Branded "the best derby of all time" by Sir Alex Ferguson, when Manchester United hosted Manchester City for the clubs' sixth Premier League game of the 2008/09 season, it was a precursor for a manic set of Mancunian matches.
City, flush via the Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover a year previously, meant business. Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz, Joleon Lescott, Kolo Toure and, most notably, Carlos Tevez arrived in the summer for £148m, as Mark Hughes targeted Champions League qualification.
Tevez, a cult figure at United, was now reviled for moving across Manchester and accused of being a mercenary. It prompted that billboard on Deansgate, and led Sir Alex Ferguson to label the "noisy neighbours" as a "small club with a small mentality".
The 21 September derby offered the chance for Tevez to reacquaint himself with his former team-mates at Old Trafford quickly. United, who had lost Cristiano Ronaldo as well as the Argentinian, had not sufficiently strengthened as the Glazer ownership began to bite, but would reaffirm they were top dogs in the city despite the financial gap.
Wayne Rooney got the hosts off to a flying start in only the second minute, and as City struggled to gain a foothold in the game they were gifted one. Ben Foster, in goal for the injured Edwin van der Sar, was robbed of the ball by Tevez, who assisted Barry for the equaliser 14 minutes after Rooney's opener.
Gasps were drawn as Tevez hit the post at the Stretford End towards the end of the opening half, but in the second period United switched through the gears.
Man of the match Ryan Giggs tormented City and assisted Darren Fletcher in the 49th minute to make it 2-1. But just three minutes later Craig Bellamy (another Hughes signing) was invited to shoot at goal by the dithering John O'Shea and smashed an unstoppable strike past Foster into the top corner.
Shay Given, also bought by Hughes in January, thwarted Dimitar Berbatov twice and Ryan Giggs as United dominated, before Fletcher met a Giggs free-kick in the 80th minute to give United a deserved lead.
But again City's powers of recovery recurred. Rio Ferdinand's needless showmanship and Foster's feebleness enabled Bellamy to equalise again in the 90th minute for what appeared to be a 3-3 draw.
Then Ferguson made a crucial substitution. Michael Carrick came on in the 93rd minute to replace Anderson, forcing referee Martin Atkinson to add more time to the minimum four minutes of stoppage.
United shortly afterwards won a free-kick just inside City's half, which was taken terribly by Rooney as Lescott cleared. Tevez however failed to help it on its way and Rooney ballooned the ball back towards City's area again. Again it was repelled, but this time it fell to Giggs. And then, it happened.
Michael Owen, United's new number seven after Ronaldo's departure in a signing which drew much ire from the club's fans, had replaced Berbatov in the 78th minute and had been largely anonymous. He had however, in this instance, found space and held his line to stay onside.
Giggs, after one touch to control the ball, passed expertly to the ex-Liverpool striker who, despite a heavy first touch and alacrity from Shaun Wright-Phillips, slotted in the winner. The goal was timed at 95 minutes and 28 seconds, and this time for City, time was unfortunately up.