MANCHESTER — The way Manchester United tore through Man City, especially in the first half, proved they can close the gap to those challenging for the Premier League title. For large spells their attacking unit was reminiscent of a scalpel slicing effortlessly through Man City’s buttery defense. [ MORE: 3 things we learned ] This season they’ve now beaten four of the five teams above them in Man City, Leicester City, Chelsea and Tottenham and are the only team to take points off Liverpool, as they sit five points off the top four approaching the halfway point. The main reason they aren’t in the top four is because they’ve dropped points against teams further down the table who sit back and don’t allow them to play the way they want to. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s side rose to the big occasion to beat the reigning champions, but was it as simple as that? It’s more about Man United’s style of play and the blueprint put in place and showcased by their swaggering, speedy demolition of Man City. United are better suited to playing against the better teams with their counter attacks a well-oiled machine and teams who leave them space on…