Man United vs. Liverpool: Rivalry, History & All-Time Record

English soccer has some great rivalries and what underpins most of them is proximity, a shared level of success, and issues that go far beyond the field. The North West Derby between Manchester United and Liverpool is the biggest rivalry of them all and a day on the calendar that fans and neutral supporters alike all look forward to.

When it comes to soccer betting, it’s not always cut and dry with these two fierce opponents, which was exemplified by United’s recent 2-1 win over the Reds. The result went completely against the soccer odds and shows the passion and aggression in these games make them hard to predict.

Let’s take a look at the history of the Premier League’s biggest rivalry.

It’s Not Just On-Pitch Rivalry

It’s not just the medium of soccer that has created intense animosity between these two Northern cities. There’s a historic cultural and economic enmity that goes far beyond the reach of the 90 minutes we experience in every game between these two soccer giants.

The passionate display on the pitch is symbolic of over 200 years of inter-city conflict that goes all the way back to the Industrial Revolution and the creation of the Manchester Shipping Canal.

Manchester’s merchants built the canal in 1894 to bypass the steep import charges levied by the Port of Liverpool. In doing this, they were able to bring raw materials straight to the cotton mills. This was a direct challenge to Liverpool’s status as a port city, and the Merseyside City hasn’t quite caught up to its Mancunian neighbors ever since.

This was the start of the rivalry that would eventually spill onto the soccer pitch.

Most Iconic Games in the Rivalry

• April 28, 1894: Liverpool beat a Newton Heath (now Man United) side 2-0 to send them into the second division.
• May 21, 1977, FA Cup Final: United won 2-1 to end Liverpool’s hopes of winning the treble.
• March 26, 1983, Football League Cup Final: Liverpool beat United 2-1 and won the trophy for the third time in a row.
• April 4, 1988: United’s first full season with Sir Alex Ferguson as manager. Liverpool was leading 3-1, but United fought back at Anfield to draw 3-3.
• May 11, 1996, FA Cup Final: Eric Cantona scored in the 85th minute, and United won 2-1.
• March 14, 2009: Liverpool beat United 4-1 at Old Trafford. Their heaviest defeat at home in 17 years.
• October 15, 2011: Luis Suarez racially abuses Patrice Evra to kick start a renewed sense of animosity between the two teams for the next few years.
• March 10, 2016, Europa League: The two teams meet in Europe for the first time. Liverpool won 3-1 over two legs.
• October 24, 2021, Premier League: Liverpool inflicted their heaviest win at Old Trafford with a 5-0 scoreline.
• August 22, 2022, Premier League: Manchester United won 2-1 at Old Trafford to take the first points in the Erik ten Hag era.

Major Club Titles

Head to Head Results

Plenty More to Come

The Manchester United vs. Liverpool rivalry is centuries old, and it surpasses on-the-field antics. Although Liverpool has been the vastly superior team in the last decade, could Eric ten Hag’s managerial reign herald a new dawn at Manchester United?

Get the best soccer bets with BetMGM EPL betting for the Manchester vs. Liverpool derby and much more.