It happened on Saturday the 12th of February 2011. On that day, Manchester United and Manchester City battled it out in the biggest Premier League match of the day. Nobody could have expected what was to come, not even United's number 10: Wayne Rooney. We take a look back...
On this Saturday at Old Trafford, the whole of Manchester had come out to witness the Premier League clash between the 'Red Devils' and the 'Sky Blues'. The battle for the title was tight, and this game, the 27th of the season, would ultimately decide the fate of these two teams, both in line to fight it out for the biggest prize in English football.
Alex Ferguson's players had managed the difficult task of taking the lead in the game, through a great goal from Nani, who sped past Pablo Zabaleta and tucked it cleverily past the outstretched hands of Joe Hart before charging towards the corner flag in jubilant celebration. Roberto Mancini's men were overtaken, and felt it would be difficult to get back into the game.
But City refused to go out without a fight, and levelled the game thanks to Edin Dzeko, who wriggled free from Chris Smalling and sliced a shot past Edwin Van der Sar, with a little help from a deflection off David Silva. The Bosnian span off celebrating his goal, and it all felt as if the game had turned in favour of the away side, with their players looking more dominant.
Nonetheless, it was written in the stars that Wayne Rooney was destined to stamp his name on this derby, and it was in the 78th minute of the game that he did so. Paul Scholes picked out Nani on the right flank, who held the ball up before curling a cross in towards Rooney. The United No.10, seeing the ball floating above him, flung his body into the air and gifted us with a scissor kick that no fan could have expected.
Joe Hart was caught on his feet, and could do nothing but admire the technique of his English compatriot. Rooney set off for the corner of the pitch, basking in the elation and disbelief that eminated from the pitch and the stands.
A few weeks later, the scissor kick was voted as the best goal ever scored in the Premier League. Manchester United ended the season as champions of England, relishing their superiority over their neighbours, who had been unable to match the magic of United's English prodigy.