Are these the top five Premier League Manchester derby matches ever?

Add as preferred source on Google

Manchester United 4-3 Manchester City- September 2009

The scoreline alone warrants this game holding down a place on the list, but there were so many other subplots. Firstly, this was an epochal match that marked the start of City’s emergence as a force that could challenge their illustrious neighbours. Sir Alex Ferguson used the phrase ‘noisy neighbours’ in his post-match interview and, like many a Ferguson quip, it was a tag that stuck to City. Moreover, the game also brought Carlos Tevez back to Old Trafford after he’d run down his United contract and moved to City the previous summer. He was greeted by a sky blue banner stating ‘Welcome To Manchester’ which stoked the atmosphere between the supporters still further.

Wayne Rooney fired United into an early lead before Tevez pounced on a Ben Foster error and squared for Gareth Barry to equalise for City. Darren Fletcher nodded United back into the lead before a Craig Bellamy screamer restored parity once again. United kept pouring forward in search of a winner, and thought they had found one when Fletcher popped up in the box with another headed goal. Not to be cowed however, City came back and when Bellamy skinned Rio Ferdinand and poked past Foster it looked as if City had rescued a point. What happened in the 96th minute has been replayed countless times; Ryan Giggs incisive through ball found Michael Owen who found the bottom corner with the outside of his outstretched right foot. Along with Steve Bruce’s winner against Sheffield Wednesday in 1993, one of the great ‘Fergie Time’ goals.