The pre-match nerves all proved to be unfounded as Manchester City swept old rivals Manchester United aside with a minimum of fuss. The scenes at the Etihad Stadium just before the final whistle, with fans shouting “Ole!” as their Blue heroes taunted the exhausted Red bull, and a gleeful Poznan bounced its way around almost the entire ground, were in stark contrast to the pronouncements of gloom that had preceded the game.
That was partly down to United ’s knack of messing up the odds and pulling off a result across town - they had previously won four of the six Etihad meetings between the two clubs in the Pep Guardiola era. It was fuelled by Liverpool’s win 24 hours earlier, which had considerably cranked up the pressure for three points on a team that had not been at its best for three or four weeks - and which had been brutally exposed by Harry Kane and Tottenham in their previous home game.
Having conquered that rash of pessimism, City must now avoid soaring too far the other way, thinking that if fourth-placed United - who had the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League until Sunday - can be despatched with such consummate ease, then who else is able to stand in the Blues’ way - apart from Liverpool on April 10, of course?
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It is a false premise. City were excellent on Sunday, but in equal parts, United were abysmal. In fact, in terms of resistance, organisation and goal threat they gave the Blues far fewer problems than Championship bottom dogs Peterborough had done in the FA Cup five days earlier. Without taking anything away from City, the second half was astoundingly easy for City, who found only token fight from snarling Scott McTominay as they ran at the back four unhassled - it was perfect conditions for ball-players like Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden.
It is quite a condemnation of United to say that, after a Manchester derby, City are unlikely to face such an easy ride again for the rest of the season. City’s superiority to the Reds is as great as it has ever been while they have shared the same division, which is a strange thing to say when United are occupying fifth place rather than in a relegation battle, as they were in 1974.
It is not likely the Blues will overhaul the 32-point gap they racked up in 2018-19 when they clinched the title while the Reds had slipped to sixth, but for once the derby was a true barometer of the current state of the two squads, and indeed of the two clubs. It will not get any easier for City, and they know it. Tomorrow night’s Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon should be a formality as City hold a 5-0 lead from the first leg, but after that, the run-in to the end of the season starts in earnest.
Next Monday night’s trip to Crystal Palace will be a different kettle of fish to the second half stroll against the Reds. Palace have already won at the Etihad this season and under Patrick Vieira - still in the running to succeed Pep Guardiola as City boss - have become a side to respect, if not fear.
To reverse that result, City will have to be better than they were in the first half against United, and not be lulled into a false sense of security by the poverty of United’s performance. Having been below par in recent weeks, their fans thought a derby match was the last thing they needed at that point - it turned out that a roll-over United side were just what was needed to top up the morale and confidence.
Perversely, it could prove to be the easiest game City face in the last two months of the season.
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