Rivalries are woven into the fabric of football and the Manchester derby is one of the most eagerly-anticipated fixtures in English football and across the globe.
Meetings between Manchester City and Manchester United have been staged for generations, evolving alongside the modern game while never losing their edge.
For fans of both clubs, this fixture is about bragging rights just as much as points, and while some encounters have been season-defining, others live long in the memory courtesy of late drama, feisty battles or moments of individual magic.
Here, we look back at how this rivalry began, the head-to-head record, iconic matches and notable statistics.
HISTORY & ORIGIN OF THE MANCHESTER DERBY
First-ever meeting
The first-ever Manchester derby bore little resemblance to the spectacle it is today. Neither team carried the city’s name, neither wore their now-iconic Sky Blue or Red colours and the match was staged at a ground that was developed into what is now a business park.
Formed in 1878 by railway workers, Newton Heath LYR – the club that evolved into Man United – played at North Road next to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway’s wagon works and under the ownership of Manchester Cathedral authorities.
That ground hosted the inaugural derby in 1881 when Newton Heath faced St Mark’s of West Gorton – the embryonic version of Man City – which had been established just 12 months earlier.
Newton Heath ran out 3-0 winners on home soil in a game that was described by an Ashton Reporter as “a pleasant game”.
First-ever Football League meeting
The first Football League meeting between these two clubs took place in the 1894-95 campaign when Newton Heath secured a 5-2 victory over Man City at Hyde Road.
First ‘Man City vs. Man United’ meeting
The first time these two teams butted heads under their current names was back in December 1902 when a 1-1 draw was played out at Bank Street in the old Division Two.
First Premier League Manchester derby
Both Man City and Man United competed in the inaugural Premier League season in 1992-93 and their first meeting was in December 1992 when goals from Paul Ince and Mark Hughes sealed a 2-1 victory for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side at Old Trafford against Peter Reid’s City.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD BETWEEN MAN CITY & MAN UNITED
Man City and Man United have faced each other a total of 198 times across all competitions and it is the Red Devils who lead the overall head-to-head record having posted 81 wins to the Citizens’ 63, while there have also been a total of 54 draws.
In the Premier League era (since 1992-93), Man United have faced Man City 58 times, with the former winning 27, drawing 10 and losing 21.
The Red Devils have also fared slightly better in cup competitions during this period, winning eight and losing five of their 13 encounters across the FA Cup, EFL Cup and Community Shield.
KEY MATCHES & ICONIC MANCHESTER DERBY FIXTURES
April 1974: Man United 0-1 Man City (First Division)
Scottish icon Denis Law scored a famous backheel for Man City against his former club Man United to seal a slender 1-0 away win at Old Trafford. Although widely regarded as the goal that sent the Red Devils down from the First Division, their relegation was ultimately confirmed by results elsewhere.
September 2009: Man United 4-3 Man City (Premier League)
One of the greatest ever Premier League Manchester derbies took centre stage at Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side prevailed in a topsy-turvy seven-goal thriller over Mark Hughes’s Citizens. The Red Devils took the lead three times and were pegged back on each occasion by City, before Michael Owen netted a dramatic 96th-minute winner for the hosts to snatch all three points and the bragging right.
October 2011: Man United 1-6 Man City (Premier League)
Arguably Man City’s most iconic victory over their bitter rivals took place behind enemy lines when they celebrated an emphatic 6-1 Premier League triumph before going on to win their first top-flight title in 44 years.
Mario Balotelli produced his ‘why always me’ celebration after opening the scoring. The Italian scored again in the second half along with Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Edin Dzeko (2) as the sky blues humiliated Man United during a second-half onslaught.
April 2018: Man City 2-3 Man United (Premier League)
Man City became the first and only team in English top-flight history to notch up 100 points in a single season in 2017-18. The champions lost just two of their 38 games, but one of those was at home against Man United when they let a two-goal half-time lead slip.
Paul Pogba’s second-half brace was followed by a match-winner from Chris Smalling – an unlikely hero for Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils who delayed City’s title party with a memorable away victory.
October 2022: Man City 6-3 Man United (Premier League)
The most goals ever scored in a Manchester derby was when Man City put Man United to the sword 6-3 at the Etihad just a few seasons ago. Erling Haaland became the first Premier League player to score three successive home hat-tricks, while local lad Phil Foden scored his first senior treble as Pep Guardiola’s side brutally dispatched the Red Devils.
June 2023: Man City 2-1 Man United (FA Cup Final)
Shortly after winning the Premier League, Man City won 2-1 against Man United in the first-ever Manchester derby FA Cup final. Ilkay Gundogan scored the fastest FA Cup final goal after just 12 seconds before Bruno Fernandes restored parity from the penalty spot. However, Man City’s captain scoring another volley in the second half to seal a famous victory en route to winning a historic treble that season.
May 2024: Man United 2-1 Man City (FA Cup Final)
Man United got their revenge just a year later and edged out City by a 2-1 scoreline courtesy of two first-half goals from teenage sensations Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho. Jeremy Doku pulled one back for the Citizens late in the second half, but the Red Devils held on, and so did manager Erik ten Hag, who keep his job after lifting silverware.
NOTABLE RECORDS IN THE MANCHESTER DERBY
Highest-scoring fixture
A nine-goal Premier League thriller in October 2022 represents the highest-scoring Manchester derby. Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both scored hat-tricks for Man City in a memorable 6-3 victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Biggest winning margin
On four occasions, there have been victories by a five-goal margin in the Manchester derby, with Man City winning three of those.
The Citizens celebrated two historic 6-1 away wins over Man United in January 1926 and October 2011, as well as a 5-0 triumph on the road in February 1955, while the Red Devils claimed a 5-0 victory of their own in November 1994.
Highest goalscorers
Man United legend Wayne Rooney is the all-time leading scorer in Manchester derbies after netting 11 goals for the Red Devils against Man City, while Joe Hayes and Francis Lee are joint-second for the Citizens with 10 goals, one in front of both Sergio Aguero and Sir Bobby Charlton (nine).
Most appearances
Ryan Giggs holds the record for the most appearances in the Manchester derby, having played 37 times for Man United against Man City. David De Gea (28) and Bobby Charlton (27) complete the top three, while City legend Joe Corrigan and ex-United midfielder Paul Scholes are next on the list with 26.
Hat-tricks
Eight different players have scored a hat-trick in the Manchester derby. Dick Smith scored four goals for Man United back in November 1894, while Joe Spence (October 1921), Alex Dawson (December 1960) and Andrei Kanchelskis (November 1994) all scored trebles for the Red Devils.
Meanwhile, Horace Barnes was the first City player to score a Manchester derby hat-trick in October 1921, followed by Francis Lee (December 1970), Haaland and Foden (both October 2022).