When Javier Hernandez ghosted behind the Newcastle defense to slot home a pass from Michael Carrick and win the game for Manchester United, it was almost expected.
You know United are going to do everything in their power to win the game, and you also know, more often than not, they will find a way to do just that - coming from behind three times against Newcastle to not only salvage a point, but take away all three.
These are the kind of games that make champions, and Manchester United showed their championship caliber in scores on Boxing Day at a packed Old Trafford.
"I wish this was the last game of the season! What this tells you about is the courage of our team," a beaming Sir Alex Ferguson told the club's official website. "Fantastic courage. The players never gave in. We improved our game enormously (after trailing 2-1 at half-time) which we had to do.
"It's a great quality to have, once again they have proved their courage. The statement was the performance, never mind where we are at this moment in time.
"That was a championship performance. It puts us in a good position but we always say December is a month that tells you everything. We come to 1 January at Wigan still top of the league."
Newcastle's second goal was scored in controversial circumstances, with referee Mike Dean giving the goal in favor of the Magpies, after the assistant referee had lifted his flag up for offside on Papiss Cisse, with Jonny Evans bundling the ball into his own net, off a cross-shot from Danny Simpson.
Ferguson felt the goal should never have stood as Cisse was interfering with play. "The referee changed the linesman's mind," he insisted. "The referee said it was an own goal, but if you see it again... the referee couldn't see it and that's why his linesman has to come into it.
"The Newcastle striker is in an offside position and as the ball's played in, he pulls Jonny Evans' arm. If that's not interfering with play, what is interference?
"I think it was a bad decision but Mike Dean deserves the benefit of a video replay, which I had (at half-time). When I saw it, I knew right away it was a mistake.
"We had a lot of decisions against us in the first half and sometimes that can demoralise a team. But the players didn't give in and that's a great quality to have. I'm pleased that we came back three times after going down three times and then scoring the winner.
"Chicharito deservedly got the winner, his movement and courage were unbelievable. He and Van Persie were absolutely phenomenal, I thought."
