United humiliated in Manchester derby, Manchester United-0 Man City-3, this is the first time United has lost 10 matches in the premier league history

Double trouble: Edin Dzeko needed less than a minute to score City's first, before adding to his tally in the second half.

The scoreline lies. It could have been four. It could have been more. Manchester United were that poor.Manchester City were that good, a class apart, a team accelerating in their pursuit of the Premier League title.

Accoding to Telegraph, The only proximity between City and United was in postcodes but the distance grows. City's margin of victory may look considerable but it still did not reflect the visitors' ­superiority. Manuel Pellegrini's side were hungrier, faster, stronger, more intelligent and better organised than David Moyes's anaemic hosts, shadows of the champions they became last season. It did not feel like a derby. It felt like a mismatch.

It certainly felt both an undeniable truth and an unwise frankness when Moyes remarked that United are "aspiring to be like City".

Such comments signal the caution, even negativity, of the Moyes era that he should be fighting, not highlighting. He has to start behaving like a Manchester United manager, exuding defiance off the pitch and instilling width, pace and fearlessness on it.

United were brushed aside by City. Analysing the game for Sky, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes were withering in their assessments of their former team's performances, the lack of marking, the lack of inventiveness and particularly the lack of speed.

City are now three points off the leaders Chelsea with two games in hand, also plunging their neighbours into further misery. On the night that United's Champions League opponents Bayern Munich wrapped up the Bundesliga, Moyes's side displayed the frailty and lack of confidence that will be exploited by Toni Kroos, Mario Götze, and Franck Ribéry, their scorers against Hertha Berlin last night.

The statistics kept looking grimmer and grimmer for United. They are limping towards their lowest ever Premier League points total.

This is the first time United have lost 10 matches in the Premier League era. Their home record is worse than Norwich City's. The only consolation for United was that their fans remained steadfast, backing the team but they must have been singing through teeth clenched in frustration at the abject display unfolding in front of them. Even when the team showed signs of life, including a flurry of attacks before the break, United never convinced.

Wayne Rooney ran himself into the ground, even when Moyes's changing tactics took him into midfield, wasting his capabilities. David de Gea again stood strong in goal, making some vital saves as those in front of him forgot the art of defending, particularly tracking and marking. Other­wise this was supine from United.

City were too good from back to front. Joe Hart was commanding in goal on the few occasions required. Yaya Touré ran midfield and scored City's late third. Fernandinho was excellent alongside Touré, brushing aside United's attempts at settling. David Silva darted around, creating. Edin Dzeko took his two goals well, starting early.

The clock had shown 43 seconds of the 150th league meeting between these rivals when City stormed through to score. The surprise was that it took them so long. Moyes had begun three in midfield, a plan naively designed to deal with Touré and Fernandinho and the movement of the interchanging Silva and Samir Nasri behind Dzeko. No chance. Moyes's cautious game-plan was blown away by City's tempest of a start. Never before had United conceded a Premier League goal in the first minute at Old Trafford.

United paid the price. Why no Antonio Valencia from the start? Why no adventure? This approach from Moyes was not the United way. His United side were as sluggish as Pellegrini's team were quick out of the blocks. As good as City were, it was unforgivable for United not to have anticipated the immediate onslaught or reacted better to the second phase of the City attack.

Jesus Navas ran at Patrice Evra and then turned the ball inside to Touré, who invited Silva to cut into United's box. Only Rafael was alert enough to read the danger, running across to stop Silva's shot. The ball bounced out, cleverly transferred back further out by Dzeko to Fernandinho. The Brazilian swept the ball from right to left to Nasri. The Frenchman toyed with Rio Ferdinand, twisting this way and that, before sliding a low shot against the post. The ball rebounded across goal, gifting the unmarking Dzeko the easiest of goals. Pellegrini rose regally from his seat, punching the air.

United fans sighed yet they remained steadfast. Any dissent remained in thought not in words. They continued to back the team, although there must have been questions. Why play Tom Cleverley against Touré? Why not have a word with Fellaini, explaining the importance and intensity of the Manchester derby, and the commitment required?

As City's jubilant fans chanted "you're the worst f------ champions we've ever seen", their team continued to shimmer with pace and grace like a jewel under the floodlights. Rafael cleared as Dzeko threatened. Touré turned dismissively away from Fellaini. Dzeko was athletically denied by De Gea.

There were a flurry of yellows. Vincent Kompany fouled Welbeck, who then slipped as he challenged Pablo Zabaleta, ploughing into the Argentine. Fellaini was then fortunate to remain on the field when pushing his forearm into the face of Zabaleta. Still the challenges went in, Fernandinho tripping Rooney, who somehow escaped a caution for a foul on Dzeko from behind.

United rallied briefly in the middle of all this scrappiness. Hart calmly held a Rooney shot, Fellaini half-volley and then confidently plucked an Evra cross out of the air. For the second half, United fans reacted with large cheers to the arrival of Shinji Kagawa for Cleverley. City remained in charge. From a Nasri corner, Kompany flicked the ball on and Fernandinho headed over. United did not heed the warning, did not tighten their marking. From another Nasri corner, Ferdinand dozed off and Dzeko finished expertly.

Before launching into a Poznan, City fans chanted "Fergie, Fergie give us a wave" in the direction of the watching Sir Alex Ferguson and "Moyesie is the chosen one". United almost had a riposte but Hart read Welbeck's intentions and kept out the striker's flick. Hart glanced back at his England colleague with a look of frustration. City made it 3-0 late on when James Milner crossed, Touré worked the ball away from Evra and then placed his shot low past De Gea. At the end, City hardly celebrated. This was inevitable.