Robin Van Persie is showing just why he is easily the best striker in the English Premier League, and probably the difference maker between a title for Manchester United and Manchester City.
The former Arsenal man struck the decisive goal in a crazy and incident-filled Manchester Derby to take United six points clear of their great Mancunian rivals.
Wayne Rooney scored two goals in the first half to seemingly send the away side on their way to all three points at the Etihad Stadium, but Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta pulled things back for City, before the great man struck the winner in added time.
City started the much better side, completely dominating possession, and looking like the only team likely to score a goal.
The home team had a couple of half chances, before United struck. First David Silva played a beautiful through ball on the left to Gael Clichy, whose cross found Mario Balotelli, but the Italian striker could not keep the ball down from 12 yards out.
Sergio Aguero then could not take the ball in his stride when put through by Balotelli, who was by and large extremely disappointing.
The goal came for United from literally their first attack of the game. Young headed the ball to Van Persie on the halfway line, who in turn chested it onto the path of the winger, with Young making a driving run down the middle. The England international then played through Rooney, who got the ball out of his feet and saw his rather scuffed shot trickle into the far bottom corner in the 16th minute.
United now had their tails up and looked like a completely different side, with City's woes compounded when skipper Vincent Kompany had to be taken off due to an injury, with Kolo Toure coming on.
Young nearly made it 2-0, off a through ball from Van Persie, but Hart came out smartly to snuff out the chance. Aguero then forced his way through, but saw his weak effort saved comfortable by David De Gea.
United, though, were now the much superior team, and they were duly rewarded with a second. Antonio Valencia laid the ball off to Rafael on the overlap on the right, with the Brazilian right-back playing a cross perfectly onto Rooney's path. The forward, who nearly made a move to City a couple of season ago, made no mistake, side footing it into the back of the net from 11 yards in the 29th minute. Rooney's second was also his 150th Premier League goal.
The second half needed City to make some serious changes, and Mancini, after being put off by a back-flick from Balotelli that did not come off, immediately brought on Carlos Tevez in the 50th minute, with the Italian striker, clearly not happy with the substitution, storming down the tunnel without a look at his manager.
The change seemed to work, however, with Tevez bringing a little more directness to the play that was missing, as well as showing a much better understanding with his strike partner Aguero.
It was United, though, that could have made it 3-0, and probably should have. Van Persie cut inside onto his right foot while inside the box, and manufactured a brilliant curler, which struck the post. Young following in, tapped in from three yards out, but the assistant referee ruled the play offside, although replays suggested he might have been onside.
Immediately at the other end, City got back into the game. Tevez and Aguero exchanged a couple of passes, before the former United striker forced a save off De Gea. Silva also saw his rebound well saved by the Spanish keeper, before Tevez pulled the ball back to Yaya Toure, who calmly slotted it into the bottom corner.
With 30 minutes remaining in the game, City looked galvanized and went in search of the equalizer. After a little bit of huffing and puffing, Silva had a glorious chance. Put through, the Spanish playmaker saw his strike hit the shoulder of De Gea and cannon off the crossbar and go out for a corner in the 78th minute.
The perseverance, however, paid off in the 85th minute. A corner from City saw the ball break for Pablo Zabaleta just inside the box, and the fullback drove the ball hard and low and past De Gea to make it 2-2.
Just when you thought the force was with City, the away side struck. Van Persie, playing in his first ever Manchester Derby, came to the fore. The prolific Dutchman curled a freekick from 20 yards, which took a deflection of Van Persie's former Arsenal teammate Samir Nasri, to creep into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Joe Hart.
Controversy and drama erupted further, when in the ensuing celebrations, Rio Ferdinand received a nasty cut on his forehead from an object thrown from the crowd, and then saw a crazy City fan make an appearance onto the pitch.
After everything settled down, the score still read Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United, meaning the away side now enjoy a comfortable six point lead at the top of the table.
