Losing 6-1 at home might be embarrassing for Manchester United fans, but if they can take any solace from their thrashing at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, it’s that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is at least calling back to the time of Sir Alex Ferguson.
The 2011-12 season is best-remembered for its dramatic conclusion on the final day, however the pivotal match actually came a lot earlier in the season, in October.
Even this early on in the season, the Manchester clubs were leading the table, both unbeaten. United were reigning champions but they were sitting two points off of City, in second place. A young David de Gea had been brought in as a replacement for the retiring Edwin van der Sar and a teenage Phil Jones was expected to be the future at centre-back after impressing at Blackburn Rovers, however the major acquisition was Ashley Young, who had starred for Aston Villa for several years.
City had been relatively patient considering their heavy investment in the squad, but won the FA Cup and qualified for the Champions League the previous year in Roberto Mancini’s first full season in charge. Having already brought across Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure, City continued their habit of stealing away Arsenal’s players by adding Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy to their squad, while Owen Hargreaves crossed the Manchester divide after being released by United. There was no doubt over who was their major signing though, as Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero arrived from Atletico Madrid. They were now ready to make an assault on the Premier League crown.
Both sides lined up for the derby in 4-4-2 formations. Aguero would go on to lead the line at City but in his first few seasons in the Premier League he would play off of a strike partner, in this case Mario Balotelli, just as he had at Atleti with Diego Forlan, sprinting in behind after starting off deeper.
Meanwhile United had Wayne Rooney lining up alongside youth product Danny Welbeck and flanked by attacking wingers Young and Nani, covered by the more workmanlike Darren Fletcher and Anderson in midfield.
The two 4-4-2s meant there was space left in midfield and it was City who better utilised it. James Milner and David Silva would take it in turns drifting over to the opposite flank to link up with the other, while also combining with the full-backs pushing forward down the flank. This meant that City were always outnumbering United out wide three-against-two.
Silva drifts over to the right to link with Milner
Milner drifts over to the left to link with Silva
It was through these combinations that they took the lead. Silva slipped the ball through to Milner on the left and he cut the ball back for Mario Balotelli waiting on the edge of the area to finish – the Italian lifting his shirt to reveal the message “Why always me?”, likely referencing firefighters being called to his house in the early hours of the previous day due to him and his friends setting off fireworks inside it.
Balotelli was able to find that space as Anderson failed to get back and defend – a common feature throughout. Silva often made use of this space too by remaining central, with Balotelli happy to balance the attack by drifting wide.
Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry offered greater quality on the ball than Fletcher and Anderson and the United pair couldn’t stop the City midfielders without leaving space behind them for Silva inside.
When Fletcher and Anderson push up to get tight to Toure and Barry, they leave space for Silva
By contrast, the only creativity the United pairing offered was Anderson’s occasional dribbles and, although Toure wouldn’t rush back to help back in defence, Barry would stick very close in front of the back four to cover. The midfield four also defended narrow, ensuring there were rarely any gaps for United to use.
Toure was slow to track back but Barry would position himself right on the toes of the back four
City’s midfield defend narrowly, leaving few gaps between them
Vincent Kompany kept a watchful eye over Rooney, ensuring the England striker wasn’t able to pick up the ball between the lines.
United were relying on their wingers for their attacking thrust, but after a successful opening few minutes Young found himself struggling to get much joy against Micah Richards, who put in an excellent performance, supported well by Milner. Chris Smallinng would get forward down the right but, considering today he’s thought of as poor with the ball for a centre-back, the next Cafu he was not – Nani was mainly sending in crosses from deep that rarely threatened City.
Ferguson may have made some adjustments at half-time but it was impossible to tell as any plans were thrown into disarray a minute later when Jonny Evans was sent off for pulling back Balotelli.
United shifted to a 4-4-1: Smalling was pulled inside alongside Rio Ferdinand, Fletcher dropped back to right-back and Rooney into a playmaking role in midfield. The previously anonymous Rooney’s eye for a pass helped United’s build-up but it was a disaster defensively, with City easily able to cut through into attack, getting their four attackers running at United back four.
City doubled their lead with a similar move to the first goal but this time from the right. Richards, Silva and Milner combined and the English winger hit a low cross for Balotelli to tap in.
Ferguson reacted with two changes, taking off Anderson and Nani for Phil Jones and Javier Hernandez. Jones filled in at right-back, allowing Fletcher to move back into midfield, while Hernandez took up the lone striking role – Welbeck dropping back to the left side of midfield as Young switched to the right.
It soon looked like Ferguson was simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic as City added a third. Toure slipped a pass through to Balotelli, who flicked it back to Milner between the lines. He spread it wide with one touch to Richards overlapping, and the marauding full-back hit another low cross towards the back post – this time Aguero finishing for his ninth league goal in as many games.
Fletcher managed to curl a shot past Joe Hart from the edge of the area with ten minutes remaining though and United pushed forward in hope of mounting an unlikely comeback, opening themselves up further for City.
The away side added a fourth from a corner then a fifth immediately after, winning the ball back as United attacked straight from kick-off and countering as Ferdinand and Smalling were left alone against three City attackers.
The win was rounded off with a comically simple sixth. City cleared the ball long, Smalling headed it back as far as Silva, who controlled and volleyed it back in behind Smalling for substitute Edin Dzeko to race onto and finish.
City won the game and went on to win the league that season on goal difference – their victory owed entirely to this match. With a difference between the Manchester clubs of eight goals, if this match were stricken from the record United would have bettered City’s goal difference 61 to 59.
United were still the team to beat though, claiming the title the next season as City put in an awful defence. Since then though their positions have reversed: United were floundering under David Moyes when City won their next title and, despite clawing their way back after a few seasons in the wilderness, they are still left trying to play catch-up to their noisy neighbours to this day.
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