Aguero double propels City to derby rout of Man United

Sergio Aguero scored twice as Manchester City outran, outmuscled and outclassed Manchester United in a 4-1 victory at the Etihad stadium on Sunday that exposed the Premier League champions' weaknesses in all departments.

Aguero volleyed City ahead after 16 minutes and made it 3-0 in the opening minute of the second half after Yaya Toure had put the home side in command on the stroke of halftime.

United's defence was sliced wide open again when Samir Nasri volleyed home after 50 minutes and manager David Moyes's first Manchester derby descended into a nightmare.

Wayne Rooney's curling free kick was the only ray of sunshine for United, who have now lost four of the last five league derbies with City who climbed to third in the table with 10 points, two behind leaders Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

United are in eighth place with seven points from five matches.

The big screen at the Etihad had showed a re-run of the goals from City's 6-1 thrashing of United at Old Trafford two seasons ago, when the team from the blue side of the city went on to win the title, and those visions seemed to set the tone.

United had already started the day badly when striker Robin van Persie was ruled out with a groin strain and it got worse as last season's runners-up City trampled all over them from the start.

City barely missed David Silva, who had not recovered in time from a thigh injury, with the nippy Jesus Navas, Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero posing United problems with every push forward.

The hosts' dominance was soon rewarded. Nasri shook off Chris Smalling down the left and his flick found Aleksandar Kolarov whose accurate cross was deftly volleyed home by Aguero to send home fans wild on a warm afternoon in Manchester.

City continued to dominate with centre back Vincent Kompany easily keeping increasingly frustrated United striker Rooney at bay, Toure winning the physical battle of the midfield and their attackers playing with a hunger the visitors just did not have.

Rooney, who had come into the game in good form having scored three goals in his previous two matches, lacked decent service from a mediocre midfield with wingers Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young falling short on pace and imagination.

City, whose manager Manuel Pellegrini was like Moyes in charge of his first Manchester derby, were in danger of going into the break with only a slim advantage to show for their supremacy but Nasri's stoppage-time corner provided just rewards.

The Frenchman swung the ball in, finding Negredo whose header was helped into the net by Toure's leg for the Ivorian's third league goal of the season.

BIG SCORELINE

Having sealed the title in 2012 on goal difference from United, City know only too well how important the winning margin can be and they turned the screw immediately after the restart.

Kolarov fed Negredo whose cross to the back post was all to easily tapped in by Aguero as the United defence's sluggishness and carelessness was once again exposed.

As Moyes's men threw themselves forward in a bid to get back into the game, they created yet more space for their hosts who scented a big scoreline would be on the cards.

Their fourth came on 50 minutes when Navas again evaded anything approaching a United challenge and was given a host of options as Kompany, Negredo and Nasri lurked with the Spaniard plumping for the Frenchman who side-footed home.

Nasri celebrated with a few punches in the direction of the corner flag but it was United who really felt the blows.

They did, however manage to stem the flow of goals, and conjured chances for Rooney, Marouane Fellaini and Patrice Evra, who hit the post, before netting an 86th-minute consolation goal.

Rooney, who at times had seemed like United's only midfielder or striker, aimed a superb free kick into the top right corner and although Joe Hart got a hand to it he could not keep it out.

It prevented a fourth clean sheet of the league season for City but that was about the only positive for the champions whose manager says they have had the hardest start to the fixtures list of any of the top teams.

They have faced Chelsea, bitter rivals Liverpool and City in their opening five games, picking up just one point from those three tricky matches and can have few arguments that they deserved any more.


FULL TIME

Manchester City overwhelmed Manchester United 4-1 in their derby clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Sergio Aguero and Toure stole the thunder off Manchester United drilling home goals to perfection in the first half of the game.

Manchester City's head coach Manuel Pellegrini's side faced a sterner test against a Manchester United side without star Robin van Persie but City rose above all odds to display sheer skill to outmatch their rivals with an outstanding performance.

The Chilean looked towards his defence as a means of denying United scoring opportunities.

Wayne Rooney tasked with breaking down the resolute City backline was yellow carded as he laboured hard scripting moves into the rivals box.

However, with six of the last seven meetings between both sides at the Etihad seeing fewer than two goals scored, a tight low scoring affair was expected on the cards.

But City got off to a flying start in the first half and came back strongly in the second half dominating the match in all departments of the game.

Aguero slamed home two goals with Toure and Nasri adding their names to the score sheet. United looked outmatched with Rooney missing a sitter and went on to convert a clever freekick at the edge of the box to give United some consolation.

Full time whistle and Manchester City win 4-1 against Manchester United.

90" Three minutes added to regular time.

89" United make haste with Carrick and Valencia making bold attempts into the box but City are at their best form today and the stubborn defene are well prepared to nip United in the box.

86" GOAL! Rooney curls home a free-kick to net a consolation for United, who trail 4-1 at City.

83" Rooney labours hard and Nastasic brings him down at the edge of the box to earn a freekick, but City make a quick substitution with Garcia replacing  Aguero.

81" Evra hits the post with a header and somehow City clear following a scramble inside the box.

78" Dzeko almost came close to adding his name on the score sheet with De Gea fumbling and the ball jumping off his hands and almost rolled into the net.

76" Milner and Dzeko make their presence felt as United defence scramble back to defend the oncoming threat.

75" City make their second change with Negredo being replaced by Dzeko.

71" Man City make their first change as James Milner comes on for Jesus Navas.

70" YELLOW! for Valencia and City get back on top of their attack with Aguero threatening De Gea once again under the crossbar.

68" Joe Hart pushes out Fellaini's shot taken from the edge of the box which dips dangerously but read well by the City keeper.

