Manchester United are still better
than neighbours City, Roberto
Mancini said after his side thumped
the champions 6-1 to go five points
clear at the top of the Premier
League.
It will take City winning a first league
title since 1968 to convince the
Italian otherwise even if Sunday's
thrashing of their more decorated
rivals had counterpart Alex
Ferguson bemoaning "the worst
result in my history".
"This is only one game," Mancini
told a news conference. "I think
United is one yard above us still ...
we can change this only if we win
(the title) in the end. After maybe it is
different but now United is better
than us."
Mancini's men inflicted a first Old
Trafford defeat on their hosts for 18
months, making a mockery of the
glittering home record that formed
the backbone of last season's record
19th league title.
Two goals apiece from Mario
Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, as well as
strikes from David Silva and Sergio
Aguero, sent City on their way to a
famous win as one of the most
keenly awaited Manchester derbies
in years lived up to its billing.
City have now scored a massive 33
goals in nine league games as this
season's more attacking approach
has paid off.
Three of their strikers -- Aguero,
Dzeko and Balotelli -- are among the
league's top five scorers and all owe
much to the creative panache of
fleet-footed Silva whose vision and
distribution are at the heart of so
many City chances.
Mancini was full of admiration for
United's attempts to attack despite
being down to 10 men for most of
the second half following Jonny
Evans' dismissal -- the very
approach that angered Ferguson.
"At times our full-backs were almost
our wingers and we were playing
almost two versus three at the back.
That was suicide and crazy,"
Ferguson said on the club website
(
www.manutd.com).
"We just kept attacking. It's alright
playing with the history books but
common sense has to come in at
times. With the experience we had
at the back, we should have realised
that and settled for what we had
when it went to 4-1."
TOO STRONG
Ferguson was adamant the heavy
defeat, which came after something
of a lacklustre month following a
blistering start to their title defence,
would galvanise his team.
"That kind of defeat will make an
impact on the players," he said.
"There's a lot of embarrassment in
the dressing room and quite rightly
so. Hopefully they'll show that
(reaction) next week."
Mancini said the thumping was
unlikely to knock United's confidence
too much and emphasised that this
was merely one win regardless of
the number of goals.
"I think the season will be very long,
probably there will be four or five
teams who can win the title," said
Mancini, who led City to their first
major trophy in 35 years with
victory in the FA Cup last season.
"It's important for our confidence,
it's important because we showed
we are a good team.
"United are too strong for this
(letting it get to them). They know
like me that it is only three points."
City lead the way with 25 points,
with United five behind and third-
placed Chelsea on 19 after the
Londoners slipped up themselves in
a 1-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers.
September 18, 2010, 07:44:59 AM