By Dominic King
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It was a scoreline which defined a season, one that blasted out a message that Manchester City meant business.
The 6-1 drubbing they handed out to Manchester United 14 months ago was the victory that propelled them to the Barclays Premier League title, an afternoon when City's mesmeric attacking talents ruthlessly clicked to take advantage of their neighbours' naivety.
When they locked horns with United for the first time last year, City, to borrow a phrase from Mancini, were 'in a good moment', full of confidence and expectation but can the same be said now as they prepare for the latest collision with their most bitter rivals?
Why always him? Mario Balotelli scored a brace against Manchester United in last season's 6-1 win at Old Trafford
At first glance, you would say yes. Unbeaten in the league and possessing the best goal difference, Mancini could not wish for better statistics at this stage of the campaign. Scratch a little deeper, though, and things do not appear as they should be.
Just look at this latest 1-1 draw with Everton. With City pragmatic rather than imaginative, the atmosphere inside the Etihad Stadium was tense and spiky. Every decision that went against City was greeted with derision, each squandered pass resulted in Mancini gesticulating irately.
It all came to a head when Mancini replaced Carlos Tevez with Sergio Aguero. No matter that City were in the process of extending their unbeaten home record in the league to a 37th game, the dissent towards the decision — which Mancini vehemently defended — was widespread.
'People pay their money to watch a football match and everybody has opinions,' said City assistant manager David Platt. 'I don't think it is new in football. Certainly there is expectancy from ourselves and there is an expectancy level from our supporters.
Ready? Balotelli will be in contention to face Everton
One to watch? Robin van Persie will play in his first Manchester derby for United
'That is healthy because the expectancy level wouldn't be there if we didn't win trophies. A lot of comparisons have been made with our form last season and this time. But the amount of goals we scored then was alien.
'I don't think anyone was going to hit those heights on such a consistent basis. We are unbeaten after 15 games. In many ways, we haven't hit top gear yet but we have been solid. The reason we have gone so long unbeaten (at home) is that we are a good team.'
That may be so but while Sir Alex Ferguson has worries about Manchester United's defending he will know putting City on the back foot causes problems. Everton's refusal to sit back flummoxed City and kept players who make a difference like Samir Nasri, David Silva and Tevez out the game.
How the other half did: Manchester City drew 1-1 with Everton at the Etihad
EURO WATCH
Manchester City cannot qualify for the Champions League last 16 after their home draw with Real Madrid and must win at table-toppers Borussia Dortmund and rely on Ajax failing to beat Real to finish third and enter the Europa League.
The German side are unbeaten in 11 games, including a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Had Everton gone into the break with the 33rd-minute lead that Marouane Fellaini had given them, rather than conceding a soft equaliser to a Tevez penalty, it would not have been difficult to envisage David Moyes' side holding on.
'You would have to expect City to have some of the game and they certainly did that after half-time but I thought we had our fair share of it before that,' said Moyes. 'Any team coming here is going to have it tough because City are very good at keeping the ball and have players who can score.'
City only needed one to see off United in April and Mancini would no doubt settle for the same again next Sunday but, first, he must negotiate tomorrow's final Champions League group game in Dortmund and hope his squad do not pick up any more injuries.
'We will play on Tuesday, the derby is Sunday — I think there will be time for us to recover,' said Mancini. 'If we get a good result and go into the Europa League it will be better for us. Out target at the start was to win the Premier League again.'
But, as Mancini knows, that is proving easier said than done.
Fiery: Manchester City beat their rivals on the way to winning the FA Cup
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