'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
With 38 league titles and nine European Cups between them, Liverpool and Manchester United are the two most decorated and biggest clubs in the history of English football. Despite the rise and fall of both clubs during different eras, this fixture has remained the most storied rivalry in England's top division and remains the country's biggest game.
From the likes of Sir Kenny Dalglish and Sir Bobby Charlton to Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, the North West Derby has seen some amazing moments and legends of the game go up against each other. No other league fixture across the world garners the viewership which this game does, with millions and millions across the globe tuning in twice a year to watch these two heavyweights go head-to-head.
The rivalry has been fuelled by the proximity of the two major cities that they represent, their historic economic and industrial rivalry, significant periods of domestic footballing dominance and European success, and their popularity at home and abroad. It is a sad reality that the peaks of the two clubs have barely coincided, but this fixture remains one of the most anticipated ones despite the state of either club.
In this list, we take a look at five of the best games which these two teams have contested across history in all competitions -
#5 Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool - Old Trafford, 24th January 1999 (FA Cup)
The perfect example of a "smash and grab" game. In the 1998-99 season, Manchester United created history by becoming the first English team to win the treble. This could have been prevented had Liverpool not collapsed in the final minutes of the FA Cup fourth Round tie when these two rivals met at Old Trafford in January of that season.
A promising Liverpool team journeyed to Old Trafford against a strong Manchester United side. The home fans received a shock when the brilliant Michael Owen gave the visitors an early lead in the third minute as he scored past Peter Schmeichel. The rest of the game saw the home team attacking a Liverpool defence which stood tall for almost the entire game - almost.
It looked as if Liverpool would finally beat their rivals in the FA Cup for the first time since 1922, but the opposition strikers had different ideas. Dwight Yorke scored in the 88th minute to equalise before substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored the winner in the 90th minute - a scenario almost identical to what would transpire in Barcelona not four months later in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Liverpool hearts were broken as the Red Devils advanced and ultimately won the tournament.
#4 Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool - Old Trafford, 19th September 2010 (Premier League)
This match remains perhaps the most memorable meeting between these two teams in the past ten years. The Liverpool side journeyed to Old Trafford, with Roy Hodgson being in charge after having taken over from Rafa Benitez in the summer. What followed was an absolute classic.
Manchester United fans would argue the £30 million which their club spent on Dimitar Berbatov was worth it based only on this game - the brilliant Bulgarian scored a hat-trick in a game where Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard netted a brace as the Red Devils came out on top. It was a highly competitive game which went back and forth with the two goalscorers exchanging blows.
Berbatov gave his team the lead just before half-time and then scored another goal at the hour mark to extend the lead - a brilliant overhead kick which struck the crossbar and went in. Not one to give up, however, Gerrard single-handedly dragged his team back as he scored a brace within six minutes to tie the game. Berbatov had the last laugh as he headed in a cross in the 84th minute to bag his third goal of the game, and take all three points away from this Premier League classic.
#3 Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United - Wembley, League Cup Final 1983
The two clubs met in a domestic cup final in 1983, the League Cup (known as the Milk Cup back then), at Wembley Stadium. Nearly 100,000 fans from both teams were crammed into the massive stadium as it was filled to its capacity.
This game was to be Bob Paisley's last appearance in the League Cup, as he had previously announced that it would be his final season in charge of Liverpool. On the opposite side, it was Ron Atkinson in charge of the Red Devils as he was hunting for his first trophy as their boss.
Norman Whiteside gave United the lead in the 12th minute of the game, and Liverpool equalised late into the match as Alan Kennedy scored in the 75th minute. The match headed to extra time, where Ronnie Whelan curled home a delightful winner to seal the Reds’ third consecutive League Cup. Paisley lifted the trophy, and Liverpool finally had one final win over their bitter rivals.
#2 Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool - Wembley, FA Cup Final 1977
Manchester United created history by becoming the first English team to win the treble in 1999 when they won the Premier League, the Champions League, and the FA Cup in the same season. 22 years ago, however, it was Liverpool who could have achieved the same feat, had they not been stopped in the FA Cup final by their bitter rivals.
Heading into the final, the Reds were the heavy favourites as they boasted the best team in England and possibly Europe. They had already won the league by this point and would be travelling to Rome for the European Cup final later on. Bob Paisley was the manager at the time, and despite his success as the coach of the club, the FA Cup would forever elude his grasp after a loss in this game.
Paisley described his tactics in this game as his worst ever decision – he opted to field an attacking team against the Red Devils when he could have gone for a slightly conservative approach, and he was punished as a result. Manchester United won the final 2-1. All the goals were scored within five minutes - Stuart Pearson put his team in the lead in the 51st minute, before Jimmy Case equalised for Liverpool two minutes later. Two minutes after that, Jimmy Greenhoff scored the winner for United, and they spoiled Liverpool's chance at a historic treble.
#1 Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool - Old Trafford, 14th March 2009 (Premier League)
The most memorable North West Derby of this century, it was a day of humiliation for Sir Alex Ferguson's men and a day of jubilation for Rafa Benitez's team as Liverpool demolished the league leaders at their turf in this 4-1 victory at Old Trafford.
The Reds had slipped up in the Premier League title race and needed a win to have any chance at winning their first league title in 19 years. The Red Devils were arguably the joint-strongest team in Europe that season and were in fine form heading into this game, and no one saw this scoreline coming at the end of 90 minutes.
Cristiano Ronaldo gave his team the lead through a penalty before Fernando Torres muscled his way past Nemanja Vidic to finish smartly past Edwin van der Sar.
Vidic was sent off in the 76th minute for a bad foul, and Fabio Aurelio then proceeded to conjure up a moment of magic as he scored a smart free-kick which fooled the entire United defence. The rout was complete when substitute Andre Dossena lobbed the ball over Van der Sar for Liverpool's fourth. This was arguably Liverpool's greatest performance at Old Trafford against a very strong Manchester United team, and as such, deserves its place at the top of this list.
