MANCHESTER CITY suffered their fourth successive Premier League away defeat yesterday, going down 4-2 to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring for the visitors, who dominated the early period of the game.

But goals from Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata and Chris Smalling leave City on their worst run on the road since a sequence of seven straight losses in 2006.

It was the visitors who started the strongest of the two sides, with David Silva and Yaya Toure both coming close to the opening the scoring.

And after eight minutes they did find the back of the net, Aguero tapping in a Silva cross from close range.
But their lead was short-lived when, against the run of play, Young levelled the scores.

A long clearance from David de Gea was controlled by Fellaini, who in turn found Ander Herrera on the left. Gael Clichy failed to clear the Spaniard’s low cross and Young stabbed the ball home from a few yards out.

The tide of the game changed completely midway through the first half when Fellaini found himself unmarked at the far post to head home a Young cross from the left.

City could have easily been reduced to 10 men in the dying embers of the half after Vincent Kompany caught Daley Blind with a reckless challenge.

But after consulting his assistant, referee Mark Clattenburg opted to show the City captain a yellow, much to the annoyance of the United players.

The second half started as frantically as the first, however this time it it was the home side had the chance to add to their lead. It took a double save from Joe Hart to keep out a Wayne Rooney free-kick and a follow-up from Michael Carrick.

The Citizens had failed to win any of the last 86 Premier League away games where they’ve trailed at half time.

And that run continued yesterday, with Mata scoring United’s third of the afternoon.

Rooney played the ball through to Mata, who looked to be in an offside position. But the flag stayed down and the Spaniard slotted the ball past a sprawling Hart.

Minutes later the game was out of sight when Smalling headed home another sublime Young free-kick from the left.

Aguero managed to get one back for the away side in the final minutes of the game as the travelling fans made their way to the exits for the short trip home.