It is Pep’s playground now, not United’s, as

THE victory had all the hallmarks of a title-winning team.

A night when Manchester City put one hand firmly on the trophy with a performance to leave Liverpool facing the grim truth their best hope has gone.

They were on a different level to Manchester United. If this was supposed to be the biggest threat for Pep Guardiola’s champions elect it never remotely looked like tripping them up.

They were far too good, far too ruthless, finishing the night with a chorus of olés from the away end at Old Trafford.

Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane wrapped it up in the second half but the win could easily have been far more emphatic.

This was the 28th time the team at the top of the Premier League had changed this season. City are back at the summit, a point clear of Liverpool, with three games apiece to go.

Having strolled so easily through this Manchester derby it is hard to imagine them slipping up at Burnley, Leicester and Brighton. This game needed no extra spice because United had to show a reaction after humiliation at Everton and City knew it was win-or-bust for their title hopes.

Rarely has this fixture meant so much, yet if the stakes were higher for the visitors they did not appear unnerved. Straight from the start they took charge and were a danger going REF: forward, while Fernandinho bossed midfield and Ederson was in control when United did threaten his penalty area.

City went close early when a shot from Raheem Sterling, always a threat cutting inside from the left, deflected off Chris Smalling and forced David de Gea into a smart save.

The tension brought an almost eerie hush around the

MATCH STATS

ATT: