Man Utd vs Liverpool: Rivalry Origins, Head-To-Head, Best Matches And More | OneFootball

Manchester United and Liverpool provide one of the fiercest and most competitive rivalries around the world as England’s two most successful football clubs battle it out for the top honours year after year.

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Supported by hundreds of millions of fans across the globe, the two sides - located 30 miles apart in the North West of England - share an incredible 74 major domestic trophies (via TransferMarkt). Every season, at least twice a year, the Premier League is graced with one of the biggest games in world football.

Such is the depth and intensity of this rivalry that it's more than just a game for the fans and players. It's a battle of histories, economies, cultures and footballing philosophies. A Manchester United vs Liverpool fixture is not just about the 90 minutes of play; it's an event steeped in tradition and historical context. It's a rivalry that shows no sign of cooling, as these two giants of English football continue their struggle for supremacy. The manner that ex-players have talked in-depth about this fixture over the years, it's about going to war.

However, it isn’t just their success on the football pitch that’s contributed to an intense rivalry between the pair, with deep-rooted economic and cultural enmity playing an equally significant role.

So, join GIVEMESPORT as we delve into the history of the rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool, including all the information you need to know about the origins of the feud and how the friction between the pair has developed over the years.

Origins

The inter-city rivalry between Manchester and Liverpool dates all the way back to the dawn of the Industrial Revolution when both cities were thriving economically.

Manchester was the more populous city with an abundance of textile factories, while Liverpool benefitted from being a major seaport, bringing large amounts of goods in and out of its docks.

However, in 1894, Manchester’s merchants completed the Manchester Ship Canal, meaning ships could transport their goods all the way to Manchester via canal without needing to dock in Liverpool.

This bred resentment between the two cities as Manchester quickly became the global hub of the textile industry, overtaking Liverpool both economically and culturally in the process.

Today, the crests of Manchester United and Manchester City both include ships representing the city’s trade roots.

The rivalry between the two cities soon transferred to the football pitch where both United and Liverpool developed a rich history of success.

Despite Manchester’s economic growth, Liverpool dominated English football during the 1970s and 1980s, capturing 19 major trophies in 17 years under the stewardship of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish.

That was until the arrival of Sir Alex Ferguson in Manchester. The legendary manager was determined to bypass the Reds, and after picking up 21 major domestic honours through the nineties and noughties, United secured their 19th league title in 2011, finally knocking Liverpool “off their perch”.

The Red Devils then went on to make it 20 just two seasons later, thanks largely to the contributions of Robin van Persie who played a huge part in his side's 2012/13 title-winning campaign. This would also be the final season for Fergie, and to the amazement of all, United have not won a Premier League title since.

Over the last 10 years, there has only been one title win between the two sides, and it was Liverpool who were the last ones to secure the famous trophy.

During a season of utter dominance and half of it with no fans due to COVID-19, the Reds secured their first league crown in 30 years and accrued a hugely impressive 99 points - winning 32 games in the process.

Both teams still look for each other when the new campaign's fixtures are announced. Despite both sides falling behind the on-field superiority of Manchester City in recent years, the intensity of the rivalry has not diminished, and probably, never will.

As per 11v11, the North West rivals have played a staggering 239 times across both domestic and European competitions dating back to 1894. Manchester United hold the edge in the head-to-head with 90 wins compared to Liverpool’s 81.

However, Liverpool have dominated the fixture in recent years, winning four of the last five clashes between the two sides and losing just three times in 17 matches since March 2016.

Most memorable matches

Manchester United and Liverpool have been embroiled in some thrilling matches over the years, with both sides suffering their fair share of ecstasy and humiliation.

Liverpool 3-3 Manchester United - 1994

Fresh from winning their first league title in 26 years, United came into the contest on a 17-match unbeaten run and a staggering 21 points ahead of Graeme Souness’ Liverpool side.

True to form, the visitors raced into a commanding 3-0 lead within 25 minutes at a stunned Anfield, but the Reds staged a remarkable comeback with two goals from Nigel Clough before a late Neil Ruddock equaliser.

Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool - 2009

Having fallen behind at the summit of the table, Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool desperately needed a win against title rivals United to boost their hopes of a first Premier League crown.

Cristiano Ronaldo put the hosts in front with an early penalty before Fernando Torres capitalised on a Nemanja Vidic error to bring the Reds level. What followed next for United was the stuff of nightmares.

Steven Gerrard celebrated putting Liverpool ahead before half-time with an affectionate smooch for the pitch-side camera. Then superb second-half strikes from Fabio Aurelio and Andrea Dossena completed the rout.

Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool - 1999

United had to navigate several challenges on their way to winning the treble in 1999 and Liverpool’s visit to Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round was undoubtedly one of the trickiest obstacles to overcome.

Trailing to an early Michael Owen strike, United threw everything at Liverpool in pursuit of a response, but the visitors had weathered the storm.

However, with two minutes remaining, Dwight Yorke converted from Andy Cole’s header to level the scores before deep into stoppage time Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struck to give United an improbable victory.

Manchester United 0-5 Liverpool - 2021

This was Liverpool’s greatest-ever performance at Old Trafford and a win that’ll be remembered forever in Reds’ folklore. Believe it or not, the margin of victory could have been even greater if Jurgen Klopp’s side hadn’t taken their foot off the gas with half an hour still to play.

Liverpool went into half-time four goals to the good. Within five minutes of the restart Mohamed Salah had etched his name into the history books - becoming the first opposition player to score a hat-trick at Old Trafford in Premier League history.

To cap a truly haunting afternoon for United, Cristiano Ronaldo then had a goal disallowed for offside before Paul Pogba was given his marching orders just 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Liverpool 0-1 Manchester United - 2007

Look away now, Liverpool fans.

This match was action-packed and tense from the very first whistle. While the Red Devils may have been fortunate at times during the game, it was them who would ultimately have the last laugh, and pretty much confirmed the Premier League title that season.

Despite not having Wayne Rooney due to injury and losing Paul Scholes to a red card in the second half, Liverpool were still unable to break the deadlock.

However, a dramatic ending saw a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick saved by Pepe Reina - only to be followed in by John O'Shea to send the away supporters into raptures, with Sir Alex Ferguson celebrating jubilantly on the touchline in unique fashion.

Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United - 2023

We couldn't talk about memorable matches without discussing one of the more recent entries.

Despite Liverpool missing out on the top 4 and the Red Devils having the final laugh, the Kop will take this result to their graves with them.

Let's not mix our words here, Jurgen Klopp's side absolutely destroyed the visitors. Despite United being in the better form going into the game, they were outplayed in the second half, conceding six goals in 45 minutes.

Goals and braces from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino, most of which were in front of the Kop, makes this one of the most iconic matches between these two teams that sent certain United fans into meltdown.