Sporting Moments - Manchester City
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- Paul Dickov v Gillingham - 1999
- 60cm height
Paul Dickov v Gillingham - 1999
The 1999 Football League Second Division play-off final between Manchester City and Gillingham was one of the most dramatic matches in English football history. The two teams were competing for promotion to the First Division, and after 90 minutes of play, Gillingham was leading 2-0.
As the game entered injury time, it looked all but over for Manchester City. However, in the 95th minute, Kevin Horlock scored for City to give them a glimmer of hope. Gillingham goalkeeper Vince Bartram then made a crucial mistake, allowing a cross from Paul Dickov to slip through his hands. The ball fell to Dickov, who expertly volleyed it into the net to equalize for Manchester City.
The goal sent the Maine Road stadium into raptures, and the players and fans were delirious with joy. The game went into extra time, but both sides were exhausted and unable to find a winner. The match eventually went to penalties, with Manchester City winning 3-1 to secure promotion to the First Division.
The scenes of celebration at the final whistle were unforgettable, with Manchester City fans pouring onto the pitch to celebrate with their heroes. It was a remarkable comeback, and Paul Dickov's last-minute equalizer will forever be remembered as one of the greatest moments in Manchester City's history.
In the years that followed, Manchester City went on to achieve great success, winning multiple Premier League titles and establishing themselves as one of the top teams in English football. However, the memory of that incredible play-off final in 1999 will always hold a special place in the hearts of City fans.
Shaun Goater v United - 2002
9 Nov 2002 City 3-1 United
The final Maine Road derby match in November 2002 before the blues moved to their new home was a match that thrilled the Citizens and provided a fitting derby swan song for a fantastic stadium.
City were the underdogs – they had promoted in the Summer and had been humiliated in the League Cup in their previous game.
Five minutes into the match, Nicolas Anelka intercepted a loose pass from Phil Neville, passed the ball to Shaun Goater, whose shot was parried into the path of Anelka who made it 1-0. Only a couple of minutes later Ole Gunnar Solskjaer equalised.
City’s second goal was down to the persistence of City’s talisman striker Shaun Goater. Gary Neville shaped to pass back to Fabien Barthez but Goater took the ball from Neville’s feet, and followed up by netting his 99th goal for City.
Five minutes into the second half Goater scored his second goal of the match and 100th in his City career putting the match out of sight. The victory gave City fans bragging rights over United supporters for weeks to come, and it remains one of the most iconic moments in the history of the Manchester derby.
Mario Balotelli - Why Always Me? - 2011
Back in 2011, Mario Balotelli stunned Old Trafford into silence when he opened the scoring in a 6-1 win over Manchester United, but his iconic celebration will ultimately down in memory as one of the greatest - "Why always me?"
It was a mauling from start to finish, with goals from Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Edin Dzeko (2) and Mario Balotelli (2) inflicting United's worst home defeat since February 1955.
It also meant that City went five points clear at the top of the Premier League ladder. The Old Trafford goals would be crucial as City went to win the league finishing ahead of United only on goal difference.
It was in the 22nd minute that the game took a dramatic turn. Mario Balotelli, the talented but controversial striker for Manchester City, received the ball on the edge of the box. He took a touch to set himself and then unleashed a thunderous shot that flew past the United goalkeeper into the back of the net.
Balotelli's celebration was equally as memorable as the goal itself. He ran to the corner flag, took off his shirt to reveal a t-shirt underneath with the words "Why always me?" written on it. The gesture was seen as a statement of Balotelli's frustration with the media attention that he had been receiving in the lead-up to the game, particularly relating to a fireworks party at his house to which the police had been called.
5 - 1 v United - 1989
It was a game that would go down in Manchester derby history. On September 23, 1989, City and United faced off at Maine Road in front of a packed crowd. The atmosphere was electric as both teams took to the field, ready to battle it out for bragging rights.
City had been promoted from the second division and United were favourites going into the game, but City came out swinging from the first whistle. They dominated possession and created chance after chance, with David Oldfield opening the scoring in just the second minute.
The home crowd roared as Trevor Morley added a second goal for City before half-time. But they had no idea what was to come.
In the second half, City turned on the style and completely dismantled United's defense. Mark Hughes pulled one back for United, but it was too little too late.
