The Manchester derby was one of the most anticipated events in world football and the prospect of both clubs locking horns left football fans and neutrals alike drooling. Manchester United has been a dominant force over the past two decades and they started this season with a new blend of youth and experience.
The likes of Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones, David de Gea and Chris Smalling were injected to a squad that has old and experience hags like Hugh Giggs Hefner and Rio Ferdy. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side started the season with a 3-0 drubbing of Tottenham and they have also made their mark by destroying Bolton with five unreplied goals as well as the humiliation of 13-time title winners Arsenal. Chelsea was also amongst the teams that have received first hand demonstration of Manchester United’s strength in a game that was marred by Fernando Torres’ miss of the century.
Manchester City on the other hand have invested a lot of money in signing new players and Roberto Mancini has been backed with all the funds he needed to build a squad that would be strong enough to win the Premier League. He wasn’t afraid to put his money where his mouth was by signing superstars like Sergio Kun-Kun Aguero, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy to a squad that already has world beaters like Edin Dzeko, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli.
Last season, Manchester United won the match at Old Trafford through a stroke of genius by Wayne Rooney. It was the kind of shot that didn’t deserve to be saved and Joe Hart did well to watch the ball enter his net like a man whose studs were hooked up by some invisible magnets under the pitch.
75,487 fans booked their tickets for the movie experience of a lifetime from Old Trafford cinemas and they were provided with their 3-D glasses as well as popcorn.
With Vidic the Terrible still out of action, Sir Alex Fergie opted for the Shaolin defender Jonny Evans to partner the experienced @RioFerdy05. When Manchester United played Chelsea few seasons back, Jonny Evans produced a Shaolin kick Didier Drogba would never forget in his lifetime.
Roberto Mancini celebrated his 100th match in grand style as he unleashed the demons that ravaged the Red half of Manchester this afternoon. Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany became colossuses at the back while David Silva was in scintillating form.
Mancini outfoxed Fergie with his starting lineup, compacting his midfield with David Silva, Yaya Toure, James Milner, Gareth Barry to support Sergio Kun-Aguero and Mario Balotelli. The sort of midfield was definitely going to a handful for Darren Fletcher and that Brazilian bloke that reminds of T-Pain, Anderson.
Mario Balotelli has been one the spotlight for more reasons than one this season. Off the pitch, he was involved in a dart-throwing incident, an Italian mafia court case and more recently, having a ‘fiery’ affair in his house, literally writing. However, his exploits on the pitch were second to none. He arrived in Old Trafford on the back of rich goal scoring form so he fashioned himself to score today thereby customizing a T-shirt that he was going to unveil if he scored a goal.
The match opener arrived when James Milner threw the ball in from the left hand side before Yaya Toure and Silva combined well to release Milner, whose lovely cutback was timed to perfection by Balotelli before the mohawked Italian sidefooted the ball calmly past David de Gea in goal.
Scoring in Old Trafford is regarded as one of the hardest tasks in the Premier League because Manchester United has turned the ground into a fortress so most players are always filled with elation when they achieve such a feat and always end up running around the place; not Mario Balotelli.
The cocky forward scored a lovely goal but chose to unveil the T-Shirt that asked a simple question to the football world,
“Why always me?”
Surprisingly enough, Balotelli was brandished a yellow card for that act but I thought that the card only comes up when you remove the entire jersey. That didn’t faze the Italian as he was the player that was fouled by Jonny Evans who unfortunately happened to be the last man leaving the referee with no other choice.
Balotelli scored his second of the match after some brilliant buildup play between Silva and Milner again. The wingers exchange a one-two before feeding an unmarked Balotelli at the far post wo finished aplomb.
Manchester City’s third was a gem of a goal. It was the kind of a goal you would be witnessing at the Nou Camp or at the Emirates when Arsenal wants to turn on the style. The ball kept moving fluidly from Silva to Toure to Balotelli then Milner before it arrived at the feet of Micah Richards who teed up Aguero to do the rest.
Manchester United pulled one back when Danny Welbeck did well on the left hand side before Chicharito and Darren Fletcher exchanged passes on the edge of the box. Fletcher scored what turned out to be Manchester United’s consolation goal but three quick-fire goals at the death turned out to be a magic trick that left every Man Utd fan worldwide speechless.
Gareth Barry flicked on a corner that was sent into the danger area by Lescott. Up stepped Edin Dzeko to make it 4-1 to the Blue half of Manchester. Dzeko turned from scorer to provider when he fed David Silva who scored a goal that he truly deserved; a simple placed shot that went through the legs of de Gea.
The Manchester City fans entered party mood but the players weren’t through as Dzeko received another ball from the inspired Silva to make it six.
The last time Manchester United suffered such a defeat in Old Trafford, I’m pretty sure that King Arthur was still the king of the Britons while Merlin was the chief wizard.
But it was a movie that I enjoyed with my 3-D glasses and my popcorn and I must thank the makers of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Sex and the City for bringing the remake of the movie to Old Trafford Cinemas,
Six and the City.
Sayonara.
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