The 10 most iconic derby day moments between Man Utd and Man City - including Rooney, Kompany, and more

The two Manchester clubs go head-to-head in the FA Cup final at Wembley this weekend
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On Saturday, for the first time in the long and storied history of the competition, Manchester United and Manchester City will play each other in an FA Cup final. It goes without saying that the clash at Wembley would have had enough riding on it anyways, but with City bidding to stay on track for a treble, and with United eager to protect their own peerless reputation in that regard, this will be a contest that sizzles with all kinds of subtext.

With that in mind, ahead of the match, we’ve taken a look back at ten of the most iconic moments in Manchester derby history...

Why always him?

Let’s start with the clown prince of derby day, Mario Balotelli. The Italian was a mercurial, endlessly unpredictable presence at the Etihad, and he referenced his proclivity for making the headlines after scoring in a famous 6-1 away win against United by lifting his shirt to reveal a layer undernearth with the message ‘Why Always Me?’ emblazoned across the front. Remarkable commitment to a gimmick.

A changing of the guard

While we’re in the general vicinity, we might as well reference that 6-1 drubbing as a whole. Described by Sir Alex Ferguson as his ‘worst ever day’ in football, City rocked up at Old Trafford and put United to the sword in humiliating fashion. In retrospect, this was the first time in a long time that the Red Devils’ supremacy as the top club in Manchester was properly called into question. A result that still stands out to this day.

Michael Owen... United hero?!

A classic of an encounter from way back in 2009, with proceedings lurching back and forth until Craig Bellamy hit an equaliser to make it 3-3 in the last minute of normal time. Ordinarily, that might have been that, but this crazy game still had one more twist in its tail, with former Liverpool legend Michael Owen - enjoying a relatively mediocre stint at Old Trafford at the time - stepped forward to poke a winner past Shay Given in the dying moments. Cue absolute bedlam.

Neville gets passionate

Then again, however unhinged things got in the aftermath of that clash, nothing could compare to the scenes on display a year later. United went to the Etihad, nabbed a 93rd minute winner, and Gary Neville took it upon himself to kiss - and when I say kiss, I mean properly snog - Paul Scholes in celebration. The ginger midfielder’s take on the matter: ‘A kiss on the lips from Nev is worth it any time after a winner against City!’. So there you go.

Law relegates United

A heartache so intense that it probably still hurts for some almost half a century later. Denis Law is a certified United legend; he was part of the side that won the 1968 European Cup and his statue still stands outside Old Trafford today. Still, in 1974 he found himself on the other side of the red/blue divide, and it was his coolly-taken backheel that condemned his former club to relegation from the top flight. A dark, dark day for United.

Keane and Haaland

Speaking of pain, no discussion of memorable Manchester derby moments would be complete without some reference to Roy Keane’s brutal challenge on Alf-Inge Haaland. With plenty of bad blood simmering away between the pair, the fiery Irishman took it upon himself to snap his Norwegian counterpart in half with a vicious knee-high challenge before standing over him and screaming in his face. Keane was banned for three games and fined £5,000, while Haaland struggled to ever properly recover from the subsequent injury. Perhaps his son will be able to exact some form of revenge this weekend...

Kompany’s header

Without this goal, there is no ‘Agueroooooo’ on the final day of the 2011/12 campaign. After United fumbled their advantage in the title race with a draw against Everton, City held all of the power in their own hands with just three games remaining, but first needed to beat their bitter rivals at the Etihad to ensure that things stayed that way. A tight, tetchy affair was eventually decided when Vincent Kompany, captain fantastic, powered home a fierce header to claim all three points.

Mourinho’s comeback

Admittedly, this did little to alter the direction or momentum of a campaign that fully belonged to City, but it was still a remarkable comeback nonetheless - and one that protected United pride at least a little. All the Blues had to do was beat their nearest rivals to seal the 2017/18 title, and at 2-0 up in the first half, they looked all but nailed on to do so. Jose Mourinho and his men had other ideas, however, and a storming United fightback after the interval saw the Red Devils run out 3-2 winners. City’s celebrations were iced for a little while, although the feat of reaching 100 points that year was probably enough to quell any upset.

Goodbye to Maine Road

The final derby at Maine Road saw City play host to United in 2002 as rampant underdogs. Newly-promoted, and still some years away from their big money takeover, the Blues humbled their dominant visitors in a 3-1 win that was perhaps just as notable for a Gary Neville horror show as it was for anything else.

Rooney’s acrobatics

Perhaps the greatest goal in the history of the Manchster derby, Wayne Rooney reminded everybody of his otherworldly majesty with a stunning overhead effort in a clash at Old Trafford back in 2011. With the score level at 1-1, Nani whipped over a hopeful cross into a dangerous area, and the England international, peeling off his man in the box, launched himself into mid-air, hung there for what felt like an eternity, and arrowed a bicycle kick into the top corner past a helpless Joe Hart. One of the most iconic Premier League goals of all time.

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