Man City vs Man Utd: 5 Incidents Where Citizens Have Inadvertently Aided Their Rivals

Manchester €“ currently home to the top-two teams in England in successive years, who are due to meet on Sunday in their first derby of the season. It's no secret that the histories of the two clubs paint very different pictures. On one canvas, you can sketch out two extended spells of success and glory, filled with an abundance of silverware. Yet on the other, the overall theme is gloom and despair cascading down onto long-suffering disciples, whose only respite is the acknowledgement of their loyalty to the cause. In the present day, United are now a global brand and powerhouse, having dominated English football for the past twenty years. But with the architect of this particular empire recently departing, perhaps they€™re about to be knocked off their perch? Should this be the case, then City have emerged as genuine contenders for the throne. Backed by the Arab billions, the blue half of Manchester are finally beginning to taste success after over three decades in the wilderness, and are only on the cusp of what they could potentially achieve. Interestingly though, and City fans might not know this, but some of their club€™s actions over the years have inadvertently contributed to United€™s history of success and without these occurrences, then the Old Trafford side might not be the force that they are today. So, to kick-off the build up to Sunday's encounter, here are five incidents throughout history where the Blues have aided the Reds:
Contributor
Contributor

Originally from Manchester, I'm currently residing in Melbourne as part of a round the world trip that I embarked on in November 2011. I primarily write on football and I'm a lifelong Man City fan and current season ticket holder. I'll try to share my views from an unbiased perspective, but I can't promise anything.