The Manchester derby has become one of the biggest rivalries in English football over the past decade with the financial investment in the blue half of the city allowing them to compete with the biggest club in England.
Manchester United have a long history of success – winning the English top-flight more times than any other team, with 20. The Red Devils were also the first English side to win the Champions League and only Liverpool have won it on more occasions among English clubs.
The neighbours had only two league titles prior to their financial investments little more than a decade ago. Since then, Manchester City have added four Premier League titles to their trophy haul.
Manchester in Europe
However, the Citizens are still failing on the European front, with just the 1970 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in their cabinet. Even after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 and the subsequent decline of United, they have been more successful in Europe – winning the Europa League under Jose Mourinho in 2017.
Both sides could be on course to add more silverware to their cabinets this season, with City closing in on the Premier League title and favourites to win the Champions League ahead of their semi-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain. They are also set to face Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup final later this month.
Manchester United are one of the final four in the Europa League, facing AS Roma in the semi-finals ahead of a final against either Arsenal or Villarreal. Success in this competition would be considered positive news given their pre-season expectations.
In all, Manchester United have 66 trophies to Manchester City’s 26.
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The Manchester derby
Manchester United have dominated the Manchester derby in the Premier League era and take the overall series with 65 wins to City’s 47 (52 draws). It wasn’t until November 2002 that Manchester City actually beat their rivals in the Premier League, which had started a decade earlier.
Goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel never lost a single match in this derby either, turning out for Manchester United on 10 occasions, whilst taking four points off his former club when he joined their rivals for the 2002-03 campaign.
United have started to get the better of their rivals again in recent seasons too, winning on four of their last six visits to the Etihad Stadium (D1, L1) and unbeaten in their last two at Old Trafford.
The now demolished Maine Road was once Manchester United’s temporary home after bombs hit Old Trafford during the Second World War. Although they were not crucial, United required playing at their city neighbours’ ground briefly whilst work was done to rebuild the Theatre of Dreams.
In their 1956-57 European Cup campaign, United would also play three of their four home games at Maine Road as Old Trafford didn’t have floodlights at the time. We’re not so sure this would go down too well with fans today!
Both sides are having a very good 2020-21 campaign but want to end it with a trophy on the European front. Fans of the Citizens have been expecting their side to win the Champions League for a number of seasons now and they’ve never been in a better situation to do so than they are in right now.