Manchester City ensured they did not concede any ground to Liverpool in the title race with a comfortable 4-1 win over local rivals Manchester United.
Kevin De Bruyne notched his 50th Premier League goal just under five minutes into the game after he calmly latched on to Bernardo Silva’s inviting pass.
The Belgian found himself in sufficient space inside United’s penalty area to fire his effort between Harry Maguire’s legs and beyond the rooted David de Gea.
United levelled things up in the 22nd minute courtesy of a fantastic Jadon Sancho curler that cannoned in off the post.
The sides were equal for just five minutes before De Bruyne bagged his second to restore City’s advantage.
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Riyad Mahrez added City's third mid-way through a second-half that saw City assert their dominance over their nearest rivals.
The Algerian hit his effort first time from a Bernardo Silva corner and wheeled away in celebration after his strike deflected off of Harry Maguire and into the far corner.
He also notched a brace to ensure the result was beyond any doubt in second-half stoppage time.
Chants of 'ole' greeted every passage of play that included more than five City passes to add further insult to injury from a United perspective.
Mirror Football has analysed the Manchester derby's main talking points.
Kevin De Bruyne plays a starring role
The Belgium international yet again delivered when it mattered most for his side to continue his run of bagging goals in the biggest games.
His fourth minute strike ensured he has notched goals away at Liverpool and at home to Chelsea and United, but his performance was about so much more than just finding the net.
During the game’s opening exchanges, United gave as good as they got and were making life difficult for their hosts – but De Bruyne was cut above the rest.
Central to everything positive for Guardiola’s side, the Belgian was clearly in the mood as he cut through United’s ranks with a series of intelligent passes and deft touches.
De Bruyne notched a second shortly before the half hour mark after a brief melee in the six-yard box saw the ball fall at his feet from close range – he made no mistake.
He was replaced by Ilkay Gundogan on the 80th minute to huge standing ovation that saw him mix trademark technical flair and an impressive physical effort.
Jack Grealish shows signs of improvement
The most expensive player in British football history has at times struggled to have much of an impact at the Etihad since his £100m summer switch.
Before kick-off, ex-City star Micah Richards conceded he had “expected a bit more” from the former Aston Villa star this term.
If Guardiola’s recent comments are anything to go by, Grealish places a lot of pressure on himself to contribute when it comes to goals and assists.
“I think he’s not frustrated but if he is frustrated, he is a stupid man. It’s not necessary to be frustrated after scoring a goal,” the City boss told reporters before the game.
“You have to play good, do your best, that’s all. If you score a goal, good, if not, next game.”
Though the goal didn’t come for Grealish, he was a constant thorn in the side of United and gave Aaron Wan-Bissaka plenty to think about down that flank.
The 26-year-old can be pleased with his first Manchester derby effort.
Sancho gets consolation payback
Once of the blue half of Manchester, Jadon Sancho played his first senior game of football at the Etihad in the red of United and more than made his mark.
Sancho’s price tag has weighed heavy on the former Borussia Dortmund man at times this term, but he looked every inch a £73m player on Sunday.
Given United were lining up without a recognised striker, Sancho had a responsibility to carry some of the goalscoring burden.
The England international played his part and notched just his third league goal of the season with little over 20 minutes on the clock.
Sancho latched on to a stellar Paul Pogba pass with plenty left to do, but curled a delightful effort past the despairing dive of Ederson to cancel out De Bruyne’s opener.
The 21-year-old's celebration wasn't quite provocative to the home crowd, but did seem particularly pointed as he shrugged his shoulders while being mobbed by teammates.
United’s Champions League hopes dented
United’s aspirations of a top four finish took a significant blow, especially given results elsewhere before the derby.
Arsenal ’s hard-fought victory away at Watford meant the Gunners leapfrogged into the coveted fourth spot before kick-off at the Etihad and placed huge pressure on Rangnick’s men.
Come full-time and United’s place in European club football’s most elite competition looks seriously under threat next season.
Rangnick’s men now sit fifth in the table, one point behind Arsenal but having played a whopping three games more than their north London counterparts.
There is every chance United could also be caught by Tottenham Hotspur given Antonio Conte’s men are just five points behind having played three games less.
Cristiano Ronaldo side-lined
Fears first started to mount among the United faithful on Saturday evening when Cristiano Ronaldo was not pictured with the rest of his teammates arriving at the Lowry Hotel.
Those concerns were realised an hour before kick-off when Rangnick’s starting line-up had arguably the biggest name of all missing.
The German quickly updated fans as to why Ronaldo was unavailable during his pre-match media duties, confirming: "Cristiano had some problems with his hip flexor on Friday and since then, he didn’t train."
This is the second time Ronaldo has been ruled out of a game with a hip flexor injury after he sat out January’s trip to Aston Villa for the same reason.
At 37 years of age, there are growing concerns this will not be the first time Ronaldo is forced to sit out of crucial clashes as father time begins to impact even a great like United's number seven.
