Mario Balotelli rarely shows any joy in the game when he plays

Manchester City should make that clear today, telling the world that the hot-headed young Italian striker has forfeited that privilege and honour of English football with his disgraceful goading of Manchester United fans at the end of yesterday’s epic encounter. If they don’t, the Football Association should do it for them. While the rest of his City team-mates were celebrating a thrilling and thoroughly deserved victory, Balotelli decided he would stamp towards the United section, aggressively gesturing with his shirt. The lack of respect for the game of football, as well as the opponents, was obvious. If the reaction of some of United’s players was over the top, and it was, the fact is that Balotelli’s actions were totally unacceptable. Fighting between supporters has marred several recent matches between City and United, and players have a particular responsibility not to provoke any further animosity.

Team-mates tried to pull Balotelli away from the aggravation he caused. So did some of the City staff. Instead of wanting to join in the jubilation, he still preferred to chase trouble. Perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised. Balotelli rarely shows any joy in the game when he plays. He came from Inter Milan with a reputation for discord. It was a gamble by City manager Roberto Mancini to play him yesterday ahead of Edin Dzeko. It was a gamble that proved immaterial during the match, where Balotelli was only fitfully involved, but even here he managed to anger the City fans and his manager. Ten minutes before the final whistle you could see Mancini furious with frustration at Balotelli’s inability or unwillingness to hold his tactical position as City tried to protect their 1-0 advantage. Mancini gave his player a fearful verbal volley.

During injury time, the anger rained down from the City crowd as Balotelli shot wildly and selfishly from 35 yards when the rest of his team were sensibly trying to play keep-ball. If he is such trouble, why then was the kid playing at all? We saw a glimpse of his immense football ability in the 34th minute; receiving the ball in midfield, turning swiftly, bursting forward and shooting with such power and swerve from more than 30 yards that only a fine save prevented a goal for the ages. It is a curious ability for a footballer to enrage just about everyone in a stadium on both sides of a deeply felt divide. Mario Balotelli managed it. If we doubted the wisdom of Mancini in selecting him, what could not be doubted is that the best team won on the day. City were clearly superior – sharper in the tackle and on the ball.

It meant more to them than it did to United. It was as plain as that, once a nervous start had been overcome. Only in the first 25 minutes did the Reds of Manchester look winners, when the veteran Paul Scholes was running the midfield. He earned a time-honoured rattle of applause from United fans when he was the fulcrum of a passage of crisp passing play. They have seen it so often through the last 15 years, seen it give United control of matches. It was appreciation for football excellence created with loving care. How ironic it was, then, that a rare passing error by United was the gift that gave City the winning goal – Michael Carrick finding Yaya Toure rather than Scholes and watching helplessly as the Ivorian scored.