This was a thrashing. There is no other word for it.
https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/
A "Blue Moon" is rising in English football, and the progress of Manchester City, while expected, is progressing at a much faster rate than anticipated.
It was anticipated that yesterday's match would be close, but United were expected to edge it. What actually happened was that United.... 19 times English league champions, 12 times Premiership champions, 3 times European champions and playing at their Old Trafford fortress, where they have not been beaten in 18 months..... were played off the park by a City team that controlled the match from start to finish.
David Silva was world class, pulling all the strings and even Super Mario (Mario Balotelli) looked focused. Balotelli is as daft as a brush. Absolutely crackers. But there is no doubting his commitment to this game and his two goals were superbly taken.
City fans celebrated, they sang their songs and they did the "Poznan". Thirty years of hurt at the hands of the Red Devils were exorcised in 90 minutes. For United supporters it was too much and the red part of Old Trafford was emptying at an alarming rate as goal after goal went in. It all became too much for the Reds, who just aren't used to this and they walked out, en masse, rather than watch any more. They left to the taunts of the City fans, catcalling "We can see you sneaking out".
But this was more than the winning of a single game of football. This was the smashing of an edifice.
Manchester United have had, since the inception of the Premier League, an "aura of invincibility" about them. Often, opponents are beaten before they step on the pitch. United occasionally lose a match here and there, but only ever by the odd goal, and then only by the skin of their teeth. Yesterday, they were torn to shreds by a City team that is unbeaten this season and is rapidly acquiring the aura of invincibility that United have hitherto claimed as their own.
United haven't lost by a five goal margin since 1955, and they haven't conceded six goals in a game since 1930. This is the scale of City's achievement yesterday.
Roberto Mancini played it down last night, saying that United are still the best in the land. He may be right. I don't think City are the finished article yet. They can still improve, and that should send a shudder down the spines of the rest of the Premiership.
And all of a sudden, Alex Ferguson is looking older. Rather than the cocksure, arrogant, strutting figure he has presented to the football world for 20 years, he was hunched over and his head was bowed. He almost choked on his words in the post match interview. He can see that Blue Moon rising and he doesn't like it.
He once disparagingly called City the "Noisy Neighbours". Well, Alex........ they've got something to shout about now.
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