Manchester United vs Manchester City is one of the most well-known and biggest rivalries of all time. The rivalry was so big that it practically shaped how soccer is played in England. As a result, I have taken it up as my onus to study this one of the greatest rivalries of all time.
Overview of The Team
Manchester United and Manchester City are two of the biggest teams in the English Premier League. Both teams have an established fan following and are known for being stalwarts of the professional football business. As a result, fanboys and fangirls took it upon themselves to make the Manchester Derby one of the biggest football rivalries of all time.
Before we embark on our exploration of this legendary rivalry, let’s pause and examine the intricate pieces that form this fascinating puzzle. These include Manchester City and Manchester United. Here is a detailed rundown of the Manchester teams.
Manchester United
Manchester United, or Man United, is one of the biggest and most established soccer teams of all time. This professional football team is one of the most renowned teams with a rich history made up of victories and disappointments. Manchester United is primarily based in Greater Manchester, England. The team plays its home matches in Old Trafford. The club mainly competes in the top division of the Premier League.
Manchester United fans call the team by the name of Red Devils. However, the team was initially founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1902. Later on, the name was changed to Manchester United. The team has a total of 21 FA Cup shields, 6 League Cups, 12 FA Cups, and 20 Top League titles. Apart from the mentioned accolades, the team is also known for several international titles as well.
Manchester City
Like Man United, Manchester City is located in Manchester, England. It is one of the two clubs based in Manchester. Manchester City is one of the most accomplished teams of all time. Currently, Manchester City is the reigning champion of the country. The team won the last three Premier League titles.
Manchester City was founded back in 1880. The team was initially named as the St. Mark’s. Later on, the team changed its name to Ardwick Association Football Club back in 1887. Eventually, the team was renamed to Manchester City in 1894. Similar to United, City has also won several accolades, including titles like the Premier League, FA Cup, European Cup, etc.
Deep Dive Into Manchester Derby
A rivalry is as intense as the rivals. Good for us; the rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United is blessed with great rivals. Both teams are constantly at each other’s throats (in the form of professional rivalry)
Both teams have a long history of professional rivalry. The teams first met at around 1881. Things have heated up since then. Both teams managed to become two of the best teams in the league. Both teams managed to win 101 significant titles. As a result, these teams can be safely counted as among the big sixes.
But what sparked such deep rivalry? Let us dive deeper to know more.
The History
Both teams first met on November 12th, 1881. Manchester City hosted Manchester United for the first-ever Manchester Derby match. The match ended with a 3-0 with Manchester United winning the game. The match received one of the highest media coverage of that time. As a result, this became an instrumental part of their rivalry.
The local newspaper started covering the story as soon after the match ended. In fact, the media coverage played up the rivalry. Soon enough, the two teams began growing a deep rivalry between each other. This continued till the excellent part of the next few years.
Early Years Of The Rivalry
Both teams were trying to outperform the other. As a result, this gave soccer fans some fantastic and memorable moments.
The team met for their first League derby in the 1994-95 season. Again, Manchester United beat Manchester City with a 5-2 scoreboard. The match took place at Hyde Road. Several sports analysts believe that this match was instrumental in initiating the rivalry.
However, this narrative quickly shifted, and City started evening the playing field. As a result, seeds for a healthy rivalry were sowed.
The Floodlight Derbies
The next era of the Machester Derby was the FLoodlight era matches. These matches were primarily played on Belle Vue Athletic Ground. The first ever floodlight Derby was played in order to aid the victims of the Hyde Coal Mine Disaster. Ten thousand people visited this match. Therefore, it was one of the most famous derby matches of that time.
This era was all about Manchester teams one-upping each other. If United won a specific accolade, City has to win the next accolade. This continued till the excellent part of early 1900.
The Violence
After the floodlight era came the 70s. The 70s was all about violent rivalry. Up until now, both teams have enjoyed healthy rivalry. Howevevr, things started taking turns as things became more and more violent. One of the most memorable moments of the ’70s was George Best’s tackle of Glyn Pardoe. This tackle nearly took off the latter’s legs.
This created widespread animosity between the fan clubs of the two teams. In fact, things became so bad that the police had to intervene. The following season was all about evening the playing field. One of the best games of the next season was 3-3.
One-Upping
1980 opened with a 2-2 draw that happened at the Old Trafford. Both sides managed to bring the best to the table. As a result, the decade was filled with some of the best and most iconic matches of all time. Both sides managed to give their fans some iconic footballing moments. However, Manchester fans were left disappointed as the team failed to win any accolades.
This was one of the most tumultuous times for the fans. Both fandoms often ended up at each other’s throats. However, the violence between the two teams dialed down. The rivalry did not spill outside the field.
General Statistics
Mancher United vs Manchester City is one of the biggest derbies of all time. Both teams have been sharing a rivalry for over a century. As a result, I have listed some of the significant statistics on the rivalry.
| Competition | Played | City | Draw | United | City goals | United goals |
| Premier League | 54 | 20 | 9 | 25 | 80 | 77 |
| Football League First Division | 104 | 30 | 39 | 35 | 147 | 141 |
| Football League Second Division | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 44 |
| FA Cup | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 19 |
| EFL Cup | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 11 |
| FA Community Shield | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Total | 192 | 61 | 53 | 78 | 295 | 273 |
The Closing Thought
With that, you have reached the very end of my article about Manchester United vs Manchester City. I have tried to summarise the derby, even though it is practically impossible to summarise the rivalry in one article. Please let us know what else we can incorporate to improve our writing. Keep following us for more such content.
