Patrice Evra has admitted Sir Alex Ferguson's famous hairdryer would have been ready if Manchester United had failed to beat City in the derby-day thriller at Old Trafford on Sunday.

In the aftermath of United's 4-3 win, Ferguson claimed his side should have won "by six or seven" such was their domination of Mark Hughes' side.

While that assessment does not do justice to City's efforts, particularly before the break when, if anything, they were marginally the better side, undoubtedly the Red Devils were on top after half-time.

And, in squandering the lead on three successive occasions, the first and last of which were a direct result of terrible defensive mistakes, Evra knows Ferguson would not have been a happy man if Michael Owen's last-ditch strike had not finally settled the contest in United's favour.

"It would have been very difficult to go inside the dressing room if we had drawn," Evra told MUTV. "I think the manager would have given the hairdryer to everybody.

"But to score like that, in the last second of the game, was just amazing.

"The players on the bench were coming on the pitch, the fans, the atmosphere - this is why I say thanks to God I play in the Premier League and for United."

The Football Association might have the last word on Gary Neville's over-the-top goal celebration, plus Craig Bellamy's clash with a fan immediately after Owen's matchwinner.

But Evra is more focussed on a title race in which everyone, apart from Chelsea, has now lost at least one game.

"It was important to win because City hadn't lost," he said.

"When we were drawing, I was thinking that people would start to say that City are still strong because they never lose. Now everybody has lost, except for Chelsea."