Man City's 6-1 derby drubbing of Utd - in the words of those who starred in it

Manchester City had arrived. A stunning victory at Old Trafford in October 2011 meant it was now impossible for Manchester United to ignore their rivals.

City went on to win their first Premier League title in the most dramatic fashion that season, but the Manchester derby at Old Trafford was perhaps the highlight of the campaign - and of recent seasons.

Mario Balotelli, as ever, grabbed the attention, scoring either side of each half to put the visitors in control. He revealed a t-shirt emblazoned with the words 'Why always me?', following a story that claimed he had set off fireworks inside his house. It's an image that remains firmly in the mind of not only City fans, but football fans in general.

United went down to 10 men when Jonny Evans was sent off and Sergio Aguero added a third. Darren Fletcher pulled one back for the hosts, but City were ruthless in attack. A brace from Edin Dzeko and one for David Silva made it six, and United were humiliated on their own turf.

“I don't think it was just a case of losing that game, I think it was how we lost it that was really hard to take,” said Evans. “I think it will always be a blot on the history of this club because of the manner of it.”

Sir Alex Ferguson, meanwhile, described the defeat as his “worst ever day”.

“It's the worst result in my history, ever,” he said. “Even as a player I don't think I ever lost 6-1. I can't believe the scoreline.”

For City, it was cause to celebrate.

"To beat them 6-1 in their own ground was a humiliation, especially in a derby when it's even worse,” said Dzeko.

"Beating United with Alex Ferguson, one of the greatest managers in history, was a special moment for us and the fans, and it gave us an even more special relationship because they loved us more.

"United always had that flag which counted the years City were without a title, making fun of our fans. After the 6-1 they were quiet!"

Midfielder Gareth Barry added: “It's right that result should be mentioned when we speak about the league title and the way we won it. That was out of the ordinary.”

Few argue with that. Many view United's humbling at Old Trafford as a turning point in the rivalry, the catalyst for City's later superiority.

“After being the underdog for so long, I think City fans always went into the derby thinking the worst, but 2011 changed everything,” Micah Richards told City's official website.

“It was as though all those years of pain and disappointment when we were getting beaten were just wiped out in one fell swoop.”

Former United defender Rio Ferdinand saw things differently, though. The Reds regained the title the following season - Ferguson's last as manager - and the ex-England international claimed the 6-1 defeat acted as motivation for him and his teammates.

"I'll be honest, it pains me to say it, but it was probably one of the best things that happened to us," said Ferdinand.

"We were playing a very open kind of football. It made us sit back and think we've got to tighten up all over the pitch. If we do that, we have the players to exploit any other team when we go forward."

Almost nine years on, City certainly have the edge over their rivals. But things can change quickly.

As Ferdinand put it: "It's not about remembering the past, it's about trying to create more history.”