With 60% of the vote, there was a clear winner - so without further ado, let’s see what it was...
City 1 United 0, 16 April 2011
The stakes almost could not have been any higher for City when the Blues took part in the club’s first FA Cup semi-final for 30 years.
The draw pitted Roberto Mancini’s side against their local rivals, and even though the contest had been relocated to neutral Wembley, it evolved into a typically tight and feisty affair.
The key moment came when Yaya Toure slid the ball home after latching on to a mistake by Michael Carrick seven minutes into the second half.
The latter stages saw City play against 10 men after Paul Scholes had been sent off for a crude challenge on Pablo Zabaleta.
And this stirring win was followed a few weeks later by another narrow but deserved victory at Wembley to secure the club’s first silverware in 35 years. Let’s hope tonight’s visit to Everton sets City on their way to cup glory again!
Starting XIs
City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, De Jong, Barry, Johnson (Wright-Phillips), Yaya Toure, Silva (Vieira 86), Balotelli
Unused subs: Taylor, Boyata, Milner, Dzeko, Jo.
United: van der Sar, O’Shea (Fabio 84), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Scholes, Valencia (Hernandez 65), Park Ji-Sung, Nani, Berbatov (Anderson 75)
Unused subs: Kuszczak, Smalling, Gibson, Owen.
Key Moments
15’ – Joe Hart produces a great save to deny Dimitar Berbatov in a one-on-one situation before the Bulgarian fires over from close range.
34’ – Mario Balotelli tries his luck from long range, forcing Edwin van der Sar to tip it over his crossbar.
52’ – Yaya Toure grabs the only goal of the game after capitalizing on Michael Carrick’s mistake.
63’ – Joleon Lescott sees his headed effort fly narrowly past the outside of the post.
65’ – Joe Hart gets his fingertips on a Nani free kick to push it onto the crossbar.
72’ – Paul Scholes is shown a red card by referee Mike Dean after a nasty challenge on Pablo Zabaleta.
Man of the Match - Yaya Toure
Reaction
“City are 90 minutes from ending their 35-year trophy drought after a stunning and deserved success over United at Wembley. A goal from Yaya Toure seven minutes into the second half decided a typically tight derby in which Paul Scholes was sent off for recklessly raking of his studs down the thigh of Pablo Zabaleta.
“Now the real fun begins. For not only has this famous success given the Blues a shot at a first domestic final since 1981 but it is the perfect tonic for the Premier League run-in and proved once and for all that the Blues can win without Carlos Tevez.” Chris Bailey, Manchester City
“Blue dream, red nightmare. That 45 minutes of exhilarating Manchester City dominance, of Manchester United flattened and battered to a standstill, of passionate persistence, was more than just a half of football. It was also more than a derby victory, more than a successful FA Cup semi-final. Football historians may pinpoint the date April 16, 2011, as the day when the tide turned in the tussle for ascendancy in Manchester football, and in English football.” Stuart Brennan, Manchester Evening News
“Whatever happens now in the FA Cup final, and whatever the banner at Old Trafford may say, it is no longer quite true to suggest Manchester City have not won anything for the past 35 years. They won their biggest match of the season here and, although their conquered neighbours will be reluctant to admit it, one of Manchester United’s biggest matches of the season too. City denied their rivals the chance of another treble and, while that may not quite count as knocking them off their perch, it is an important beginning.” Paul Wilson, Guardian
“A first Wembley final since 1981 now awaits and Roberto Mancini has an outstanding opportunity to win silverware in his first full season. But most importantly for the City supporter, it came at the expense of their great rivals, the team that has dominated their city for the last two decades. The ticker banner at Old Trafford, which counts City’s barren years, might finally have to be rolled up.” Duncan White, Telegraph
“It was Chris Foy who inflicted the cruellest blow. When the fourth official lifted his board to indicate five minutes of added time, the light-blue half of Wembley howled in horror. How many times have Manchester City been here before, on the verge of something rather special against their illustrious neighbours, only to be denied at the last? To City fans, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team are the equivalent of Count Dracula, not dead until they are buried six feet under with a stake through their heart. Even then, you’re never wholly sure. Yesterday, though, for once, City endured. And as Rio Ferdinand raged off the pitch in a fury, they had all the evidence they needed that they had, at last, inflicted a truly significant wound on their rivals, United’s Treble gone and the heroics of 1999 remaining unique for a little longer.” Rob Draper, Daily Mail
