Manchester United's Wayne Rooney, left, reacts after a goal as his team are beaten 6-1 by Manchester City in their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
MANCHESTER, England— Manchester City thrashed fierce rival Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday to hand Alex Ferguson his heaviest defeat in 25 years in charge.
“I’m shattered, I can’t believe it,” a shocked Ferguson said after seeing his side’s 37-match unbeaten run at home come to a dramatic halt.
Mario Balotelli scored twice for a rampant City and Sergio Aguero added a third. Two late goals from Edin Dzeko and another from David Silva earned City its biggest win at Old Trafford since winning 5-0 in 1955 — the last time United lost by five in the topflight.
Jonny Evans, the United central defender who was at fault for Balotelli’s opening goal, was shown a straight red card in the 46th minute for a foul on the Italian forward.
Darren Fletcher had given United a glimmer of hope when he scored in the 81st to make it 3-1, but with United piling forward in search of an unlikely point, City took full advantage with three goals in the last four minutes.
City, which won the last of its two topflight titles in 1968, leads the 19-time champions by five points after nine games.
City manager Roberto Mancini said the result was “important for our confidence,” but added: “This is only one game.
“United is better than us.”
For the first hour, Balotelli took center stage, not least because of the latest bizarre off-field incident in which he had been embroiled over the weekend.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, two fire engines were sent to the 21-year-old Italy international’s home to douse a fire caused by a firework in his bathroom.
However, he was selected ahead of Dzeko and rewarded that decision in the 21st minute when Silva’s pass allowed James Milner to pull the ball back for Balotelli to convert an exquisite first-time right-foot finish from the edge of the penalty area.
Not content with the goal, Balotelli raised his jersey to display a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Why always me” which earned him a booking from referee Mark Clattenburg.
It hardly affected him, or City, and United’s fate was sealed a minute into the second half when Evans pulled back the Italian on the edge of the area and was dismissed.
It took City until the hour mark to make United pay when Silva and Milner combined once more, the latter crossing for Balotelli to convert easily at the far post.
Chances continued to fall for City and Aguero was the next player on the scoresheet after 68 minutes as Milner’s pass sent defender Micah Richards to the byline and he crossed into the six-yard area for the Argentine striker to convert from close range.
Balotelli was taken off, for fear that he might collect another yellow card, and replacement Dzeko might have scored before Fletcher exchanged passes with Javier Hernandez and curled in his team’s consolation goal from 20 yards after 81 minutes.
However, City would not be denied and scored three times in as many minutes over the closing stages.
In the last minute of normal time, Gareth Barry flicked on a corner and Joleon Lescott pulled the ball back across goal and into the United goal via Dzeko’s knee.
A minute later, Dzeko’s pass freed Silva to advance half the length of the field and beat the exposed David de Gea. Then, in the final of the three minutes of stoppage time, the same pair combined, Silva this time passing to Dzeko who had time and space to advance before completing the victory with a strong finish past De Gea.