Manchester United Take The Honours As Rooney Notches Up His Ton

A couple of years ago Manchester City launched an advertising campaign that claimed: ‘This is Our City'. Well I got news for them, no it isn't.

Any Manchester City supporters who were thinking of their new found wealth and how they can compete on an even playing field with United can forget it. At least in the short term.

This game just highlighted the gulf between the two teams. Manchester United are the real thing, the finished article, Champions of England and Champions of Europe and City are "under construction", so to speak.

City were simply out played and players such as Rooney, Carrick, Da Silva and Fletcher stood out but my man of the match was Ji-Sung Park, or 'Three Lung Park', as he is affectionately known.

How that guy can cover so much ground and just never give up is remarkable. It was the efforts of Ji-Sung Park that actually lead to the goal.

He was chasing around the 18 yard box for the ball, snapping at the ankles of the City players and eventually he got the ball and flicked it wide to Carrick who shot across goal and Rooney fired in the rebound from Jo Hart's save.

This was Rooney's 100th club goal and the game was the 150th Manchester derby.

Park never gets much praise but he is a great squad player and today his effort and work rate were second to none.

As for City's superstars Robinho and Micah Richards, did they actually play, I didn't notice.

The Ronaldo sending off will remain a mystery to me. He ran in to try and connect with Rooney's corner, he was at least three feet higher than any other player with a clear header on goal and he parried the ball away with his hands. Why would he do that ?

When the dust settled, though, United’s win was undeniably just.

For now, at least, United remain - in Rooney’s words - the "Kings of Manchester". Carly's United Blog