Robbie's dazzlers star as City thrash United

Has there ever been a more shocking Premier League scoreline?

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City

Where to start?

Well, there's only one place to start. Take a look at the scoreline. Manchester United 1 Manchester City 6. Incredible. Even the most optimistic of City supporters couldn't have dreamt of this.

Of course, the scoreline was skewed by Jonny Evans' sending off and United's late naivety, but nobody saw this coming.

The visitors arrived at Old Trafford as title pretenders and left as title favourites. Never before has a statement of intent been more effectively delivered.

The day had started rather predictably, with Mario Balotelli in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

He reportedly set his house on fire after setting fireworks off in his bathroom, but his performance against United demonstrated why Roberto Mancini feels he is worth the trouble.

The only fireworks from Balotelli which mattered were on the pitch.

His nonchalant finish for the opener gave City the foothold they needed to put their neighbours to the sword.

They say goals change games, and this was a definite example of that.

Balotelli's shot gave David De Gea very little chance of saving it

Before Balotelli's 22nd minute strike, United were the better side.

They were quicker to every ball, beginning to threaten and making City's tactics look inept.

One swing of Balotelli's right boot later though and all that changed.

Suddenly it was City quicker to every ball, producing magic and looking menacing.

It was a great finish by Balotelli, too.

The excellent James Milner found him in space just inside the box, before Balotelli coolly slotted the ball into David De Gea's bottom left corner to set City on their way.

Balotelli's humourous celebration earned him a booking

After scoring, the Italian lifted his jersey to reveal a t-shirt with "Why always me" daubed on it, and just 63 seconds into the second half, Jonny Evans must have been thinking exactly that.

The Northern Irishman hauled Balotelli down just outside the box and was the last man, with referee Mark Clattenburg given very little choice but to give him his marching orders. That was when the rot set in for United. City seized their opportunity.

The second goal, the one to almost see United off, arrived soon after.

On 60 minutes, David Silva and Milner combined before the latter's cross left Balotelli with an open goal, which he duly converted.

United were always dangerous but City were even more so.

Milner was again central to their third, playing in the superb Micah Richards who found Sergio Aguero in the middle, with the Argentinean on hand to beat De Gea.

Aguero was perhaps the quietest of City's attacking talents, but it was typical of him to get in on the act.

Darren Fletcher's fantastically controlled side-footer with nine minutes left raised hope of a home comeback, but there was to be no reprieve today for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Substitute Edin Dzeko made it 4-1 in the last minute of normal time when Joleon Lescott retrieved a corner to leave the unmarked Bosnian with an open goal, David Silva grabbed a deserved goal by slotting the ball through De Gea's legs when United were slit open and he was played in by Dzeko, and Dzeko rounded things off with his second after Silva's exquisite take-down and pass in his own half set him one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

City's players, staff and fans were in dreamland after Dzeko rounded things off with the sixth

This was ultimate humiliation for United. Never, in the Premier League era at least, have they been so humbled.

The fact this performance came against their nearest rivals will have made it all the more painful.

United looked weak in the centre of midfield, with Anderson and Darren Fletcher giving the ball away too often even when it was 11-a-side and the duo lacked creativity throughout.

The Red Devils' magnificent start to the season made Paul Scholes' retirement and Ferguson's failure to replace him seem irrelevant, but this game demonstrated exactly what they were missing.

When they went down to 10 men, Scholes would have kept the ball and given United the composure and threat going forward they needed, but they simply couldn't get a foothold without him.

They were heavily linked with Wesley Sneijder over the summer and his star quality could also have been crucial here.

Wayne Rooney never stopped trying but cut a frustrated figure, Rio Ferdinand couldn't cope with Mancini's dazzlers and Patrice Evra will have been disappointed with his role in some of City's goals, but let's give City the credit they deserve. They were given a chance and boy did they take it.

Milner was at the heart of it at both ends of the pitch.

Milner was unlucky to miss out on the man of the match award

His work-rate surely makes him one of the first names on the teamsheet for the bigger games but it was more than that he showed at Old Trafford.