64" United are persistent with Carrick, Young and  Welbeck moving the ball around but Kompany intercepts the move.

60" Smalling attempts to get on top of the ball and United win a free kick at the edge of the box. Rooney slams the ball into the City wall.

59" United surge ahead with Evra and Rooney on the ball but Aguero wins the ball and makes a dash from the midfield to feed Kolarov who back heels the ball to Toure in the right flank.

54" City look in perfect control with two goals being added early in the second half.

United make desperate attempts with Rooney making inroads and misses a sitter off a  cross from the left flank in the box.

50" GOAL! Nasri drills home a first-time shot with Navas dribbling from the midfield and unleashing a cross from the right flank to the Frenchman who puts City well ahead at this point of the game.

46" GOAL! Nasri flicks ball to Negredo in the box who rolls back the ball to Aguero in front of the box, who falls in line to make no mistake to tap in the ball beating De Gea under the bar.

HALF TIME

At half time Manchester City get a boost a 2-0 lead with United simply outmatched by their strong rivals at this point of the game.

45" GOAL! Toure slides in the nick of time to latch on Nasri's corner slamming home the second goal to pile misery on United at the closing minutes of the first half of the match.

43" United earn a free kick with Rooney slamming the ball from the edge of the box, but Toure stabs the ball out of United's contention. City press hard on the ounter with Nasri taking a corner .

41" Both sides fight hard with Valencia attempting a shot from midfield with the ball going well off the mark.

38" Negredo latches onto a long pass in the midfield to dribble past the United defence taking a shot at the edge of the box but the balls deflects off Rio for a corner.

35" United hover around the City box with Evra, Rooney, and Young moving the ball around but Hart is hardly tested under the crossbar.

29" United move the ball around in the midfield. Kolarov blocks Evra.

City look in command at this stage of the game with more ball possesion. Young wins a loose ball but Toure and Aguero step in to steal the show from United.

29th YELLOW for Rooney with referee Howard Webb's patience being tested long on earlier after a warning for a dangerous tackle earlier in the game.

24" City earn a free kick at the edge of the box with Nasri setting up Aguero, but De Gea reads well the move for a safe collect.

21" United muscle their way into City's box with Rooney, but was flagged offside with a mistimed shop going way off the mark.

A classy finish from Aguero gives Manchester City the lead. Aleksandar Kolarov's cross was a well read in time flick the ball over his shoulder and into the net.

18" GOAL! Sergio Aguero slams home a perfect pass in the box to put City ahead.

12 Toure and Nasri co-ordinate well but United defensive look solid with Toure attempting a desperate shot defleting for a corner.

7" United work on pace and power as City stepon the offensive. Vidic heads out the ball for a City corner kick.

6" First booking of the game goes to Nastasic following an aerial challenge on Smalling.

3" City step up the attack to win a corner but fail to covert but Navas latches onto a mispass in the box to volley the ball over the crossbar.

1" City on the offensive with Kompany storming into the box with Welbeck winning the ball over for United.

A must-win game for both teams.

The teams are in the tunnel ready to step out for the 166th Manchester derby.

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie not included in the squad for the Manchester derby due to a thigh injury, according to BBC Sport.

"We thought Robin would be okay. We gave him every chance. It's nothing serious. He could be involved on Wednesday (vs. @LFC)," according to United manager David Moyes (‏@ManUtd).

The Dutchman misses his first Premier League match since March 2011.

The big news is that there is no Robin van Persie in the Manchester United squad.

Welbeck starts, with Fellaini and Smalling also coming into the team.

PLAYING XI

Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Toure; Navas, Aguero, Nasri; Negredo.

Subs: Pantilimon, Lescott, Richards, Garcia, Milner, Jovetic, Dzeko.

Manchester United: De Gea; Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini, Young; Rooney, Welbeck.

Subs: Amos, Evans, Hernandez, Nani, Cleverley, Kagawa, Buttner

PREVIEW

Manchester United travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on Sunday with Manuel  Pellegrini and David Moyes meeting in their first Manchester derby clash after steady starts this season.

Manchester City boss Pellegrini has two wins, a draw and a defeat in his four Premier League games after replacing Roberto Mancini, while United counterpart Moyes has a similar record after succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson.

Moyes will hope to emulate last season's dramatic 3-2 win for United and also maintain his own excellent record at the Etihad Stadium. The Scot won on four of his last six visits as Everton manager, losing just once.

Both teams have new managers securing strong opening victories in the Champions League.

Last week's 2-0 success over Crystal Palace was Moyes' first win at Old Trafford before he celebrated his first Champions League group game as a manager beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 at home on Tuesday.

Wayne Rooney was in top form in that game scoring twice. Rooney, who was described by Moyes as 'world class' after the Leverkusen win, put United 2-0 up before Robin van Persie's deflected free-kick stole the points in stoppage-time after Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta had drawn City level.

Pellegrini is familiar with low-scoring affairs against United and despite injuries hitting City's defence, they have kept clean sheets in four of their five games so far this season.

City impressed in Europe in midweek after a 3-0 win over Viktoria Plzen and Pellegrini is seeking a hat-trick of home wins in the Premier League after beating Newcastle and Hull City 4-0 and 2-0 respectively.

The Manchester derby has been volatile in the past three years, with recent score-lines of 6-1, 3-2, and 2-1 showing that goals are to be expected on Sunday. With teams so evenly matched all across the field, the game could come down to individual clashes.

The final score-line may rest on which player or players take their opportunities, last year, Wayne Rooney gave United a 2-0 lead at half after City were much the better team. In games like these decisive striking is paramount.

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