Manchester City and Manchester United will meet for the 41st time in the Premier League this weekend, yet the coming clash on Sunday is arguably more important than any other. While it may seem hyperbolic to suggest a fixture so early in the season can be a title decider, a victory for City will see them go eleven points clear of the pack and leave United (or any other rival for that matter) needing a small miracle to catch them before the end of May. So, can history tell us anything about how the latest instalment of the Manchester derby will pan out? As we’re celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, we take a look back at the history of the Manchester derby in the Premier League.
Head-to-Head
Considering Manchester City have only become serious title contenders within the last eight years, and spent some of the time previously in the second tier, it’s perhaps surprising Manchester United haven’t accumulated a more dominant aggregate lead throughout the Premier League era. Indeed, United have only scored eight more goals than the Citizens during the Premier League instalments of the derby, which has translated to just eight more wins. Much of the difference has of course been made up in recent years but City claimed a fair few scalps over the Red Devils before the Sheik takeover as well; back in the 2007/08 season they did the double, alongside home victories in 2002, 2004 and 2006. After undergoing four consecutive defeats between 2013 and 2014, United will take confidence from the fact they’ve lost to City just once in the five games since.
Top Scorer – Wayne Rooney
As United’s all-time record goalscorer, there’s many a Premier League fixture in which Wayne Rooney has fired his way to top scorer status. His overall strike rate, however, perhaps isn’t so spectacular – eight goals netted in 21 Premier League appearances, meaning there were 14 games in which the former England skipper failed to score. Paul Scholes also earns a place in the top five through longevity but United fans will be most impressed with the return of the legendary Eric Cantona – he scored seven goals in as many league outings against City (albeit one for Leeds), the best haul against a single club of his Premier League career. Andrei Kanchelskis, one of the few players to ply his trade with both clubs, scored all four of his goals against City for United, meaning the Sky-Blues’ only real representative is Sergio Aguero. While only four of his goals have come in the Premier League, his overall record against United is eight in eleven appearances.
The Shared Hero – Carlos Tevez
Perhaps hero is the wrong word for a player whose move across Manchester initially caused so much controversy, partly due to an infamous billboard and partly due to him essentially snubbing a permanent transfer to United, and then continued to cause controversy himself by notoriously refusing to come on as a substitute against Bayern Munich. There was even a point when Tevez was told he’d never play for City again and his opinions of Manchester as a city were hardly complimentary. But it’s impossible to ignore the impact Tevez had at both Old Trafford and then the Etihad Stadium. The Argentine was part of a forward line with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo that won the Champions League title in 2008, and after his lengthy exile, he returned to the first team to help seal City’s first ever Premier League title in 2011/12. Overall, Tevez scored 107 goals and provided 50 assists in 247 appearances for both Manchester clubs.
The Classic Clash – Man United 4-3 Man City (2009)
Sir Alex Ferguson described it as the greatest derby of all time, but it was also a signal of the balance of power changing in Manchester. While Man City may have eventually succumbed to defeat through Michael Owen’s last minute winner, this was one of the first occasions in which the noisy neighbours truly matched United in terms of pure quality, rather than relying on the derby-day defiance they’d often shown previously. Indeed though, it was a rather incredibly ninety minutes. United took the lead three times and City equalised three times, Darren Fletcher popping up with an unlikely brace of headers and Carlos Tevez providing two assists against his former employers. The Argentine could have found the net too, but his effort in the first half cannoned off the post, and United had more opportunities as well – only to find an in-form Shay Given standing in their path. Overall, this match was a fantastic endorsement of forward-thinking football, and also provided a precursor of how close the rivalry would be over the course of the next few years as City and United regularly battled it out for the English crown.
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