Bacary Sagna may still have been an Arsenal player when Manchester City won their two Premier League titles, but the unforgettable finale against Queens Park Rangers four years ago made such a lasting impression that it still serves as motivation to this day.
Having broken his leg for the second time in the 2011-12 season, ruling him out of France's Euro 2012 campaign, Sagna was laid up on his sofa at home as the English top flight provided one of the most dramatic afternoons in sporting history.
Manchester United, having won at Sunderland, had one hand on the title as City headed into injury time at the Etihad Stadium, trailing QPR when three points were all that were required to secure their first league trophy in 44 years. Edin Dzeko provided the lifeline before Sergio Aguero, who will surely be immortalised in bronze one day as a result, struck in the 95th minute to spark wild, jubilant scenes.
It was a day that demonstrated sport's unrivalled ability to provide the highest of highs and inflict the lowest of lows, and it left such an impression on Sagna, even as an outsider looking in, that it is relevant to this day as City look to close the 10-point gap on Leicester City.
"Watching their first title, winning against QPR, I was injured on my sofa, I was thinking, 'Wow, this must be magic to win a trophy, and to win that trophy,'" he told Goal. "The way it happened was just crazy. The situation, to see how it happened at the end, it was great. They've done it twice, so why not a third time?"
Those moments, the dramatic culmination against QPR and another unlikely title win two years later, when City defied Liverpool's seemingly unstoppable momentum on the final day of the season, helped Sagna make up his mind when he came to leave Arsenal.
The Frenchman had just helped the Gunners end their 10-year trophy drought by winning the 2014 FA Cup at Wembley, but the challenge presented by moving to City proved too tempting to turn down.
"I had to choose a team because I was out of contract with Arsenal, I was thinking about what would be positive for me and straight away I thought about Manchester City, because for me this is a great way to challenge myself, which I like.
"And I have, I've challenged myself to play. Of course you think about trophies because they won two leagues out of three and they'd been performing well."
Eighteen months down the line and the silverware may not have arrived quite as regularly as expected. Sagna's first season yielded just nine Premier League appearances and zero trophies, but heading into the final months of his second campaign he finds himself a key member of the squad as City battle to give Manuel Pellegrini the perfect send-off.
Pellegrini will be replaced by Pep Guardiola this summer and, despite leading his team to the League Cup at the end of February, his third trophy in less than three full seasons, has been accused of failing to sufficiently build on Roberto Mancini's achievements.
City have not won two consecutive league games since October, but must now win the majority of their remaining 10 games - and hope the sides above them drop points - if they are to lift the title again.
That would surely rank alongside their previous exploits but Sagna, with the League Cup already in the bag and the motivation that brings, sees no reason it cannot be done.
"They have done it in the past," he adds, "but second of all I see the guys training every day, I spend some time with the guys and everybody is extra motivated to come back. We have the taste of winning a trophy recently and we want to do it again and celebrate with the fans.
"We have won one trophy, we're still involved in two other competitions, the league and the Champions League. We want to do well and we are keen to do it. If we turn up, we can do it."
There is a long list of reasons put forward for City's travails this season. A fragility in defence without the injury-beset Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure's inconsistent performances, the sheer number of injuries in recent weeks, to name just a few, have all been blamed by fans and media alike.
Sagna has become a mainstay in the defence, and has been one of City's most consistent performers this season, and if anybody is qualified to judge their frailty at the back it is the Frenchman. But he insists he has not noticed any difference between when captain Kompany plays and when he is on the sidelines.
"I didn't think about it to be fair," he insists. "Every time I play I think about doing my job properly. Of course we have had a bad period, but with or without Vincent everyone has a role to play in that team.
"From the minute we play for that team we have to give our maximum and perform. Every time we lost we just didn't perform well as a team, or maybe we were not wise enough at some times."
But it is seemingly not as simple as making a few tweaks here and there in this most "weird" of seasons.
"Obviously we would have changed something, but it's just the way it is. I think it's a weird season for City, at the minute, but we still have one cup, we're still involved in two competitions, we can still come back to challenge Leicester for the title. Out of everything it's still a positive season. Even if it doesn't seem as exciting as it was, it is.
"It is a weird season! For everyone it's a weird season, because everybody drops points. Nobody expected Leicester to be on top today, and they are. But the league changes quickly, you can go from first spot to fourth, from fourth to tenth. It changes so quickly, we still have time to come back."
It may not be the ideal way for Sagna to win his first league title, but it would be entirely in keeping with this modern brand of 'Typical City'. He knew what he signed up for.
Meet A star are giving you the chance to win a trip for 2 to attend a top sports event, stay in a 5 star hotel and meet Manchester City star Bacary Sagna.
Just answer the following question:
Which national team does Bacary Sagna play for?
A. France B. Spain C. England
To enter, simply text Meet A, Meet B, or Meet C To 82344, or go to www.meetastar.com
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10 lucky runners up will each receive a signed Meet a Star polo shirt.
The competition closes at 11.59 pm on March 31, entries will not be counted but may still be charged after the closing time.
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