WHY ALWAYS ME ?

23rd of October 2011 and the day had arrived. The day that the blues either hated and feared or loved and enjoyed. I myself have never been fond of this day because for the most part they have always been bad days. The last few years they have been getting closer, and the best one in recent memory played out at Wembley stadium, but today's was a big one. Yes it's only October and yes nothing is ever won in October, but after the start made by both clubs, this one was pretty big. United had played 8 won 6 and drawn 2, scored 25 goals and conceded 6 and were sitting in second place with 20 points. City had also played 8, won 7 and drawn just the 1. We'd scored 27 goals and only conceded 6 and we were top of the league with 22 points. Today was without doubt one of the biggest league derbys. The 11 players to face the champions in their own backyard would be Joe Hart in Goal. A back four of Richards, Kompany, Lescott & Clichy. 2 holding midfielders, Barry and Yaya, with a front four of Milner, Silva, Aguero and the in form Balotelli. Great to see Milner getting the nod because against Villa he was excellent and as a sub against Villarreal he'd shown some great passion and desire. A good call in my opinion from Mancini, but i guess time would tell.

The match started and United came at us. As expected for the first 20 minutes we had to soak up a lot of United possession after all they were at home, and the pressure was on them as we could settle for a draw. They did have the better of the opening exchanges, but failed to produce a telling chance or even test Hart in goal, in fact the first big chance wasn't created until the 22nd minute, and it came from City. Silva did well to pick out Milner down the left and he crossed it to Balotelli who placed a pin point shot to pick out the bottom corner of the United goal and leave the full stretch De Gea with no chance. City were one up in the derby and while i was going mad, Mario Cooley lifted his shirt over his head to produce a message underneath saying "Why always me ?". A moment of quality from Mario (yes, probably against the run of play) with a quality celebration, for which he got booked. United tried to come again but it was settling into a more even game now. All united efforts were meeting good blocks and they didn't bring a save from Hart until the 37th minute when Rooney hit a shot from the edge of the box that lacked power and hart dealt with it easily. The half came to an end without anymore telling incidents so we led 1-0 at half time. 

The second half go underway and it was City who started brighter and we took a grip on the game, a grip that tightened when Evans was given a red card for a professional foul. Evans had tried to hold off Mario had he went through on goal, but he didn't have the strength to hold him so instead dragged him down and received his deserved marching orders. This was to change the game in City's favour.

  On 51 minutes City could have easily had a penalty awarded when Richards tangled with Anderson, But ref Clattenburg didn't think so. On 60 minutes City turned the screw. Mario and Milner again linking up with a lovely little pass thrown in By Silva to put Milner in a brilliant position to cross for Mario to make it 2-0. Again, me, Pete and Little D go mental.

City fans out singing the home fans now and Fergie rolls the dice throwing on Hernandez and Jones. Didn't matter though, the game was gone, and slipping further from them as on 69 minutes Micah Richards (who was Immense on the day) crossed for an Aguero tap in. 3-0 now and we are all in dream land. This morning my head was telling me draw, my heart was telling me we could nick it, but there was always the over riding feeling that United would somehow cheat us out of anything, how wrong i was. City leading the champions 3-0 at the "theater of dreams" ! Was this a dream ???

Mario made way for Dzeko and Aguero made way for Nasri, but credit to United, with only 10 men they did still try to come forward and try and get something from the game, and in the 81st minute they did. A brilliant piece of passing play and Fletcher curled a fantastic goal into the top corner with Hart powerless to do anything. A good consolation goal for them. Little D made a comment about them coming back now, and in times gone by i would have probably agreed, but not today. I was confident that this was our day, 3-1 up against 10 men with 10 minutes left ?  We wouldn't let this slip, surely we'd hold on to this. I never expected what was to come, not for a second. 89TH Minute saw Milner (who had been fantastic again today) made way Kolarov and then, from a corner, Barry got his head to a ball that Lescott stretched to keep in, and while the United defence all appealed for an offside that wasn't there, Lescott's center was Kneed into the net by Dzeko. 4-0 and the three goal lead restored. Good to see Dzeko scoring again, can only be good for his confidence.

3 minutes of injury time announced and United must have been praying for the final whistle as Dzeko played the ball in behind the stretched United defence for the AMAZING David Silva to run onto and slot the ball between Da Gea's legs to make it 5-1. FIVE - ONE ? At Old Trafford. This was unbelievable. Me, Pete and Little D doing a Poznan in my living room with the widest possible smiles on our faces. It doesn't get any better than this. Does it ?

Yes it does ! Silva returns the favour and plays a fantastic pass through the beleaguered United back line for the on rushing Dzeko, and in front of the rapidly emptying Old Trafford, fires home for his second and puts City 6-1 up. Words escape me for how great this made me feel. I remember a 5-1 win in the eighties, but how I've hated this game for years ! All those feelings being brushed a side by a dominant display which will have sent a message right through the premier league if not Europe.

Now, do i get carried away by this result ? No. Does this win us anything ? Other than 3 important points, No it doesn't, as i said, nothing is ever won in October and there is a long way to go yet. But this does give us a 5 point lead at the top of the premier league table (thanks to QPR 1 Chelsea 0) and it shows that we have nothing at all to fear from the big clubs in this division. We've demolished a good Spurs side in their own back yard and now we have done it to the Champions, a team that hadn't lost so far this season, a team that hadn't been beat at home in god knows how long and Man United and Feries biggest defeat EVER ! Does it feel good ? It feels better than good, it's AMAZING ! I never thought for a second when i woke up this morning that we could put six goals past United at home and as i write this, i don't think it's even sunk in yet. I'll leave it there, don't want to gloat to much and seem arrogant now do I ? All i will say is i am a VERY happy blue today. Manchester IS blue. Thanks for reading :0)