Man Utd won't have forgotten Sunderland act as they prepare for Premier League visit

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Sir Alex Ferguson was left seething when Sunderland supporters performed the 'Poznan' as Manchester City pipped them to the Premier League crown in 2012. The Red Devils and Black Cats will lock horns at the Stadium of Light this weekend.

Nearly 14 years ago, United made the identical journey to Wearside that they'll undertake on Saturday for a dramatic top-flight finale, aiming to clinch a 20th league championship. But for that to materialise, they required their fierce rivals in City to stumble against Queens Park Rangers at the Etihad Stadium.

They believed they had completed the task with a 1-0 victory over Sunderland that May, Wayne Rooney netting the crucial goal in the 20th minute. That position was also reinforced by the fact that City were trailing 2-1 to QPR by the time United's encounter had concluded.

Ferguson and his squad waited nervously on the pitch for the final whistle in that match, while home and away supporters on Wearside also stayed in their seats. But Sergio Aguero turned the City game on its head.

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The Argentine forward executed a neat one-two with Mario Balotelli on the edge of the QPR box before bursting into the area on his right foot and smashing home past Paddy Kenny to make it 3-2. In a remarkable twist, jubilation swept 137 miles from the north West to the north East, as Sunderland supporters inside the Stadium of Light erupted in delight.

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As a crestfallen Ferguson and his players trudged off the pitch, a number of Sunderland fans launched into the 'Poznan', a celebratory ritual in which supporters interlock arms, turn their backs to the pitch and bounce up and down in unison.

The craze was introduced to British shores by approximately 6,000 Lech Poznan supporters during their Europa League group-stage visit to the Etihad Stadium just two years prior. The Ekstraklasa outfit unveiled the move as a show of solidarity early in the match, before City gleefully adopted it during their 3-1 victory, in a spirit of good-natured banter.

Yet Sunderland's deployment of the celebration felt like a far more vindictive gesture, leaving Ferguson nursing a bitter sense of grievance. Speaking on Sky Sports , he said: "I'd like to say on behalf of Manchester United, congratulations to our neighbours.

"It's a fantastic achievement to win the Premier League. It's not an easy league, it's the hardest league in the world, and anyone who wins it deserves it."

At the end of season awards ceremony, he went on to say that United players and supporters must not forget Sunderland's behaviour. He explained: "I'm an absolute dinosaur but what I am... I'm a winner. I said this to the players yesterday.

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"When we lost the league to Leeds United in 1992. The young players came out that today and Liverpool supporters were asking for their autographs: [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes, [Gary] Neville and [David] Beckham...and they were teeing the autographs up.

"I said to Giggs and the boys, you remember this day. And 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."

It comes as the Red Devils have the chance to settle the score with Sunderland this weekend. Having secured a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign, United could complete the double over the Black Cats when the two sides meet once again.

Michael Carrick has proved transformative for the club since taking charge on an interim basis in January, with United occupying third place in the league table going into their final three fixtures.

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