Alan Hansen is another who sees the city result as a defining moment.
From The Telegraph:
‘Manchester United have won seven Premiership titles in the last decade but their great depths of hunger and desire for fresh success
was never going to stretch forever.They needed something to replenish the driving ambition that has characterised their excellence over the years, and for that they have to be thankful to their neighbours Manchester City.
Take Phil Neville, who was poor
in that derby defeat to City last month. His brother, Gary, had a shocker. And yet both were outstanding performers against Arsenal. Rejuvenated, it seemed, by something more than simply playing against the champions. The Nevilles, like so many of that United team on Saturday, have felt a challenge to something quite fundamental to the reputation of their club over the last two months.There was a resilience that was missing from so many of their performances recently - a real suggestion that the desire of this team had come back.
They have laid down a daunting challenge to Arsenal. The initial success is, relatively, the easy part for any big team. The really difficult bit is extending that success over years and generations. United have proved they can do it, but Arsenal have yet to manage it.
No one should underestimate Sir Alex Ferguson's part in United's revival. It is a great advantage for a side to have a manager who has been through so many difficult periods in his own career. He knows how to raise a team out of a slump. And cajoling great performances out of some of the lesser lights in his squad really is a fine achievement. He has seen the problems facing his side hundreds of times before and he knows the criteria needed to recover.
I have said before that turning around the problems he was faced with at the start of the season really will be Ferguson's greatest achievement.
United put in some performances this season when it looked as if the team's dominance had gone forever. They are still three points behind the leaders and they still haven't won anything yet. But if Ferguson has the Premiership or the European Cup at the end of the season that will be a phenomenal turnaround.’