Liverpool & Manchester United: The Rivalry Explained

Okay,  let me ask you something.

What's the biggest rivalry in English football? Some people say Man City vs United. Some people throw in Arsenal vs Spurs.

But if you really want the one that goes deepest - the one that's got history, culture, trophies, heartbreak, and some of the most iconic matches ever played - it's Liverpool vs Manchester United.

Two cities. Roughly 35 miles apart. And yet the rivalry stands for well over a hundred years. And we're not just talking football - things started way before that.

Liverpool and Manchester United have won more trophies than any other club in English football. Between them, with an unmatched history, they've dominated this country for decades.

But what makes this fixture unlike anything else on the calendar?

So let's get into it. Where did the rivalry begin? What are the matches everyone remembers? And where does the rivalry stand right now?

Watch the full YouTube video here

The Origins Of The Derby

Before a single football was ever kicked, the seeds of a rivalry between the two cities were already there. Its roots stretching back to the industrial revolution.

Back in the 1800s, Liverpool was THE port city of England. If you wanted to import or export goods in the north, it went through Liverpool's docks, their thriving port dominated trade.

Manchester merchants had grown frustrated with the tolls they were paying. So what did they do? They built their own canal.

The Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894 and basically cut Liverpool out of the loop and let Manchester trade directly with the world.

Liverpool hated it. Liverpool politicians fought against it. The Ship Canal threatened Liverpool's economic power directly. And just like that - before either football club had even established itself - the seed of this rivalry was planted.

Three months later, the very first match between the two happened. The first-ever game was one of major consequence.

United had finished bottom of the old First Division, while Liverpool swept to the Second Division title undefeated.

They met in a playoff, to decide who would play in the first division. Liverpool came out on top, 2-0, and United – then Newton Heath – were relegated to the second division. 

United won the 1907-08 league title, as Liverpool fell into mid-table obscurity. By the 1920s, United were relegated while Liverpool won two league championships. However, from the 1920s until the resumption of football after the Second World War, neither team won a trophy.

As the decades went on, the cities kept competing - not just in football, but culturally. Liverpool gave the world The Beatles in the 60s.

Manchester hit back with the Madchester scene, the Hacienda, Oasis in the late 80s and 90s.

Ever since, though, it’s been success galore for both clubs. Between the two clubs, they hold a whopping forty league titles, twenty-one F A Cups, sixteen League Cups, and nine European Cups (better known as the Champions Leagues).

They’ve also lifted four UEFA Cups (now know as Europa Leagues), one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and three Intercontinental Cups/FIFA Club World Cups. Oh, and five UEFA Super Cups!

The Football Rivalry

To understand how both clubs dominated for so long, you have to understand the managers that defined them…

Matt Busby takes over United after the war and rebuilds the club from almost nothing. He backs youth, demands attacking football, and creates the Busby Babes - a team that wins back-to-back league titles.

Then… The dreadful Munich Air disaster in 1958. Eight players gone. Busby nearly dies. But he rebuilds again. And in 1968, Manchester United became the first English club to win the European Cup. At that moment, United were the biggest club in the country.

At the same time, something is growing on Merseyside. Bill Shankly walks into Liverpool in 1959 and finds a Second Division club going nowhere.

So he tears it all down - rebuilding the culture, creating the Boot Room, and forging a deep connection with the fans.

He turns Liverpool into a powerhouse. And when he leaves, the machine doesn’t stop. Bob Paisley takes over and Liverpool don’t just compete - they dominate. Three European Cups. League titles year after year. For nearly 20 years, Liverpool are English football.

And United? They win the league in 1967… and then nothing for 26 years. This is where the rivalry turns bitter. Liverpool are winning everything, while United remain the biggest name. One has the history, the other has the trophies.

Then came Alex Ferguson in 1986, with one clear mission: knock Liverpool off their perch. He rebuilds the culture, brings through the Class of ’92, and turns United into a winning machine again.

When Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013, he left Manchester United as the most successful club in English top-flight history. Delivering on his promise to knock Liverpool off their perch, over taking league title of 20 to Liverpool's 18.

But since Ferguson left, something familiar happened again. The balance shifted.

Jürgen Klopp arrives at Liverpool and rebuilds them in a way that feels… very familiar. He reconnects the club with its identity, builds a team with a clear style, and turns them back into one of the best sides in the world.

A Champions League. A long-awaited Premier League title. Liverpool are back on top. Manchester United has not won a league title since Ferguson's departure. Liverpool ended their 30-year drought in 2019–20 under Jurgen Klopp and recently secured their 20th title in the 2024–25 season under Arne Slot.

