The build-up for the derby was so hyperbolic and all-pervading that it almost felt like a cup final rather than a league match, and that's how it played out. The play was tight, with neither team willing to over-commit and few chances. We were clearly the more nervous at the beginning of the game, and I was worried we were in for a tough time. However, we remembered quite early on that we are, and have been all season, the best team in the country, and began to put them to the sword.
That the goal would come from a (slight) mistake and a set piece was not surprising though, and what a header. If there is a captain more inspiring, intelligent and consistently excellent I'm yet to see him play. I just can't speak highly enough of Kompany. He is a credit to the club and his defending is as thrilling as Sergio's attacking. To hear him speaking articulately in his press conferences is a delight and makes me proud to support the club that he leads. The fact that he's triple hard is just another reason to love him.
But what an achievement to prevent United from even having an attempt on target. There was no doubt that the better team took the spoils, we outplayed them in every department and thoroughly deserved to go level on points. In the run-up to the game it was mentioned a few times that we hadn't scored at home against them in the league for nearly five years, since Geovanni's deflected winner at the start of the madness of the Thaksin/Sven era (as an aside, remember Ferguson's expression when it looked like Tevez had scored but then he hadn't? Heh heh...). I think the reason for that became clear last Monday - Ferguson has been worried about us for a few years now, and has gone defensive for the last few occasions we've played them. The difference is that now we have the players to score when they park their big red bus. We've scored the most goals from corners now apparently, a far cry from a few seasons ago when we didn't score from a corner until Onuoha at Tottenham in about April.
My dad was saying after Wolves game that Newcastle away was a much harder challenge than United at home and that was certainly how it felt in the week up to the game. It would be 'typical City', surely, to beat United home and away and then contrive to lose to Newcastle or QPR (or both). It was a nail-biting 70 minutes but when you've got Yaya you've always got a chance. He's got the ability to impose himself on the game through his physicality, technique and desire that effectively won us the FA Cup last season, and his two goals have put us in the position where we can at last admit that we are (just) favourites for the league.
Of course, if we won 1-0 but United won 10-0 I wouldn't be entirely surprised. City are still City in my mind, even if we now look like a 'proper' team on the pitch. I would be disappointed if we relegate QPR on Sunday - I don't care about Hughes, I was never convinced (especially with him being an ex-Rag), and I am always shocked to remember we've still got some of his dreadful signings on our wage bill (Santa Cruz, Bridge, Adebayor), but Shauny, Nedum and even Joey Barton are three of my favourite players of all time, and great examples of graduates from our academy.
So, we've got a good chance. If we keep the attacking side we've had in the last few weeks, and don't do anything silly, then who knows. Just hope Wes Brown and John O'Shea haven't planned to knock in 5 own goals each.
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