The North West Derby: Manchester United vs Liverpool

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why do Manchester United and Liverpool hate each other?

The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool is rooted in over 130 years of competition between two cities that already had economic and cultural reasons to be rivals. The Manchester Ship Canal of 1894 – built to bypass Liverpool’s docks – created lasting commercial resentment before either club was dominant. On the pitch, the rivalry hardened as they traded eras of supremacy: Liverpool’s 1970s and 80s dynasty, United’s Premier League hegemony, then Liverpool’s Klopp and Slot era. Every title won at the other’s expense has added another layer of intensity to a fixture both clubs identify as their biggest.

When did the Manchester United vs Liverpool rivalry start?

The clubs first met competitively on 28 April 1894, when Liverpool beat Newton Heath – Manchester United’s original name – 2–0 in a Football League test match. The timing was significant: the Manchester Ship Canal had opened just three months earlier, and the cities were already in commercial conflict. The rivalry grew gradually but became fiercely personal in the 1970s and 80s, when Liverpool’s sustained dominance gave United supporters a very specific grievance: the most successful club in English football history was 35 miles up the road.

What is the Manchester Ship Canal and why did it start the rivalry?

The Manchester Ship Canal is a 36-mile inland waterway, opened in January 1894, connecting Manchester to the Mersey Estuary. It allowed goods to be shipped directly into Manchester without passing through Liverpool’s docks – directly threatening Liverpool’s economic dominance as a port. Liverpool politicians bitterly opposed its construction. At its 1958 peak the canal handled around 18 million tonnes of freight annually, making Manchester one of Britain’s busiest ports despite being 40 miles from the sea. The economic resentment this created between the two cities transferred naturally to football as both clubs rose to prominence in the early 20th century.

What did Alex Ferguson mean by “knock Liverpool off their perch”?

When Alex Ferguson arrived at Manchester United in 1986, Liverpool were England’s dominant club, having won 11 First Division titles in the previous 13 seasons. Ferguson made overtaking them his defining objective. He succeeded: United won 13 Premier League titles under his management, while Liverpool won none during that period. In 2011, United surpassed Liverpool’s then-record of 18 top-flight titles – the stated goal achieved. Liverpool equalised at 20 titles each in April 2025 under Arne Slot, demonstrating that the battle for the perch is never finally settled.

What is the biggest winning margin in Manchester United vs Liverpool history?

Liverpool’s record competitive victory over Manchester United is the 7–0 win at Anfield on 5 March 2023 – also United’s joint-heaviest ever defeat. It surpassed Liverpool’s previous fixture record of 7–1, set in October 1895 in the Second Division. Manchester United’s biggest victory over Liverpool is also 7–1, from the same Victorian era. In the Premier League era, neither club has beaten the other by more than five goals.

Is Manchester United vs Liverpool the biggest rivalry in English football?

Yes – widely considered so. Both clubs, the media, and former players consistently identify this as their most important fixture, above even their own local derbies against Manchester City and Everton. The combination of geographical proximity (35 miles), shared economic history, status as England’s two most decorated clubs (20 league titles each), and decades of alternating dominance gives it a weight and intensity no other English fixture can match.

Who founded Liverpool Football Club and why?

Liverpool FC was founded on 15 March 1892 by John Houlding – the Everton chairman who owned Anfield. A rent dispute led Everton to leave Anfield for the newly built Goodison Park. Left with an empty stadium and no tenant, Houlding formed a new club – Liverpool FC – to use it. Liverpool joined the Lancashire League in their first season, won it, and were admitted to the Football League the following year.

Why did Manchester United change their name from Newton Heath?

Newton Heath LYR FC – founded in 1878 as a club for workers at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway – faced severe financial difficulties in the early 1900s and came close to folding. Local businessman John Henry Davies stepped in to save the club, and in April 1902 it was renamed Manchester United. The club’s colours also changed from green and gold to red and white. The name reflected both city identity and the ambition to represent Manchester as a whole rather than a specific railway company.

How many times have Manchester United and Liverpool played each other?

As of early 2026, the two clubs have met more than 242 times in competitive football across the league, FA Cup, League Cup, European competition and other domestic tournaments. Manchester United hold a slight all-time advantage in results. In recent seasons Liverpool have dominated, losing just once in their last 14 Premier League meetings with United before the 7-0 victory in March 2023.

What happened when Liverpool won the 2024-25 Premier League title?

Liverpool won their 20th English top-flight league title in April 2025 under manager Arne Slot – his debut season at the club. They clinched it with a 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, equalling Manchester United’s all-time record of 20 top-flight championships. It was Liverpool’s second Premier League era title (their first under Jürgen Klopp came in 2020) and put both clubs level at 20 titles each for the first time since 2011.

Have Manchester United and Liverpool ever met in a European final?

No. As of April 2026, the two clubs have never met in a European final. They have met in European group stages – most notably in a Champions League group stage match in 2021-22, where they drew 0-0 at Old Trafford and Liverpool won 4-0 at Anfield. A European final between the two remains one of football’s great unplayed fixtures.

Who are the top scorers for both clubs in the Manchester United vs Liverpool fixture?

Mohamed Salah holds the Liverpool record for most goals scored against Manchester United in competitive football, with 16 goals (as of April 2025), making him the highest individual scorer for either club in the fixture’s modern era. The all-time top scorer in the fixture for Manchester United is George Wall, with nine goals scored in the early 20th century.

What is the atmosphere like at an Old Trafford or Anfield North West Derby?

The North West Derby is consistently rated by players as one of the most intense atmospheres in world football. Former players from both clubs describe the significance of the fixture as unlike any other in their careers – a match where form, recent results, and logic are frequently overridden by the emotional weight of the occasion. Both stadiums generate distinct atmospheres: Anfield’s Kop delivers collective noise from the first whistle; Old Trafford, at its best for this fixture, generates something more sustained and pressurised. Both sets of supporters rank this fixture as their most important of the season regardless of where either club sits in the table.

What role did Bill Shankly play in building the Liverpool vs Manchester United rivalry?

Bill Shankly, who managed Liverpool from 1959 to 1974, is the figure most responsible for transforming Liverpool into a genuine rival to Manchester United rather than simply a northern club. He took Liverpool from the Second Division and built them into First Division champions and FA Cup winners, establishing the culture, fanbase identity, and playing philosophy that powered the club’s subsequent dominance under Bob Paisley. Shankly also had a gift for memorable public statements, many of which were directed at United and their supporters, and which helped crystallise the mutual antagonism that defines the rivalry today.

What does the North West Derby documentary on The Football Documentary Channel cover?

The TFDC documentary tells the story of Manchester United vs Liverpool from its origins in the industrial rivalry between the two cities, through the Shankly and Paisley dynasties, Ferguson’s mission to knock Liverpool off their perch, and into the modern rivalry. It is free to watch at youtube.com/@footballdocumentaries. The complete written history – including the Ship Canal story, iconic matches, and important FAQs – is at footballdocumentaries.com/north-west-derby/.