Remembering 2012 - why Sunderland away means more to Man Utd than normal

The look on Michael Carrick's face said it all.

"Yes," he said, with a slight nod of the head and a forced smile. "I can remember that. I have not forgotten it."

The Manchester United head coach had just been asked about 13 May 2012. It is a day etched into English football folklore. The day Sergio Aguero scored a dramatic injury-time winner against QPR to give Manchester City the Premier League title.

One hundred and forty miles away, Carrick was on the pitch at the Stadium of Light as the news filtered through.

They had started their match at Sunderland knowing they needed to win. If they did and Manchester City did not, they would be champions.

No-one expected it to happen. But, amazingly, when the final whistle went at Sunderland, Sir Alex Ferguson's side were top. Wayne Rooney scored the only goal at Sunderland and Edin Dzeko had only just headed in City's equaliser against a team that had begun the day fearing relegation.

United's players and coaching staff could only wait and hope.

For them, Aguero's goal was the cruellest of blows.

United faces turned to thunder.

As the players went to applaud the visiting supporters, the cheers of the Sunderland fans echoed round the ground. Despite their own side's defeat, they revelled in United's demise as lustily as if Sunderland had won the league themselves.

"We stayed out on the pitch because we had our result but we knew it wasn't over at City," said someone who was part of the United contingent that day. "It was their last home game of the season and there were a lot of people still in the stadium.

"I just remember the noise. There was sarcasm in the way they were singing. It wasn't over but we thought we had done the job. Then the Sunderland fans got smart about it and started having a pop, which exploded into laughter because we had lost the league.

"Sir Alex [Ferguson] was down. He was annoyed at the added time and the sarcasm. You knew he wouldn't forget. He could turn that into propaganda for next time. 'Remember this day. Remember Sunderland enjoyed the moment'."

Which is exactly what Ferguson did.

As Sunderland's supporters did the 'Poznan', the trademark dance adopted by City after a visit from the Polish side, where they turn their backs to the game and put their arms around the shoulders of the fans next to them, a fierce desire for revenge burned within the Scot.

It reminded him of the aftermath of losing at Liverpool in 1992, a result which confirmed Leeds as champions at United's expense, when young players in his squad were taunted.

The message he delivered was similar.

"When we lost the league to Leeds United in 1992, I said to [Ryan] Giggs and the boys, you remember this day," Ferguson revealed at an awards dinner the day after the Sunderland trip.

"That's exactly what I said to the players yesterday. Those Sunderland fans that were cheering for City, remember the day. We won't forget that I'm telling you."

The experience was crushing.

Premier League chairman Dave Richards was not aware of how the situation had changed so dramatically.

Having left his seat at full-time for what he thought was going to be a trophy presentation, Richards congratulated a senior United official as he made his way through the stadium towards the tunnel area, only to be informed his services would not be required.

Another senior United official switched his phone off on the lonely drive home and kept it off when he arrived back. He wasn't in the mood to talk.

United's players watched the City game on their way back to Manchester. The conspiracy theories soon started.

Why, after Edin Dzeko's equaliser, did a QPR side with a number of former City players in their ranks, put the ball straight out of play near the home goalline from the restart?

This ignores the fact that a full minute later, 10-man QPR had a throw-in just inside the City half, which lone striker Jay Bothroyd challenged for, Joleon Lescott won and Nigel de Jong set off on the run that ended with one of the all-time most memorable Premier League goals.

"That should have been looked into," said Wayne Rooney, half-jokingly during an appearance on the Overlap in April 2025.

He is not the only one who remembers.

The Sunderland fans do, judging by the song they sang at Old Trafford during their 2-0 defeat by United in October.

"You thought it was yours, you thought it was yours, we heard you singing, then Sergio scored."

It is the kind of harmless banter commonplace at football grounds across the country and is bound to be given a few renditions on Saturday, for what is only United's sixth Premier League visit since that famous day.

What makes this trip stand out is that Carrick was one of those to suffer, along with Jonny Evans, who is now part of his coaching team.

The pair are part of the video footage of the aftermath, both applauding the away support, Carrick in discussion with Ashley Young, trying to dissect what had happened.

Time heals of course. Carrick was part of the side that won at Sunderland the following year on the way to a historic 20th title.

But come Saturday, one suspects the gnawing memory would make winning there again just that little bit more satisfying.

"Obviously, it was a one-off kind of feeling," said Carrick. "It wasn't during the game, it wasn't until after.

"I didn't really know exactly where the land was lying at that point. It wasn't until we walked towards the edge of the pitch and had to deal with what was thrown out.

"It's in the past, but, yeah, it definitely sticks in the memory."