2011 5-1 Victory vs Manchester United

Lore & Background

The match was both teams' ninth game of the season. This was the first time in the clubs' history that the first and second place faced off in the Manchester derby. Mario Balotelli opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, revealing a message on his undershirt that read 'Why Always Me?' Jonny Evans was given a red card in the 47th minute. City led at the break, and Balotelli scored his second in the 60th minute, with Sergio Agüero making it three shortly after. United scored a consolation goal through Darren Fletcher, but City scored three in injury time, with Edin Džeko scoring two and assisting David Silva, the recipient of the man of the match award.

Reader's Guide

The Manchester derby had taken place 73 times in history since 5 January 1895. In total, United had recorded 66 victories in competitive meetings with their rivals; City won 43 of the matches and there had been 50 draws. The outcomes at Old Trafford are 32 wins for United, 25 draws and 16 wins for City. In the Premier League, the teams had met 14 times; Manchester United had won nine matches, Manchester City had won one and there were four draws.

Did You Know?

• Mario Balotelli's undershirt message 'Why Always Me?' referenced off-the-field stories about him.
• The match was City's 100th with Roberto Mancini as manager.