With Manchester City and Manchester United set to clash again this weekend, we look back at five of the most iconic derby moments of the Premier League era.
Embed from Getty ImagesRooney’s Overhead Kick – February 2011
Wayne Rooney admitted he was having a poor game at Old Trafford, but nobody remembers that. What they remember is the goal.
When Nani’s cross deflected awkwardly, Rooney adjusted his body and connected with an acrobatic overhead kick that flew into the top corner past Joe Hart. Sir Alex Ferguson later called it the best goal he had ever seen at the ground. It was a strike that instantly entered Premier League folklore.
United won 2-1, stayed ahead of City in the table, and went on to lift the title. Rooney’s moment of brilliance remains one of the derby’s defining images.
Embed from Getty ImagesBalotelli’s “Why Always Me?” – October 2011
Mario Balotelli was already a headline act, but this was the day he etched himself into Manchester derby history.
He opened the scoring at Old Trafford before lifting his shirt to reveal the now-legendary message: “Why always me?” It summed up his chaotic, unpredictable spell in English football.
City didn’t stop there. They thrashed United 6-1, their biggest-ever win in the fixture and United’s heaviest home defeat since 1955. More than just a humiliation, it was a statement of intent from a club beginning to take control of the city.
Embed from Getty ImagesOwen’s Last-Gasp Winner – September 2009
Few expected Michael Owen, once Liverpool’s golden boy, to become a United hero. But his stoppage-time strike in a derby classic sealed his place in the club’s history.
City had fought back three times, with Craig Bellamy making it 3-3 in the 90th minute. Yet in the 96th, Owen latched onto Ryan Giggs’ pass and slotted home to win it 4-3.
It was more than just bragging rights. City were emerging as serious challengers after their 2008 takeover and the capture of Carlos Tevez. Ferguson’s “noisy neighbours” jibe after the match summed up the growing tension between the clubs.
Embed from Getty ImagesKompany’s Header – April 2012
The 2011/12 title race came down to this. With United and City neck-and-neck, the derby at the Etihad was billed as one of the biggest league games in history.
Captain Vincent Kompany rose highest to head home just before half-time, giving City a 1-0 win that moved them top on goal difference. They never looked back.
Two weeks later, Sergio Agüero’s famous last-minute winner against QPR sealed City’s first Premier League crown. Kompany’s goal against United was the moment that truly shifted the balance of power in Manchester.
Embed from Getty ImagesVan Persie’s Derby Debut – December 2012
Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season hinged on one man: Robin van Persie. Snatched from Arsenal that summer, he announced himself in this derby with a winner that silenced the Etihad.
City had come from 2-0 down to level through Pablo Zabaleta, but in stoppage time Van Persie curled a free-kick that deflected past Joe Hart for a dramatic 3-2 victory.
It ended City’s 37-game unbeaten home run and put United six points clear, a lead they never surrendered as Ferguson bowed out with his 13th Premier League title.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Isabelle Newnham
INMR FOOTBALL 
Leave a comment