Manchester City completed a league double over Manchester United on the day the city remembered the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.
The last time City achieved such a feat was back in 1970 and the last time they won here was four years later.
Darius Vassell put City ahead in the 24th minute and Benjani Mwaruwari, on his debut, headed the second. United replied with an injury-time goal from Michael Carrick but City held on.
The minute's silence was immaculately observed inside the ground.
The teams were led out by managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Sven-Goran Eriksson, both of whom laid wreathes in the centre circle.
Every fan in the stadium held aloft red and blue scarves, distributed by the host club.
From the start, United were flowing towards their opponents' goal, Ryan Giggs seeing a seventh-minute volley touched over by Joe Hart.
saved superbly
City's first effort came after 13 minutes when Benjani's persistence gave Martin Petrov the chance to fire over from 20-yards. Then Stephen Ireland saw a header from Michael Ball's cross held by Edwin van der Sar.
It needed a faint touch from Nemanja Vidic's head to flick a Gelson Fernandes cross away from the waiting Benjani.
But in the 24th minute, City forged ahead. Ireland found Petrov and raced on into the box to take the return. The ball broke to Darius Vassell who saw his first hot hit Van der Sar, but he was quickly onto the rebound to blast the ball home, sending City's hordes wild.
United hit back and Hart saved superbly from a Carlos Tevez shot on the turn. Then Cristiano Ronaldo lifted a 25-yard free-kick over the crossbar.
Ronaldo saw a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide as United's pressure mounted. In the confusion following the corner, Vidic stabbed wide from close in.
City held out and hit back with a fierce Petrov cross that Van der Sar managed to turn away from Fernandes' path.
And a minute from the break City went two ahead. Petrov's angled cross was flicked on by Benjani, the ball squeezing just inside the far post.
A minute after the break, Dietmar Hamann unleashed a 30-yarder that Van der Sar pulled down.
But United were soon camped in City's territory, searching for the break that would get them back into the match.
Tevez thought he had done just that when he turned in a deflection, but he was correctly ruled offside.
ticking away
O'Shea was booked for a late tackle on Vassell after 57 minutes before Ireland should have made better use of a break out after he intercepted a pass, but he failed to find Benjani or Fernandes.
United were pressing, but without much co-ordination and City were just about surviving at the back. Hart saved a long-range Anderson drive and Ronaldo fired wide from 20 yards.
Ji-sung Park came on for Nani after 64 minutes, and Richard Dunne and Hart were soon scrambling to keep out Tevez.
United then sent on Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick for O'Shea and Anderson. City responded by withdrawing Benjani and sending on new signing Felipe Caicedo for his debut.
Ryan Giggs flashed a shot just wide of the far post, but time was ticking away and the only noise was coming from City's delighted fans.
Sun Jihai came on for Hamann in the 84th minute, with defender Javier Garrido replacing Petrov two minutes later. Vidic was now up front for United, with City constantly giving away possession.
In injury time Carrick drove the ball home from the edge of the box from a clever reverse pass from Scholes, but there was to be no equaliser as the Blues held on for a victory.
