As he approaches his final home game as a Manchester City player, Yaya Touré reflects on the greatest achievement during his eight years at the club. It was, the midfielder says, putting Manchester United in City’s “shadow”.

“To be honest, yes, that’s true,” Touré says. “When I came to City for them to be a big club we had to put them [United] in their shadow… That was the purpose - to come to City, to put United in the shadow although that would be difficult. But the semi-final was a big part of it.”

That semi-final was the meeting between the two clubs back in 2011, during Touré’s first season at City, as they reached the last four of the FA Cup. City went on to win and then beat Stoke City in the final. Both matches ended 1-0. Touré scored both goals. And the Abu Dhabi era at City had lift-off with its first trophy.

“United were in our way,” he explains. “We had to remove them, they were such a force, they won the league that year. To come to the game, they had such confidence, they thought they were going to beat us.

"I'll never forget it; they missed big chances. At half-time we were nearly fighting in the dressing room. Go out and play like men - or we go home again and say to [City chairman] Khaldoon [Al Mubarak]: Thank you, we've eaten the money but we move on because this club will never achieve.'”