Forget THAT Sergio Aguero goal - Micah Richards has pinpointed the real 'moment in time' that sparked an upturn in fortunes at Manchester City.
The season prior to thew club's dramatic Premier League title win, they ended a 35-year wait for major silverware by capturing the FA Cup under Roberto Mancini. Yaya Toure's goal gave them a 1-0 win over Stoke City at Wembley, sparking a 12-year period of domestic success.
But it's the semi final that remains most etched in the minds of City fans. Again, it was Toure that proved the match winner with the only goal against Sir Alex Ferguson's Man United side, but a late substitute for City that day - Patrick Vieira - also played a pivotal role beforehand.
In what proved his final season as a professional player, the iconic Arsenal midfielder had joined City in January, with the Red Devils still very much the dominant force in Manchester. The gap though, had undoubtedly narrowed amid Carlos Tevez notoriously making the short switch to City from Old Trafford, and Richards recalled the day that City finally overcame their feelings of inferiority.
"We needed to beat United on a big stage to show them we were coming," he told the Daily Mail . "That’s why the FA Cup semi-final in April 2011 was huge for everyone. I know everybody talks about Yaya Toure’s goal but just as significant was the team talk Patrick Vieira gave in the dressing room."
Reiterating the Frenchman's words, he said: "'Boys, I ask you to listen. This is the time for everyone to show up. We have worked so hard to be here and this is our chance to change history. It is easy to talk about changing history — it is harder to actually do it. We want to do something that we are remembered for.
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"'So I ask you: do you want to change the history of this club? Or do you want to be frustrated again?’" Richards then explained how Vieira, 46, went to every player in the changing room asking them if they were ready: " His voice got louder and the emotion was incredible. By the time he had finished, we knew we would win," added Richards.
"The message had got through. Patrick wasn’t the same player then as he had been for Arsenal; he is a chilled guy, but when he got up to speak, everyone hung off his every word. I remember it so clearly because it was a moment in time - and we knew our moment was going to arrive."
Vieira would also appear late on in the final in his final appearance before retiring, aged 35, and immediately becoming a development executive at City. A year later, the club were celebrating an incredible title win, with the World Cup winner remaining involved at the Etihad until 2015.