City continued to pour forward and found the net three more times through Andy Hinchcliffe, Ian Bishop, and another from Oldfield. The final scoreline read 5-1 in favor of City.
The result sent shockwaves through English football and marked a turning point in the rivalry between these two great clubs. For City fans, it was a day they would never forget – a glorious victory over their bitter rivals that would be remembered for decades to come.
Agueroooo
Undoubtedly the greatest moment in Premier League history occurred on May 13 2012.
The lead in the title race had gone back and forth between United and City. With six matches remaining United were eight points ahead of City. However, United then faltered with a defeat and a draw in their next three games, while City won all three to narrow the gap to three points. City then beat United 1–0 at the Etihad to move back ahead of United on goal difference. Both sides won their penultimate matches to maintain the status quo.
Going into the final day of the season, City knew that a win would clinch a first title since 1968. United took the advantage at their match away to Sunderland with a goal by Wayne Rooney.
A 39th-minute goal from Pablo Zabaleta put City back on top at half time. In a dramatic second half Djibril Cissé equalised for QPR the 48th minute. Shortly after, Joey Barton was sent off reducing QPR to 10 men. Despite the numerical advantage, City went behind to a goal by Jamie Mackie in the 66th minute. As time wound down in both matches, it appeared that Manchester United would win the title with their victory over Sunderland. City were camped out in QPR’s half but couldn’t find a way through until Edin Dzeko equalised in the 92nd minute. The United fans were celebrating as the players waited on the field at Sunderland for a possible trophy presentation. But the match in Manchester was not over. City won the ball back almost immediately after QPR had kicked off again and surged forward in search of a winner. Nigel de Jong found Sergio Aguero, who then played a one-two with Mario Balotelli. He rode a challenge in the penalty area and spotted the ball past Paddy Kenny in the QPR goal.
The Etihad erupted. City's No 16 whipped off his shirt and wheeled away swinging it around his head in celebration, followed closely by his team-mates.
The final whistle blew. City had done it in the most extraordinary of circumstances. The home supporters raced onto the pitch, overwhelmed by euphoria having snatched the title from the jaws of defeat.
Current lead times:
- Up to 10 days for design and production.
- When your work has been completed it will then take 3-5 days for UK delivery
- You will be emailed a tracking link once it’s been sent out
- EU Delivery can take 10-21 days for delivery from the date of dispatch
- US & Rest of World can take 14-28 days for delivery from the date of dispatch
The finished product
Each portrait has been designed by hand. The image is turned into a digital file for cutting by CNC machine using a high density fibre board which is black throughout and specially designed for intricate cutting work.
I make three sizes of sculpture - 60cm, 75cm and 90cm as measured by the longest side.
There are two colour finishes available: Black or Birch.
FAQs
The artist hand-draws the design from your photo with pen and paper. The image is then turned into a digital file and cut by CNC machine using a high density fiber board that is specially designed for intricate cutting work.
It typically takes a few weeks to create and deliver the sculpture, depending on the complexity of the design and the current demand for the artist's work.
The sculpture will be carefully packaged and shipped to your address via a reliable courier service.
The sculptures are available in three sizes: 60cm, 75cm and 90cm on the longest size, and 9mm thick in black, 12mm thick in birch.
Yes. The sculptures are available in black (9mm thick) and beautiful birch (12mm).
Yes, you can contact the artist to discuss any custom design requests you may have.
The sculptures are made from high density fiber board, which is strong and durable. However, they are still susceptible to damage if handled roughly, so it is important to handle them with care.
Installation is simple, with just one included nail needed to hammer into the wall and a centrally balanced point to rest the sculpture on. For wide pieces, a second nail may be required, in which case the first nail should be hammered in, one side of the piece hung, and the position for the second nail marked.
You may wish to drill a small pilot hole for the nail using the drill bit provided to avoid chipping your plaster.
The packaging uses the waste from the cutting process to protect the sculpture, and is then sandwiched between two wooden sheets and wrapped in cardboard. The packaging is not specifically designed to be environmentally friendly, but it can be easily recycled after use. However, we recommend to keep the packaging as it's the safest way to transport your sculpture should you ever need to move it.
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