Manchester United made it six consecutive victories in the Premier League on Sunday with a comfortable 4-2 win at home to local rivals Manchester City.
The visitors took an early lead through Sergio Aguero, but goals from Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata and Chris Smalling saw United seize control of the encounter.
City pulled one back through Aguero late on, though it was not enough to stop them suffering a severe blow to their title defence.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two sides at Old Trafford.
Match statistics
Man Utd
Shots: 11
On target: 7
Possession: 58%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 9
Man City
Shots: 10
On target: 3
Possession: 42%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 16
Was the result fair?
The visitors started brightly, but United turned on the style once they got level and came away with three deserved points against their neighbours. The home side were dominant in all areas of the pitch, while City failed to match them for intensity and desire.
Man Utd's performance
This was a complete display from Louis van Gaal's side, who never looked back once they scored their first goal of the game. There was a huge level of commitment across their defence, while their midfield and attack dominated to keep City under pressure for large spells. Keeping in turn with their recent performances against the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, this was the United of old: swagger, belief, hunger and cavalier football. Had it not been for some last-ditch defending from the visitors, the Red Devils could even have added to their tally, such was their control over the match. While there are still four games to play this season, United are now in a superb position in their quest for a top-four finish.
Man City's performance
It looked like it was going to be a good afternoon for the champions when they took an early (and deserved) lead through Aguero, but everything fell apart after that. The Blues were unable to keep pace with their opponents as slack performances at the back and in midfield cost them dearly. The most worrying aspect for Manuel Pellegrini will be the lack of fight that his team showed. There was no sign of any of City's players rolling up their sleeves and digging in. Instead, most of the team wandered limply around the pitch, looking unsure of how to stop United. Pellegrini's future will be under further scrutiny after this, but what is more clear is that plenty of deadwood needs to be cut adrift from their squad in the summer. With their title defence all but over, it is now doubtful whether they will even secure a place in the top four.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Marouane Fellaini: The Belgian was a behemoth in United's midfield. He was an important presence when they were on the back foot, with his hard tackling winning back possession a handful of times. However, he proved most useful in attack. His knockdowns and overall movement caused City plenty of problems and he was rewarded for his fine display with a trademark towering header to put the hosts 2-1 up.
Biggest gaffe
Eliaquim Mangala replaced Vincent Kompany at half time for City and he made a big mistake in the build-up to United's fourth goal. The defender failed to get the memo as he played a number of red shirts onside from Young's free kick before Smalling stooped to head in.
Referee performance
On a day which could have boiled over on a couple of occasions, Mark Clattenburg had an assured 90 minutes. The official rightly brandished his yellow card three times, though he allowed the game to flow in the main. He could have sent Kompany off for a robust challenge on Daley Blind in the first half, but he did the sensible thing and issued City's captain with a booking.
What next?
Man Utd: The Red Devils continue their Premier League campaign on April 18 with a trip to leaders Chelsea.
Man City: The Blues are back in action on April 19 when they host West Ham United in the Premier League.
Jack Prescott
