Tactical Archive : Manchester United 1 Manchester City 6

Talk about a statement of intent. No one could have predicted the mauling that Manchester United succumbed that day. Complete humiliation in front of their own supporters. By their fierce cross town rivals. It was a day to forget for the Manchester United faithful as they made the journey home to the South.

POSSESSION

Manchester United - 49%
Manchester City - 51%

SHOTS ( ON TARGET / OFF TARGET / BLOCKED )

Manchester United - 4 / 3 / 4
Manchester City - 7 / 8 / 7

PASS ACCURACY

Manchester United - 83%
Manchester City - 86%

OFFSIDES

Manchester United - 1
Manchester City - 1

FOULS

Manchester United - 15
Manchester City - 12

TACKLES

Manchester United - 15
Manchester City - 19











Manchester United 0 Manchester City 1 : Balotelli 1st Goal

Manchester United make the fatal mistake of giving David Silva space in the final third. Smalling is distracted by the Spaniard and doesn't notice Milner pulling off to create space for himself.

Smalling doesn't pressure Milner quickly enough. Ferdinand and Evans fall back, which gives Balotelli a lot of space on the edge of the box. Fletcher and Anderson are nowhere to be seen.

Just look at the United defence shape. And the midfield shape. They deserve to concede the goal.
1-0 to Manchester City





WHO'S TO BLAME : CHRIS SMALLING



Manchester United 0 Manchester City 2 : Balotelli 2nd Goal

Evra switches from marking the most obvious threat, David Silva, to Micah Richards, who is much deeper. But Anderson has a lapse of concentration which allows Silva to move into the space on the right side. Bad defending on Evra's part

Milner loses his marker - Ashley Young - and heads into the direction of Silva, giving him an option.

Anderson is stood still while Milner breaks to the 6 yard box. And Balotelli pulls off of Smalling. 2-0 to Manchester City





WHO'S TO BLAME : ASHLEY YOUNG




Manchester United 0 Manchester City 3 : Aguero Goal

Yaya Toure's midfield splitting pass finds Balotelli who backheels to Milner. Jonny Evans had been sent off on 46' and Manchester United had been forced to make Evra and Smalling tuck in narrower as a 3 CB partner ship, leaving a lot of space for wingers and full backs to roam. Ferdinand commits to the interception and fails. Milner finds Micah Richards, who is allowed upfield due to Jonny Evans' dismissal, in a lot of space on the rigth.

Smalling doesn't know that Aguero running in behind him, because Jones probably has it covered. And there is only one outcome in this situation.









3-0 to Manchester City







WHO'S TO BLAME : JONNY EVANS




Manchester United 1 Manchester City 3 : Fletcher Goal

Rooney finds Fletcher in acres of space in the middle of the final third. Barry moves in to quickly pressurize and close him down.

Hernandez comes in deep to give Fletcher a passing option. Barry makes the oldest mistake in the book and follows the ball instead of the man.

Fletcher unleashes an unexpected right foot shot into the top corner that beats Joe Hart. 3-1 to Manchester City





WHO'S TO BLAME : GARETH BARRY





Manchester United 1 Manchester City 4 : Dzeko 1st Goal

Take a look at the situation. There are 5 defenders in the box, who are up against 3 attackers. Manchester City have no right to score from here. Especially when the defenders are Danny Welbeck, Darren Fletcher, Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, all of whom possess good heading ability. Take a look at what happens next.

Let's examine what went wrong :

1. Barry wins header - Why Danny Welbeck and Darren Fletcher are not able to beat the lumbering midfielder in the air is beyond me.
2. Jones and Smalling - I've seen bad defending in my time, hell, I am an Arsenal fan. But this is something else. I just don't know what the young duo were thinking when the ball came over to the near post. But it was probably, " Don't worry, Danny or Darren have got this ". But that is still no reason to clear out of defence so early.
3. Lescott run - Because Phil and Chris made that defensive error, Ferdinand is left with marking two people, and he opts for Dzeko. Meanwhile, Lescott makes a very intelligent run to the back post.

Ferdinand is frozen on the spot as Dzeko reacts quickly to tap in the goal from Lescott's pull back. De Gea shouldn't have commited himself to pushing the ball away and should have stayed on his feet. The Mancheter United defence is left with egg on their faces. Truly terrible defending. 4-1 to Mancehster City

WHO'S TO BLAME : JONES AND SMALLING

Manchester United 1 Manchester City 5 : Silva Goal

City hit Manchester United on the break and it is a 3v2 situation, Kolarov is bombing down the left to create a problem for Ferdinand and Smalling. Rio makes his move and moves in to close down Dzeko and narrow the passing angle to Silva.

Unfortunately, Dzeko's pass goes through Ferdinand's legs and leaves Silva with a lot of time to make a decision and exploit the space left by Rio. If I was De Gea, I would be charging down Silva and force him to make a split second decision. I know Szczesny would do it.

But De Gea stands his ground. This allows Silva to position himself for the finish, by leaning to the right. A rookie mistake by the young Spainard. 5-1 to Manchester City

WHO'S TO BLAME : DE GEA

Manchester United 1 Manchester City 6 : Dzeko 2nd Goal

A clearance from Lescott is incredibly poorly headed by Smalling straight to David Silva. That second that Smalling has lost to Dzeko will prove costly. Ferdinand has already given up on the game and looks disinterested.

Silva delivers an excellent ball between the CBs to an onrushing Dzeko. Look at the gap between Smalling and Dzeko. To the regular onlooker that is not much. But on the pitch, it seems like miles. No, really.

De Gea, this time, does leave his line, but doesn't commit to narrowing the shooting angle for Dzeko. And he pays for it when Dzeko finishes past his near post. Look at the gap between Edin and Smalling, he has closed the gap, but not enough. And he had 20-25 metres to close it. It is a lifetime on the pitch.

WHO'S TO BLAME : CHRIS SMALLING

Man Of The Match

It has to be the Spanish maestro, David Silva. He delivered, arguably, the best individual performance of the Premier League in that game. 92% pass accuracy, 1 goal, 1 assist, and put in 4 tackles to boot. And he also contributed 2 PBA's ( Pass Before Assist ).