This weekend, Manchester United will enter their derby game against Manchester City hoping upset the apple cart by securing a result at The Etihad.
Pep Guardiola's side are currently in the midst of yet another title charge, while Ralf Rangnick's charges are scrapping for a place in the top four. While United do have a good recent record against their cross city rivals, they will enter the game as underdogs. That has been the dynamic in this fixture for a number of years now.
Of course, things used to be very different.
Up until the last decade, Manchester City were very much the other team in that part of the world. While Man United were racking up the titles, they bounced between divisions. More often than not, the team in red got the better of their rivals.
While Alex Ferguson's side were only embarking on their period of dominance in this fixture in November of 1993, it was perhaps a sign of things to come from that team. Trailing 2-0 at the interval away at City, they would spark a second half comeback to win the game 3-2, something that would become a trademark of the side under the Scot.
It also gave a us glimpse at the team's future in the form of a certain midfield general.
Roy Keane had a big impact in first Manchester derby
Roy Keane had only signed for the club a few months prior, arriving from Nottingham Forest for a then British record fee of £3.75million. He had started life well at Old Trafford scoring braces against both Sheffield United and Honved in his first few appearances.
He would finish that season with eight goals and eight assists in all competitions that season, with the most memorable of them coming at Maine Road.
Two goals from Eric Cantona had helped United overturn that halftime deficit, and with the game having entered the final five minutes, Keane would pop up at the back post to tuck away a Denis Irwin cross. While the Cork native would later make a habit of questioning players' celebrations after scoring, he had no problem letting his emotions show on this occasion.
You can watch the goal at 2:28 in the video below.
This goal came in the midst of a stunning run for Manchester United, who went undefeated in all competitions from the end of September 1993 until the following March (although they would be knocked out of the Champions League on away goals by Galatasaray).
Speaking Sky Sports after the game, a baby-faced Roy Keane cut a very different figure to the one we would become used to seeing in the years that followed.
Roy Keane after scoring the winner in his first Manchester derby. pic.twitter.com/A86KHIZnaG
— Sky Sports Retro (@SkySportsRetro) March 4, 2022
It was absolutely fantastic. I had a good chance in the first half and I hit in straight at the keeper when I should have scored, the manager had a word with me at halftime...
Denis (Irwin) gets it and puts in a great cross, I couldn't miss really. I was a bit tired near the end but I just kept getting in the box. It just came to me, I'm surprised I scored really.
I couldn't miss it to be honest.
He even seemed to get on well with Peter Schmeichel at that stage.
We all know how Keane's United career went from this point. He would be appointed as captain in 1997 and was one of driving forces behind the success experienced during this period.
This was an early glimpse of the fact that he would more than repay that record fee it took to get him out of Nottingham Forest.
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