1) Never mind the title, City may not finish in top four



The Stretford End serenaded Manuel Pellegrini with the inevitable chant of “Sacked in the morning” once Juan Mata put the derby beyond doubt and, though his employers insist that is not the case, this demoralising defeat will surely prompt some soul-searchingin Abu Dhabi should it contribute to his side’s failure to qualify for the Champions League. Forget retaining the Premier League title, City’s vision of a permanent place among the European elite is in jeopardy on current form. Pellegrini’s side have now won only four of their last 15 fixtures in all competitions, an appalling return from defending champions who were joint top on New Year’s Day, and Liverpool can close the gap to four points with a home victory over struggling Newcastle United on Monday. In keeping with City’s performance at Old Trafford, the Chilean’s defence is weak.

2) English winger outshines his Spanish rivals

One would have got long odds last year on Ashley Young being the most effective winger in a Manchester derby featuring Juan Mata, David Silva and Jesús Navas but the 29-year-old eclipsed the Spanish trio with a hugely influential display at Old Trafford. Young’s equaliser – only his second goal of the campaign – may have been fortunate and City’s defence gave him far too much room to cross for Marouane Fellaini’s header but his first goal plus assists in a game in over three years were reward for a dominant display down United’s left. Louis van Gaal’s current preference for Young over the club’s record signing, Ángel di María, appears to have infused the England international with confidence and United reaped the benefits. “He was our best player,” said the Dutchman.

3) A result that underlined the contrast in character



Many teams might have folded under the relentless pressure and movement that Manchester City applied at the start of the game. Sergio Agüero’s eighth-minute goal had been coming from the off. Instead Manchester United dug in, held their nerve and ground their opponents into submission with their workrate and spirit as much as the quality of their play. Van Gaal’s inherent belief in his methods is clearly shared by his players at Old Trafford and that has driven them four points clear of their local rivals.

City’s willingness to fight for victory, by contrast, was painfully lacking as was their willingness to take any defensive responsibility throughout the game. “Maybe it is something we can be concerned about,” the City manager said. “The spirit wasn’t our real spirit.” That condemns Pellegrini just as much as their results in recent months.

4) Captain Kompany could do with an extended rest

Opinion was split on tribal lines over whether Vincent Kompany’s shin-high foul on Danny Blind shortly before half-time deserved a red card, although there could be few complaints over Mark Clattenburg’s decision to give the City captain the benefit of the doubt and only book him. The referee was also correct to ignore City protests when Fellaini caught Martin Demichelis with a flailing arm to the face in the second half. Of greater concern to Pellegrini will be the increasing evidence that injuries are catching up with Kompany, who was replaced at the interval due to another problem, and result in the Belgian arriving into too many challenges a fraction late. The 29-year-old gripped his thigh before sliding into Blind and clearly needs a tournament-free summer to recuperate.

5) Fellaini and Jones encapsulate industry of Van Gaal’s United



Old Trafford rose in unison – with the exception of the away corner, of course – to applaud Phil Jones and Fellaini from the pitch when they were replaced late on by Marcos Rojo and Radamel Falcao respectively. The standing ovations were for two commanding performances. Neither the Belgium midfielder nor the England defender will ever meet the Old Trafford criteria for players of finesse but both epitomised the strength and tenacity behind United’s first home derby win in four seasons. Jones’ appreciation of the danger behind him remains a work in progress but the timing of his challenges was immaculate, as well as his authority in the air. As at Anfield, Fellaini demonstrated he has become a big-game asset for Van Gaal.