The "Perch" Reclaimed: By matching United's 20 league titles.

 

The Iconic Moments Of The Northwest Derby

Right, let's talk about the actual matches. Because there are a few that you just have to mention.

MATCH 1 — 1977 FA CUP FINAL

The 1977 FA cup final, Liverpool had just won the league and were going for a historic treble — they had the European Cup final coming up just four days later. United stand in their way at Wembley. And United win it 2-1, with a famously deflected goal from Jimmy Greenhoff. Liverpool's treble dream: gone. United fans: delirious.

MATCH 2 - 1996 FA CUP FINAL

The 1996 FA Cup Final would see both clubs meet again in a cup final. The controversial Eric Cantona would score the winner in the 85th  minute; this game would become infamous for the Liverpool squad's white suits and the ‘Spice Boys’ moniker that it spawned afterwards. 

MATCH 3 — 1999 FA CUP FOURTH ROUND

United are down 1-0 in the FA Cup 4th round against Liverpool. Looking like they're going out. Then Dwight Yorke equalises. Then Ole Gunnar Solskjær slots home the winner late on.

United go on to win the treble that season - the Premiership, FA Cup, and Champions League. Liverpool couldn't stop it even in January.

MATCH 4 — MARCH 2009, OLD TRAFFORD

This one still hurts if you're a United fan. United go ahead through a Ronaldo penalty. But Liverpool hit back — Torres equalises, Gerrard penalty, then Fábio Aurélio, then Andrea Dossena for a stunning 4-1.

At Old Trafford. United's worst home defeat in 17 years. And Gerrard runs to the pitch-side camera and kisses it. That image? Iconic. Liverpool fans still have it as their lock screen.

MATCH 5 — OCTOBER 2021, OLD TRAFFORD

Liverpool come to Old Trafford and absolutely dismantle United. 5-0. Mohamed Salah scores a hat-trick - becoming the first visiting player to do that at Old Trafford in the Premier League era. Ole Gunnar Solskjær is sacked shortly after. It was humiliating.

MATCH 5 — MARCH 2023, ANFIELD

And then - as if 5-0 wasn't enough - Liverpool make it 7-0 at Anfield in 2023. Seven. Nil. United's heaviest ever defeat to their biggest rivals.

Some United fans turned off their televisions at half time and didn't come back. However, United would finish in third place ahead of Liverpool, who finished a poor fifth.

MATCH 6 — 2024 FA CUP QUARTER-FINAL

Cup game crackers are commonplace between the two teams, and the 2024 quarter-final is a clear indicator of that. Liverpool roared back from a Scott McTominay opener to lead 2-1 before Antony scored a 97th minute equaliser.

Liverpool went ahead in extra time thanks to a Harvey Elliott stunner, but goals from Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo turned the game on its head as United won 4-3, going on to lift the trophy in a pulsating Final victory against rivals City.

Head-To-Head: Who Comes Out On Top In The Northwest Derby?

How do the clubs compare looking at the numbers? 

• Ever since that first fateful meeting back in 1894, the two clubs have played 217 times. 

• United have the most wins, with 84, while Liverpool have won 72 in total.

• Liverpool has the largest winning margin, winning 7-0 in 2023.

• Liverpool have won the most games in a row, with 5, between 2000 and 2002.

• Mohamed Salah is the top scorer in derby history, with sixteen goals.

•  Ryan Giggs is the all-time appearance holder, with 48 games played.

• In terms of total trophies? Liverpool edge it: 69 to United's 68. One trophy separating the two most successful clubs in English football history.

How Does The Rivalry Look Today?

So where are we now? Honestly? The balance of power has shifted massively towards Liverpool in recent years.

Under Klopp, Liverpool rebuilt brilliantly. United, meanwhile, have been in transition, cycling through managers, trying to find their identity.

But If you step back, there’s a pattern to all of this. Busby builds United. Shankly and Paisley build Liverpool. Ferguson rebuilds United. Klopp rebuilds Liverpool.

This rivalry doesn’t just exist at the same time. It moves in cycles. One rises. The other responds. If history repeats itself, we would be seeing United rebuild again and Liverpool decline. 

Soon enough though – we might return to an era where Liverpool and United fight it out at the top of the table for dominance of the English game.

Liverpool might have gotten ‘back on their perch’ after Ferguson famously knocked them off it, but as this derby shows, nobody stays ahead of the other for long.

And that's what makes it so special, right? Two cities. A hundred-and-something years of history. And it's still going, match after match, season after season.

Whether you're a Red Devil or a Red from Merseyside - or neither and you just love watching great football - this fixture never disappoints.