In the third of our series looking at City players who claimed iconic status during the Manchester derby, we look at our skipper, Vincent Kompany....
The player…
Vincent Kompany
If there was ever a City captain made for the Manchester derby, it’s Vincent Kompany.
The Belgian defender has battling our cross-city rivals since 2008, winning the majority of clashes he’s featured in.
A derby veteran, he feels the pain like the supporters do if he’s on the losing team and there’s no finer sight than Kompany leading his team out, particularly at Old Trafford where he skippered three successive wins for the Blues.
It seems unlikely he will feature in the 172nd Manchester derby, but he will be back soon.
The Moment…
Etihad Stadium, 30 April 2012
Just a few weeks before, the title race looked as good as over for City after a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal allowed United to move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League with just six games to go.
At that stage, the Reds needed 11 more points to secure the title and their followers believed they could be crowned champions against City at the Etihad.
But the Blues dug in, kept winning and United began dropping points, losing to Wigan and drawing at home to Everton. The eight-point gap became just three and City’s superior goal difference meant victory would swing the title pendulum back in Roberto Mancini’s favour with two games left.
City were up for the battle while United looked as though they’d set up for a point that would keep them in control of their own destiny.
As the game approached half-time with the score still 0-0, a corner was awarded for the Blues. As the ball swung in, it was Kompany who climbed highest to power the ball past David De Gea and send the Etihad wild.
The celebration, sprinting towards the City fans in the South Stand was unforgettable – truly a ‘cometh the hour, cometh the man’ moment and the Blues claimed all three points and went on to win the title.
