There are moments in every season, which become pivotal, not necessarily due to the quality of the performance but due to the importance of the result.
There were echoes of last season’s away victory against Chelsea today after the final whistle. In the way the players celebrated at the end of the game. Last year the wild celebrations were caused by the team realising they had beaten champions and at that moment they believed anything was possible.
Today players were elated, beyond what I would expect from another derby victory. For this team under Guardiola, preparing for the next international break with the season some 12 games in, there was extra significance in this victory. It wasn’t anything to do with Jose Mourinho either, as Manchester City are not so crass or egotistical as to make victories personal.
Watching the team it was clear the significance is again about belief. Approaching one third of the way through the season and everything is going to plan. This is a team of ice cool commensurate professionals, unruffled by angst or self doubt, but who today received confirmation; its on again and they are in pole position.
Games against Manchester United at the Etihad have in recent seasons become a results desert for Manchester City. Its four years since our last home victory which came against a David Moyes managed team. In the interim we have been consigned to a run of defeats and draws and United have eulogised folk heroes like Adnan Januzaj and Marcus Rashford.
Manchester City have a number of different forward gears in operation and today several were on display. We started like a downhill skier who has just pushed off, blistering our way through a Manchester United side who seemed slow and deliberate in comparison. This early attack phase brought our first goal scored almost inevitably scored by the irrepressible David Silva.
Silva passed the ball to Raheem Sterling and continued his run into the penalty area, Sterling looped a long pass across David De Gea and almost to the byline which was whipped back across by Bernardo to Silva. Silva adjusted his balance and feet and struck a trademark shot past the flailing keeper.
The second goal came in the 48th minute and saw Sergio Aguero net his 11th goal of the season so far. This goal came from Fernandinho breaking up play and releasing Aguero who played a simple one-two with Riyad Mahrez and struck a rising shot into the net from an impossible angle.
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Somehow the game changed from this point as City went down through the gears and Manchester United enjoyed some incisive possession although they found it difficult to convert this into chances in open play. Lukaku came on and was somewhat lucky to be awarded a penalty following a challenge from Ederson. Lukaku put the penalty away and for a while at least the United side seemed to believe the game was still open.
City reasserted midfield control and the tide turned back. City sat in a low gear, looking for a moment to surge into acceleration. It came in the 86th minute following a wonderful pass from Bernardo which Ilkay Gundogan unmarked in the 6 yard box and he planted his shot firmly past De Gea.
Manchester City even began to see the game out from here and indulged in some lovely keep ball passing by the corner flag to run the remaining minutes down, causing frustration for the visitors and bringing deep joy to the City fans.
The final whistle brought scenes of celebration on the pitch and in the crowd. I felt most persuaded by the way in which City knuckled down and wrestled back control of this game when it threatened to run away from them. This was a pivotal game and our rivals will be aware that in our run of recent games we had tricky looking away games to Tottenham and home to Manchester United, and from these we have obtained 6 points. As winter approaches there is a hard reality being enforced in the Premier League; Manchester City have improved upon last year.