He was incredibly influential in forward areas and played a key part for some of the goals, while his defensive work should not go unnoticed.

It really was a sensational performance by Milner, a forever underrated talent who is just beginning to get the recognition he deserves.

Balotelli put his off-the-pitch distractions to one side to score twice and play a key role in Evans's sending off. The negativity off-the-pitch is now becoming a side issue rather than a distraction with him performing like this.

David Silva's performance also should not be overlooked.

Silva is fast becoming one of the world's best players

The little Spaniard is quite simply a magician and his role in the final goal summed him up.

He very rarely gives the ball away and he is forever supplying bullets for City's firepower, but his control and pass for the sixth was sublime even by his standards.

To take the ball down the way he did and play such a perfectly weighted through ball with his next touch was incredible.

How United could do with someone like him in their midfield.

His passing and vision is second to none and he is the man who turns City from a great team to an incredible team.

If they can play like this on a regular basis, they could beat anybody.

Micah Richards seemed to be everywhere during the game

Micah Richards also deserves a mention.

He picked up the man-of-the-match award for his great defensive qualities and marauding runs into United's half.

His presence meant Patrice Evra was always kept on his toes and unsure of whether to attack or defend, with Richards attacking so intently with powerful runs.

With Richards in this form, there are no better right-backs in the country. An England recall surely beckons.

Mancini should be given all the credit for the way he has his team playing.

At times last season his side were dull and content to sneak results, but it is a different story now and they are a joy to watch.

Mancini has got his side playing with incredible style and flair

From now on they should be known as 'Robbie's dazzlers'.

Just a couple of weeks ago in Munich, his substitutions were in the headlines for all the wrong reasons but the whole Carlos Tevez affair is all but forgotten now, with Mancini again making great changes.

His subs made a great impact against Villarreal in midweek and they were key again.

Of course, he is lucky to have such a strong bench but his decision to bring off Balotelli and replace him with Dzeko was sensible and brave.

With Balotelli on a hat-trick and being the volatile character he is, it would have been easy for him to react with sheer anger to being brought off but Mancini made the correct decision.

Balotelli didn't complain and Dzeko, with a point to prove, wreaked havoc and scored twice.

Balotelli was on a booking after his celebration for the first goal and is always a man liable to be sent off, so Mancini was right not to give United any chance of getting back into the game by removing the chance of his team going down to 10 men.

In truth, something like this has been coming all season for United.

Fernando Torres missed his golden chance at Old Trafford, but the fact he got the opportunity shows how fragile United are at the back

Chelsea created a hat-load of chances at Old Trafford, as did Arsenal and even promoted Norwich, but City were clinical and capitalised on any United errors.

City have been tearing teams apart on their own patches all season, most notably with their 5-1 win at Tottenham, and United should have been more prepared for the dangers.

They were so naive at the end it was incredible.

In stoppage time at 4-1 down and down to 10 men, the sensible thing to do would be to shut up shop and take your medicine.

But Evra and co kept attacking - admirable according to Mancini but suicidal according to Ferguson - and City were allowed to inflict total humiliation on their rivals with two stoppage time strikes.

Ferguson must take some of the blame for that but the experienced players, particularly Rio Ferdinand and Evra, should have known better.

Ferdinand looks finished as a top level performer and it would not be a surprise to see him become a bit-part player now, with Chris Smalling and Phil Jones ready to step up.

Ferguson described the defeat as his worst in football

The biggest challenge for Ferguson will be picking his players up off the floor.

They will have felt embarrassed and distraught with the scoreline but if there's one thing that has been learned from 19 years of United dominance, it's to never write them off.

City are no longer overawed by them though, and why should they?

They have the best English keeper in a long time in Joe Hart, a rock at the back in Vincent Kompany, quality with both full-backs and a set of flair players to set pulses racing.

City are rampant and are now worthy title favourites, but how will they deal with that pressure? On the evidence of this performance, nothing should faze them.

Ferguson may now be regretting his statement a couple of years ago which demeaned City and suggested United would overcome their challenge.

The noisy neighbours are having a party and ready to take over.