Rivalries in football, as in other sports, often serve to define eras and sometimes they can be so notable that they even become synonymous with the game itself in a particular country.
Mere mention of the words 'Argentine football', for example, will be sufficient to evoke thoughts of River Plate and Boca Juniors for some, ditto 'Scottish football' and the Old Firm.
In England, few rivalries come bigger than that which exists between Liverpool and Manchester United, which is one of the longest-running derbies in English football, featuring the country's most successful teams.
However, the relative decline of both teams at different stages during the Premier League era has led to cheeky suggestions that the rivalry is no longer the main event in the calendars of their respective fanbases.
With that in mind, Goal takes a look at whether Liverpool are Manchester United's biggest rivals and vice versa.
Contents
- Are Liverpool Manchester United's biggest rivals?
- Why are Liverpool & Manchester United rivals?
- Liverpool - Manchester United rivalry quotes
- Notable Liverpool vs Manchester United matches
- Who is more successful - Liverpool or Manchester United?
Are Liverpool Manchester United's biggest rivals?
The Liverpool-Manchester United rivalry is widely considered to be the biggest rivalry for both clubs and their supporters.
"To me, Liverpool will always be the derby game, just because of the history," Sir Alex Ferguson once said. "When I came down here, they were the kingpins of England. My aim was to try and turn that round."
Other teams who can claim to be among Manchester United's biggest rivals are Arsenal, Leeds United and cross-town competitors Manchester City.
As well as Manchester United, Liverpool count their near neighbours Everton among their fiercest rivals. Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City are Liverpool's rivals to a lesser extent.
Interestingly, some Liverpool fans have mischievously begun to denigrate the rivalry with Manchester United, suggesting that City now represent their chief rivals because they are more consistent challengers.
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Why are Liverpool & Manchester United rivals?
The rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is multi-faceted. It takes into account the geographical proximity of the cities as well as the fact that they have been direct rivals for trophies over the years.
Liverpool is roughly 40 miles from Manchester (distance between Anfield and Old Trafford is around 30 miles) and they are the two biggest cities in the north west of England, hence the name North West Derby .
Between them, Liverpool and Manchester United have won over 30 league titles. They are out in front as the country's most successful teams, dominating the domestic landscape from the 1970s until the 2000s.
The rivalry also transcends football because the socio-economic fortunes of the denizens of the two cities are closely intertwined.
Indeed, historical resentment has festered since the late 19th century following the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal.
The introduction of the canal to the landscape saw competition for trade intensify between Liverpool, which is a natural sea-port city, and Manchester, which is further inland.
While there was and has undoubtedly been plenty of resentment over the years the question of whether Liverpudlians and Mancunians genuinely hate each other can only be answered by individuals themselves.
Liverpool - Manchester United rivalry quotes
Below is a selection of the most famous quotes on the Liverpool vs Manchester United rivalry.
Ferguson: Knocking Liverpool off their f*cking perch
"My greatest challenge is not what's happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their f*cking perch. And you can print that."
Manchester United's legendary manager Alex Ferguson was driven by an obsession with overtaking Liverpool as England's most successful team.
Gerrard: I hate them!
"That's like... that's like which one of the Kardashians that! I can't... I hate both of them!"
When asked by his fellow ex-professional Peter Crouch which team - Everton or Manchester United - he would rather win against, Steven Gerrard couldn't pick.
Giggs: I get the most pleasure out of beating Liverpool
"I think I've always shown the right respect to Liverpool and the history they have. But I also know that it's the team I get the most pleasure out of beating."
Ryan Giggs is the man who appeared in the most games against Liverpool for Manchester United and he relished each one of those matches.
Carragher: I want United to lose every game
"Let's get this clear: I want United to lose every time they play. I'm pleased when they lose. I’m sure United fans feel exactly the same about Liverpool and I wouldn't change that."
Merseyside native and long-time Liverpool servant Jamie Carragher can't abide the sight of Manchester United winning any game.
Gary Neville: I can't stand Liverpool
"I can't stand Liverpool, I can't stand Liverpool people, I can't stand anything to do with them. When I was growing up there was certainly a large amount of jealousy involved. The truth is, I envied them for all the success their team was having."
Carragher's regular pundit partner Gary Neville shares his colleague's sentiment when it comes to the rivalry.
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Notable Liverpool vs Manchester United matches
Below is a selection of some of the most notable games between Liverpool and Manchester United.
FA Cup final 1996 - Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool
The 1996 FA Cup final will be remembered as the nadir for Liverpool's 'Spice Boys' after they arrived to Wembley in their infamous white suits.
It was only the second time the sides had met in the final of the hallowed competition and Manchester United came out on top to secure the league and cup double.
Eric Cantona scored the decisive goal with just five minutes left on the clock and the game is often dubbed 'The Cantona Final' as a result.
League Cup final 2003 - Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United
Liverpool spent much of the 1990s in the shadow of Manchester United, but the reign of Gerard Houllier saw them become cup specialists once more, even if league glory still eluded them.
One of the sweetest triumphs of the early 2000s was the 2003 League Cup (then known as the Worthington Cup), for which they defeated Manchester United in the final.
Goals from Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen as well as a supreme goalkeeper's performance from Jerzy Dudek saw the Reds overcome a formidable Red Devils team in Cardiff.
Premier League 1993-94 - Liverpool 3-3 Manchester United
A six-goal thriller at Anfield, the January 1994 Premier League meeting between Liverpool and Manchester United delivered plenty of drama.
United went 3-0 up after just 25 minutes thanks to goals from Steve Bruce, Ryan Giggs and Denis Irwin, but Liverpool somehow clawed their way back.
Nigel Clough struck twice from distance and then Neil 'Razor' Ruddock scored with 10 minutes to go to clinch a hard-earned point.
Premier League 2005-06 - Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool
The January 2006 North West derby at Old Trafford is not memorable so much for the match itself, but the provocative behaviour of Gary Neville afterwards.
Rio Ferdinand's last-minute goal granted United victory and Neville stoked the ire of Liverpool fans when he ran the length of the pitch to rub salt in their wounds by celebrating in front of them.
Premier League 2011-12 - Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
The backdrop of the February 2012 encounter between Manchester United and Liverpool was overshadowed by the fact that Luis Suarez had been charged with racially abusing Patrice Evra.
Suarez was handed an eight-match ban by the Football Association and his return, fittingly, came in a game against the Red Devils at Old Trafford.
The Uruguayan did not help matters when he simply ignored the Frenchman in the pre-match formalities, heightening tensions in doing so.
Wayne Rooney scored twice as United won the match and afterwards Evra made a point to rile up the Old Trafford faithful directly in front of Suarez.
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Who is more successful - Liverpool or Manchester United?
Manchester United are more successful than Liverpool on the domestic front. They have won 20 league titles to Liverpool's 18.
The Red Devils surpassed Liverpool's haul of 18 league titles in 2011 when they clinched their 19th trophy.
Including league titles, Manchester United's total domestic trophy tally stands at 58, whereas Liverpool's is 50.
Liverpool have been more successful on the European stage. The Reds have won the Champions League (formerly European Cup) six times against Manchester United's three.
Including the Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup and other continental titles, Liverpool's overall European trophy haul stands at 11 to United's six.
However, Manchester United have enjoyed more global success thanks to their triumphs in the Intercontinental Cup and FIFA's Club World Cup, two competitions Liverpool have never won as of the end of 2018-19.
Click here to read more about the trophy cabinets of Manchester United and Liverpool.
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