio” rang out the chant.
They were mad for it.
For Manchester United this was a humbling of incredible proportions, the “worst day ever” for Sir Alex Ferguson.
The last time Old Trafford emptied so quickly was when rivals Liverpool waltzed into town two years ago and crushed them 4-1.
Yesterday would have hurt more.
Talk before the match was about Mario Balotelli’s impromptu firework display at his home.
Not content with last season’s Carrington flare up’s, Balotelli sparked his own domestic bonfire but waited a further day before putting a rocket under United.
His first goal was coolness personified. The magnificent David Silva played in James Milner, preferred to Samir Nasri, who rolled a ball back towards the edge of the United penalty area. Balotelli dispatched into the far corner past a sprawling David De Gea.
“Why Always Me?” read his undergarment in celebration. Well, as Roberto Mancini put it afterwards, he’s “crazy” yet has the potential to be in the “top five players in the world”.
He is also one of the games greatest characters, both marvellous and Machiavellian.     
Balotelli may have been the rock and roll star but Silva was the conductor, giving as luscious a performance as Old Trafford has seen in recent memory.
The Spaniard, up until recently a relative outcast for the World Champions, hovered across the pitch, constantly at ease with a ball that at times seemed to be an extension of him.
Such is his respect for the ball that he also works tirelessly to earn it back. He was the player of last season and, so far, this one too.
How Ferguson may wish he had such a player amongst his midfield ranks.
Instead he opted for the energetic combination of Darren Fletcher and Anderson, a partnership built on industry rather than invention.
But not even those two could close down a City midfield that consisted of Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry as well as Milner and Silva. City had mettle and the gold dust to accompany it.
Two minutes after the restart came what Ferguson saw as the turning point in the match. In truth City were simmering in the face of United’s possession. 
Johnny Evans, incapable of coping with Balotelli and Aguero during the opening half, hauled down the Italian striker a yard outside his own penalty box. As the last man Mark Clattenburg had no choice but to dismiss Evans.
The Northern Irish defender has enjoyed Ferguson’s vote of confidence in the opening months of this campaign, preferring him at the heart of his defence over both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.
How unwavering that faith is remains to be seen. Evans was having a torrid time, his red card was the second he has received in seven months.
City capitalised on their numerical advantage. Silva managed to wriggle the ball through to Milner who from deep within the United area squared a tempting ball across goal. Balotelli was left the simplest of finishes. Big mouth strikes again.
The third goal sealed the points for City, Aguero getting onto the score sheet after a subdued performance judging by his start this term.
Milner was instrumental again showing craft to play in Micah Richards who put it on a plate for the Argentinean.
Once Richards asserted himself down the right flank, battling against Ashley Young and Patrice Evra, the young Englishman was a constant threat going forward and impenetrable when defending. It was arguably his best game in a blue shirt after two years of stagnation. Take note, Fabio Capello.    
Balotelli was denied his first hat trick for City when he was replaced upon the hour mark by Dzeko. Little did City's or United's fans know that the party was only getting started.
After Silva had flashed over and Dzeko dragged wide, Fletcher played a neat one-two with substitute Javier Hernandez and from twenty yards guided a shot into the top corner.
It was to prove a false dawn. There would be no Community Shield style comeback this time for the champions. Instead there was capitulation.
In a frightening show of strength City doubled their tally in matter of only five minutes. United, rendered frail defensively were exposed two against three for the fourth when Dzeko got his first from close range after a flick at the near post found an unmarked Joleen Lescott. Whether the defender intended to cross or shoot didn’t matter as the Bosnian forward kneed it into an empty net.
United, all hope of salvation having evaporated, had surrendered.
It was left to Silva and Dzeko, running onto one of the passes of the season from Silva, to slot in one on one’s with De Gea to round off United’s most substantial loss in over 70 years.  
Today will not be a happy Monday for Ferguson but Mancini has ignited City and they are rightly installed as favourites for the league title.
A power shift to across the citadel? City have the personnel to compete across all competitions and resources managers would adore. 
City have risen but United will not slide away. 

Rooney Conjures Stunner to Silence City

The resonance of any magic trick lies in the initial deception. The curator will create the set-up, develop the spectacle before reaching the most improbable of crescendos. It is what precedes the finale that makes it all the more incredible.

Those who have followed Wayne Rooney's spectacular rise and fall over the past year may be better placed to see the relevance of the aforementioned sorcery.

Almost a year since Rooney's life, on and off the pitch, capitulated the striker delivered an emphatic moment of self expression to claim all three points against Manchester City. 

Nullified for most of the match by a superb Vincent Kompany - who marvelled in his role as the magicians assistant by keeping Rooney on a tight leash throughout the game - it took until the 78th minute for the Manchester United striker to pull the biggest rabbit from his hat.

After shanking a pass into the air, a passage of play that typified Rooney's so-far miserable day, Paul Scholes delivered a driven pass to the flanks where Nani was occupied.

The winger's cross was hoisted further into the air, the pace of the ball, crucially, dissipating, having skimmed Pablo Zabaleta. Rooney, cloaked in red, sensed his opportunity, leaping into the air and with his back to the goal unleashed a violent scissor kick into the far top corner. Joe Hart stood rooted in the middle of his goal, spellbound.  

Sir Alex Ferguson recalled Dennis Law when he described it as the best goal he had seen scored at Old Trafford. As flattering as it was for Rooney to be compared to The King, the goal was more akin to something another former red, Mark Hughes, might have scored. Sprinkled with the exuberance of Eric Cantona. 

Much of the prelude to Rooney's goal will have been confined to distant memory by the time The striker was reeling away but United were, for large swathes of the game, especially the second half, on the back foot. 

City should have been up in the opening minutes when David Silva, permeating the gaps behind midfield and defence, lacked curl on his close range effort to find Edwin Van der Sar's bottom corner. The Spaniard, a constant fixture in City's nest spells, had another attempt blocked by Patrice Evra.

If Silva was City's biggest threat it was his Iberian counterpart Nani who shone for United. The Portuguese winger tormented Zabaleta throughout, cutting and weaving into shooting positions. 

He as rewarded with a goal just before half time. Ryan Giggs, selected in a 5 man midfield, slid the ball into Nani's path who easily out-paced Aleksandar Kolarov to side foot pass Hart.

Roberto Mancini would have been right to feel slightly hard done by as his side were the more probing of the two. It was unfortunate for the Sky Blue's that their attacks were stubbed out by Nemanja Vidic and a classy Chris Smalling who stepped into replace the injured Rio Ferdinand.
 
The way Smalling contained Carlos Tevez would have delighted Ferguson especially given Johnny Evans' continuing nightmare and upcoming fixtures against Chelsea and Liverpool in the league.

City though were rewarded for their positive approach. Shawn Wright-Phillips, yes, him, cut in from the right flank and squared a ball to substitute Edin Dzeko. The Bosnian's strike clattered against Silva and fell into the net. 

But with only twelve minutes remaining Rooney's perfectly executed scissor kick left United with all three points and City's title hopes disappearing in a puff of smoke.