EPL: Fergie Loses Plot, City Reign at Etihad

Despite City's mastery and strangle hold over the proceedings last night, there was a sense of deadlock for much of the proceedings.

The goal from Vincent Kompany on the verge of half-time came when he rose unchallenged above Chris Smalling to head in a David Silva corner, The match had been tangled until then, as if past events were continuing to wind through the action at the Etihad.

City's 6-1 victory at Old Trafford last October, which United were far from avenging with a 3rd round win in the FA Cup, must have resonated with both sides. Ferguson's team looked to exercise caution thus even though they would inaccurately have envisaged spoiling City's prospects.

None of them had managed to do well in the Champions League this season and they summoned up little finesse in the first half. It was most surprising considering the ability in each of these squads is substantial to say the least. And it almost seemed imperative before one of them stepped up. 

 United had to make do with demonstrating good order while City dominated possession in the first half. There was a theory that the burden here was greater on City. They were attempting to win the league for the first time since 1968 and in the process jeopardize a regime of league title mastery established by Sir Alex and his fledglings.

Roberto Mancini was sure up to the challenge and would have been craving a resurgence of the flamboyance that has faded. It would have been to their benefit if they had purged from their minds the fact that United had not conceded a goal at their ground in the League since August 2007. That sequence came to a close here, yet there was much still to be done because for everything else, it was City who had to win.

Post interval roles were reversed as City, calculated and buoyant after taking the lead, sought poise. They were also willing to occupy territory by pushing United back. The Red Devils had little to lose then but they never discovered their attacking flair and didn't even manage a single shot on goal.

The introduction of a fresh forward in Danny Welbeck, who took over from Park Ji-sung in the 58th minute, was expected but that still demanded that United establish better camaraderie between him and Wayne Rooney. As it was, City's main exasperation lay in the lack of a second goal throughout the second half.

Mancini settled for 1-0 and De Jong was introduced to replace Tevez. Although Gareth Barry was playing as a holding midfielder, Mancini preferred to bolster his midfield at the expense of the forward line.

It was a defensive step but it worked as City managed to hold on and surged back to the top of the Premier League for the first time since March.

Fergusson brought Valencia and Young late in to the match (post 80 mins) but it was too little, too late for them as they continued to be spineless in attack and lacked penetration. Also surprising was Chicharito's absence from the starting XI.