Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli (left) scores the opening goal against Manchester United during their English Premier League match at Old Trafford yesterday. City romped to a 6-1 victory.

Manchester City achieved one of its greatest ever victories when it crushed Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford yesterday to announce itself as the team most likely to succeed United as champion by the end of the season.

The stunning success - its biggest at Old Trafford since a 5-0 win in 1955 - saw Mario Balotelli and late substitute Edin Dzeko score twice each with Sergio Aguero and David Silva adding the others.

Three of City's goals came in the last four minutes of the match and it could have had even more.

United played for most of the second half with 10 men after defender Jonny Evans was sent off for trying to haul down Balotelli on a break, and was powerless to prevent City becoming the first team to beat it at home since April 2010.

It also ended United's run of 19 successive home league wins and lifted City on to 25 points from nine matches, five clear of second-placed United, whose consolation came from Darren Fletcher nine minutes from time.

Fletcher's goal made the score 3-1, but then City crashed in three more goals as United caved in at the back to concede six goals at home in a league match for the first time since a 4-7 defeat to Newcastle United in September 1930.

In the other early matches, Arsenal continued its improvement after a poor start to the season with a 3-1 win over Stoke City at the Emirates with goals from Gervinho and two from substitute Robin van Persie after Peter Crouch equalized for the visitors.

Everton scored two late goals through Louis Saha and Jack Rodwell to win 3-1 at Fulham while Blackburn Rovers were playing Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers were playing Chelsea in later action.

City manager Roberto Mancini kept the result in perspective when he told Sky Sports afterwards: "We played very well and for me the three points are more important than the scoreline."

United manager Alex Ferguson said the defeat was the biggest he had ever suffered in his career as either a player or manager. "It was my worst ever day, we will come back from that, but the thing that concerns me most is the goals. That was a big blow for us, and you never know, goal difference may count. Most years it's in our favor, but right now it's not."

In Italy, substitute Kevin-Prince Boateng scored a hat trick as a stunning second-half comeback for AC Milan saw the Serie A champion recover from 0-3 to beat Lecce 4-3.

Giullermo Giacomazzi headed Lecce in front in the fourth minute, while Massimo Oddo converted a penalty kick and Carlos Grossmuller added a third before halftime.

But Boateng came off the bench for Robinho and grabbed one back for Milan four minutes into the second half. The Ghana international completed his hat trick within 14 minutes and Mario Yepes grabbed the winner with seven minutes left.

The victory lifts Milan into the top half of the Italian league while Lecce remains second from bottom.

Players wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence at the start of every game as a tribute to Italian rider Marco Simoncelli, who died yesterday after a crash at the Malaysian MotoGP motorcycle race.

Udinese took sole leadership of the standings after cruising to a 3-0 win over Novara, thanks to two goals from Antonio Di Natale.

Udinese moves two points clear at the top after Juventus drew 2-2 at home with Genoa on Saturday.