Manchester Derby: 1 Goal, 0 Mancunians

It was a Blue day in England's Northwest on Sunday.

Not as in the infamous old blue laws that kept stores closed and pubs shut.

And yet, there were as many locals in those establishments back then -- ie- none --as there were on the pitch. It was a virtual United Nations out there. But that's what happens when the Premiership becomes the world's richest sports league.

On this day, derby honors went to an Argentine, Sergio Agüero, for the match's shining moment:

That afforded City the bragging rights over the Reds till they meet again on 11 April. The defending Premiership champions have now made it four on the trot against their arch-nemesis.

The Manchester Derby is always an intriguing encounter, and so it was again. The Red Devils entered the Etihad hoping for a getaway point, but the result was as if everything was written in the stars. The Blues could have run rampant over their counterparts, but a referee living in his own alternate universe spared United the embarrassment.

Two utterly stupid mistake by the brainless Chris Smalling dragged United to City’s mercy.

Who'd he think he was? Georgie Best?

And even that was disallowed!

But even after that yellow card, Smalling wasn't done.

OK, now he was done.

Agüero's strike was his tenth of the campaign, and it handed the hosts the three points necessary to hold third place in the table.

This match was a fair counter to City's recent sloppiness, and United fighting for its pride resulted in an extremely entertaining display.

Though a man down, 10 Red Devils proved to be a better unit than their starting XI. They were as at home on the pitch as a local would have been.