Manchester City competing for the Premier League with Manchester United is surreal for followers of both clubs when you consider it was not 11 years ago that City were relegated to Division One.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, United used to rout City with such ease in the 90s that the rivalry subsided into insignificance.
Even when City had the Reds against the ropes in 1993, Ferguson could, unlike now, call upon a plethora of talent which ranks as one of his greatest sides.
In midweek United had been eliminated from the European Cup by Galatsaray in Istanbul. City fans, revelling in their neighbours' exit, threw bars of Turkish Delight onto the pitch before kick-off.
To compound the taunts, United found themselves 2-0 down at half-time. Niall Quinn, emerging as quite the scourge of the red side of Manchester, scored two headers to make it four goals in three consecutive Manchester derbies.
But then one Michel Vonk header changed the complexion of the game. Nodding the ball back blindly towards goalkeeper Tony Coton, Eric Cantona intercepted and coolly slotted in his eighth goal of the season.
As Sky Sports' chief commentator would go on to comment, " it's almost as if he's got a baton in his hand and is conducting the orchestra". Less than six seconds after he finished his line, the Frenchman equalised.
Now City were against the ropes, and as they withstood pressure with the countdown nearing completion, their visitors applied the knockout blow.
The comeback was completed by Roy Keane, who half-volleyed in an inviting Denis Irwin cross as United administered the perfect tonic after their Istanbul hell.