Premier League: The Etihad is rockin’

Manchester was Blue on Sunday as Manchester City trounced Manchester United 4-1 in their English Premier League match (Getty Images)

No one in Manchester is going to forget the 4-1 score-line at the Etihad anytime soon. The aggression, the flamboyance, the movement, the goals and the hunger to want it more, reminiscent of a title-ambitious team, will be fixed in our minds for quite some time, if not longer.

Considering the fact that six of the last seven meetings between the two at the Etihad had never seen more than two goals scored, the game was expected to drag on till a decider/game changer was scored. The man associated with decisive goals – Robin van Persie could only watch from the stands as the opener came through in the 16th minute with a quarter of a volley from the weaker foot of Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero – the masterminds being Samir Nasri and Aleksandr Kolorov. Even Usain Bolt was surprised at the speed of it after a one-on-one training with ‘Kun’.

The immediate thought was that the game would open up. And it did. With Nasri, Aguero, Alvaro Negredo, Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure looking at their best, three goals followed within close proximity of each other either side of the half-time whistle. Nasri, for all the criticism he faced in the corresponding fixture last season for dropping out of the way of van Persie’s late free-kick which won the game for United, was seen covering both ends of the ground relentlessly, showcasing his uniqueness at occasions.

Though United managed to complete 86% of their passes compared to City’s 81%, lapses in their proud defence cost them the derby with Wayne Rooney looking the most mature of all players on the pitch for the Red Devils.

At first glance, it looks like David Moyes is to be blamed. After all, the club’s need for defence and a midfield maestro cannot be overemphasized.

It was just a case of a very lazy performance from the defending champions as they faced a very determined opposition. From sluggish marking by Antonio Valencia, Nemanja Vidic being manhandled by Alvaro Negredo and Ashley Young losing the ball consistently, it just wasn’t working.

Think about it; even Kolarov was on fire. Kolarov, of all players!

However, we should not forget that Manchester United is not just any team; it is a team that carries its history along with them into every game they enter and is also a team where the gods of good luck hover over with their blessings coming, sometimes ever so late post the 90 minute mark. So, we now await the response of both teams on March 1, 2014, in the return fixture as they battle it out at the stadium where dreams often get shattered for visiting teams.