2018/19 Manchester Derby: Top 3 Manchester United victories at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City always operated under the shadows of their city rivals Manchester United until Sheikh Mansour took over the blue half of Manchester. The influx of money since then has helped the Citizens bring in a plethora of talents from all around the world.

It has transformed Manchester City into one of the most formidable sides in Europe at the moment. Pep Guardiola has changed the way football is played in England. He has grabbed the Premier league by the scruff of the neck and has been dominating it since last season.

The Cityzens are the current league leaders and are looking almost unbeatable at the moment. The quality coupled with the attacking philosophy has laid the foundation for City to successfully defend their Premier League crown.

However, a Manchester Derby is devoid of all the league rankings or the past victories. Etihad is a fortress these days and teams usually get hammered over here.

Despite the air of invincibility at home, United came from two goals down last season to win 2-3 which has been one of the highlights of Jose Mourinho's reign at United. That victory delayed the title celebration for Pep Guardiola for one more week.

For the last few years, City has dominated this fixture, but United also have had their share of their glory as well. Here are the top three derby wins for Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League:

#3 Man City 0 - 1 Man United (April 2010)

Paul Scholes with a late winner that day.

Before the game, Sir Alex Ferguson knew that the title was well on its way to London, but a win would mean that Manchester United could still catch the Blues at least on paper. It was one of the worst City performances in which Craig Bellamy squandered some easy chances and the likes of Tevez or Adebayor failed to break the United defence.

The game was heading towards a goalless draw when in came Paul Scholes with a 93rd-minute winner to break City hearts. The then Manchester City manager, Mancini was disgusted the way his team conceded so late in the match and asked for a better response from his players.

That win was United's third win of the season by scoring in the last minute of the injury time. The victory was not enough for Alex Ferguson to win the fourth league title on the trot but the game is definitely remembered for one of the great Fergie time goals from Paul Scholes.

#2 Man City 2 - 3 Man United (April 2018)

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City were the runaway leaders last season. The team humiliated almost everyone at the Etihad stadium. Manchester United started the season well but a difficult middle period from Jose Mourinho's side saw City run away with the title but not before this epic clash at the Etihad.

Before the match, there were rumours of a fallout between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho with Pogba's agent, Mino Raiola reportedly offering Paul to City in January. Manchester United's hopes of winning the league were long gone, and they were paying for the second position.

A win for the Red Devils would have meant Guardiola's side needs to wait for one more game to clinch the title.

With all to play for, City came out of the box, and within the first half an hour of the game they were 2-0 up and was cruising towards the title. It could have been even more had Sterling converted his chances.

The second half saw a resurgent Manchester United performance lead by Paul Pogba. Once they got their first, within a few minutes, they scored two more to lead by 2-3.

There was a late surge by Pep's side to get the equalizer, but United defended their lines well and saw off the threat. It was one of the memorable comebacks considering City's dominance throughout the season.

#1 Man City 2 - 3 Man United (Dec 2012)

Van Persie scored the winner in his first Manchester derby

The 2011/12 season saw Manchester City clinch the title in the injury time on the last day of the Premier League. It is still remembered for that 'Aguerrrrro' moment.

After losing the title to City in the previous season, Sir Alex Ferguson thought of making some changes to the squad, and he signed Robin Van Persie from Arsenal for a reported transfer fee of £22.5 million.

The Dutchman didn't take long to announce himself at United, scoring a hat-trick away against Southampton earlier in the season. However, it was the game against City which made him a hero among the Old Trafford fans.

Wayne Rooney's double gave United a two-goal lead at, but Manchester City came out flying cancelling both the goals, first through Yaya Toure and then Zabaleta. It could have been anyone's game in the last quarter of the match.

The Red Devils got a free kick in the injury time which Robin Van Persie decided to take. His shot was deflected off the wall and flew into the back of the net giving Joe Hart no chance in goal.

It was another one of the last minute goals scored by United which proved to be crucial as Sir Alex Ferguson went on to lift the thirteenth Premier League title in his final season as a manager.

Edited by Debjyoti Samanta