Manchester United-Manchester City: Ratings for Players and Managers

Manchester City's shock 6-1 victory over rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford today has sent the blue half of the city five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

United set up their side to attack the wide areas and provide pace in the final third to trouble City, but it was the away side's guile and craft at the opposite end which won the day, the points and the local bragging rights.

While Alex Ferguson rues his worst day as a manager, Roberto Mancini will be delighted at the maturity, adventurism and clinical edge that his own team have shown.

Here are the ratings for both sets of players from the derby showdown—and how the managers did too.

United: Goalkeeper and Defence

David de Gea (5)

Chris Smalling (6), Rio Ferdinand (5), Jonny Evans (4), Patrice Evra (5)

Conceding six goals in a game is never a good thing; conceding six at home in a table-topping clash to your local rivals is just madness.

Questions were asked about both Jonny Evans' inclusion and the decision to leave Phil Jones on the bench, while Nemanja Vidic was left out entirely amid as-yet unsubstantiated rumours of a bust-up with manager Alex Ferguson.

David de Gea did not cover himself in glory with the second-half goals, while Rio Ferdinand should have been experienced enough and demanding enough of his defence to ensure they stayed tight at the back while just the one goal down, or even at 3-1 down, to leave the team in with a chance of getting back into it.

Instead, United were consistently left open, and City were ruthless in exploiting the space.

Evans had a nightmare and was sent off one minute into the second half, while Evra was more concerned with winning free kicks and trying to get City players in trouble that actually defending.

City: Goalkeeper and Defence

Joe Hart (6)

Micah Richards (9), Vincent Kompany (8), Joleon Lescott (8), Gael Clichy (7)

A really well-worked defensive unit was the cornerstone for City's win, despite the haul of six goals.

In the first half, they stayed in order and compact in the face of heavy spells of United possession, and never gave away a clear chance.

Joe Hart didn't have a save to make where he had to move his feet until he was beaten by Fletcher's goal.

Richards defended well in the first half and played as a right-winger almost in the second, constantly stretching United's 10 men and was a real menace in attack. Almost caught out a few times after United pulled one back, but his attacking intentions were a measure of City's will to win the game instead of just avoiding defeat.

Kompany was his usual extremely good self, while Lescott had one of his finest games I have seen him play.

United: Midfield

Nani (5), Darren Fletcher (7), Anderson (5), Ashley Young (6)

While Darren Fletcher did his usual box-to-box good work, he was not assisted in defence an awful lot by his partner Anderson. The Brazilian's distribution was also below par, and he offered little in attack aside from predictable passing.

Nani never got into the game, while Ashley Young was a willing runner all day long—but too often without an end product.

City: Midfield

David Silva (9), Yaya Toure (6), Gareth Barry (7), James Milner (9)

A virtuoso display from David Silva was the difference between the two sides in the final third.

Milner was brilliant and will probably get Man of the Match in the mainstream British media, and maybe deservedly so, but it was Silva's class which opened up so many chance-creating situations for City.

Maybe Milner's runs were key too, but someone still had to find him, and the assist-to-the-assist is so often David Silva, as was the case today. He also got the goal his game deserved, as he nutmegged de Gea late on.

Toure was quiet but effective in a more withdrawn role, while Gareth Barry was immense in pressuring the United midfield and helped tick over City's build up.

United: Forwards

Danny Welbeck (5), Wayne Rooney (5).

Welbeck would have been delighted to get the nod to start this game alongside Rooney, but he was unable to get the goal to justify his inclusion.

Rooney was forced deeper in the second half when Evans was sent off, but at no point did he really look like troubling City's organised defence. Welbeck tried to use his pace to run in behind, down the flanks or run at the defence from deep, but it was all to no avail, and neither striker even came close to scoring today.

City: Forwards

Sergio Aguero (7), Mario Balotelli (8).

Probably City's quietest and least effective attacking player, Aguero nonetheless continued his impressive start at the Etihad Stadium club with another goal today as a result of being in the right place at the right time.

Mario Balotelli made it six goals in his last five games with a well-taken brace, especially the first, which found the very far corner of the net from the edge of the box with a first time shot.

The pair didn't actually show too many signs of working in partnership, but when Milner and Silva were on their game so much today, they didn't need to; instead, each made runs which the midfield duo could pick out at will.

Subs and Managers

United: Hernandez (5), Jones (5).

City: Dzeko (7), Nasri (6), Kolarov (n/a).

Neither of the United subs were able to have any impact. Hernandez didn't touch the ball in the City penalty box, while Phil Jones barely got a touch playing on the right side as United looked to re-shape their line up late on.

Jones certainly didn't alter United's defence for the better, as they were left open time and time again for City to exploit in the game's latter stages.

Edin Dzeko scored twice in his 20 minutes on the pitch and could—should, perhaps—have had four goals; a shot with his first touches went just wide of the far post, while one 1-on-1 chance with de Gea was blasted over the bar.

Nasri didn't have too much to do, while Kolarov only went on for injury time.

Managers

Ferguson (5) His worst day as a manager, and with some reason. The supposed bust-up with Vidic meant his defence was without its real leader, and boy, did it show. Starting Rooney with Hernandez would also probably have been most United fans' preference, but it was in midfield, where Ferguson might think he has most work to do.

Mancini (9) By contrast, probably his best day as a City manager, eclipsing even the FA Cup win of last season. His team are five points clear and showed real determination, maturity and a togetherness to blitz United. His hard work probably starts now for the rest of the season to maintain this level of performance.