6-1 This was a slap in the face that told United city are here to stay

Blues legend Yaya Toure insists THAT Old Trafford drubbing marked a real Manchester power shift that's still being felt today

- DAVID McDONNELL

FOR Yaye Toure, the ‘slap in the face’ Manchester City gave their local rivals marked a power shift in English football.

City’s incredible 6-1 mauling of Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2011, en route to winning their first Premier League title, proved the turning point for the Blues.

Since then City have become the dominant football force in Manchester and in English football, with six titles in 12 years, including five of the last six. Although City had beaten United 1-0 at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals six months earlier, Toure believes the emphatic Old Trafford win proved they had become a major force.

“I think what hurt United the most – the club, their fans – was the 6-1 win,” said former City midfielder Toure, who has a framed team-sheet from that day on a wall at his home.

“After the FA Cup semi-final we believed we could beat them, even at Old Trafford, with Ferguson.