Manchester City closed the gap to the top of the table to six points courtesy of a 1-0 victory over local rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.
United were reduced to 10 men with just over five minutes remaining of the first half when Chris Smalling was shown a second yellow card for a rash challenge on James Milner.
City were forced to wait until just after the hour mark to take advantage of their extra man, with Sergio Aguero firing Gael Clichy's cutback past David de Gea.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at whether City deserved to claim the bragging rights from the first Manchester derby of the season.
Match statistics
Man City
Shots: 16
On target: 6
Possession: 52%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 15
Man Utd
Shots: 9
On target: 2
Possession: 48%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 9
Was the result fair?
The hosts were forced to withstand some heavy late pressure to claim the win this afternoon, but they did deserve all three points on the balance of play. It was an even and intriguing contest up until the red card, from which point City began to take control of the game. There was an air of inevitability about the goal, and there was little doubt that City deserved it when it came.
United more than held their own in the first half, seeing plenty of the ball, but it was City who created the better chances. De Gea was forced into two good stops in quick succession before the break, while Joe Hart was not really tested until the final 20 minutes. City also hit the post before hanging on in the final 15 minutes, so it could have been game over much earlier.
A late equaliser would not have flattered United given the pressure that they were applying in the closing 15 minutes, but they failed to use their possession well enough over the whole 90 and can have few complaints at having lost the game. They did well to limit it to just 1-0 having played the majority of the game with just 10 men.
Man City's performance
A win was vital this afternoon, and the manner in which is came was very much of secondary importance. They would have been at least eight points off the pace in the title race had they not picked up the victory, while they would not have wanted to go into their must-win Champions League match against CSKA Moscow without a victory in four games.
The performance itself this afternoon was a bit of a mixed bag. They struggled to settle into the match early on and failed to impose themselves on United despite having home advantage. It took the red card for that to change, and City soon gained control and began to pile the pressure on as it became one-way traffic.
Their recent form was evident in the nervousness of the final 15 minutes, however. The hosts simply could not keep hold of the ball, inviting wave after wave of United pressure onto them. Instead of seeing the match out, which they should have been able to do with their numerical advantage, they were left clinging on and only just escaped with all three points. That will worry Manuel Pellegrini, but overall he will be happy with having picked up the win.
Man Utd's performance
Louis van Gaal will have been very happy with how his side performed for the first 40 minutes or so, but Smalling's reckless red card gave his side a mountain to climb. Suddenly they were unable to commit as many men forward, and the main priority became self-preservation rather than looking for a goal themselves.
They did well to hold out for so long, thanks largely to some good work from De Gea, but the goal had been coming for some time when it finally arrived. Even so, despite the odds being stacked against them, United did not let their heads drop and responded with a period of dominance in the final 15 minutes.
They could not find a way through despite their heavy pressure, but even though his side lost the game, Van Gaal will take positives from the performance. They have held their own against both Chelsea and City in the last two weeks and, while it is now United's worst start to a campaign for 30 years, there are promising signs on the horizon.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Sergio Aguero: No player really stood head and shoulders above the rest today, but Aguero was his usual busy self up front and gave the United defence more problems than anyone else. He took his goal brilliantly and could have had one or two more but for De Gea.
Biggest gaffe
This one is easy. Quite what Smalling was thinking when he lunged into a challenge on Milner having already picked up a stupid yellow card, only he will know. His first caution came when he needlessly tried to block Hart's kick out of his hands, while he could have no complaints about the second as he upended Milner. That resulted in a deserved red card that left his side up against it.
Referee performance
Michael Oliver had a very busy game this afternoon, and it must be said that he did not have a very good one. The red card was a clear decision which he got right, but there were at least three penalty calls - all for Manchester City - that he turned down. Each one could easily have been given by a different referee, and United were very fortunate to get away without conceding a spot kick today.
What next?
Man City: City turn their attention to European duties and a must-win clash with CSKA Moscow at the Etihad on Wednesday.
Man Utd: United, meanwhile, will look to get back to winning ways when they host Crystal Palace next Saturday.
Barney Corkhill
