Top Ten: Manchester Derbies

Last updated: 22nd March 2008

Manchester United Andrei Kanchelskis

Related links

News

Teams

With derby matches in Manchester always a good debate, skysports.com breaks down which of the games over the years are the cream of the crop.

United 4 City 1, 31st August 1957

It's only fitting as Manchester remembers the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster that the Busby Babes get a mention, despite the fact this one's not in my living memory.

Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, David Pegg, Liam Whelan, Duncan Edwards and Tommy Taylor graced the turf against the old enemy for the final time in this game, just five months before their untimely and tragic death in Germany.

The flowers of English football enhanced their growing reputation with a typically consummate performance at Old Trafford, kicking off the defence of their First Division title in fine style.

Goals from Edwards, Taylor, Johnny Berry and Dennis Viollet maintained United's perfect start to the season with sublime ease.

City 2 United 3, 7th November 1993

United went into this game on the back of their European Cup elimination at the hands of Galatasaray, which saw Eric Cantona sent off amidst scenes of violence after the final whistle in Turkey.

Gloating Blue faces and bars of Turkish Delight greeted the flagging champions at Maine Road and City soon stormed into a two-goal lead thanks to two first-half headers from Niall Quinn.

But King Eric led the comeback with two collected finishes and Roy Keane put the bitter blues firmly back in their place with an 87th minute winner.

The result put United back on track and the boys went on to achieve the Premier League and FA Cup double.

United 5 City 0, 10th November 1994

United maintained their dominance over City with a 5-0 drubbing of Brian Horton's no-hopers at Old Trafford.

There was a gulf in class between the teams and Andrei Kanchelskis underlined the point with a hat-trick as United's champagne football won out.

Cantona showed class and a deft touch to score a goal to savour and Mark Hughes also got in on the act in what turned out to be his final season at the Theatre of Dreams.

United went on to do the double over the basement battlers that season, scoring eight unanswered goals in the two league games, to make sure there was no respite for those still crying on the Kippax.

United 4 City 2, 14th February 2004

This one's in there not so much for the result but for the fact Scouse-baiter Gary Neville got sent-off for head-butting Steve McManaman in the first half, and United still won.

Paul Scholes had put The Red Devils ahead before a brace from arch poacher Ruud van Nistelrooy and a Cristiano Ronaldo strike sealed the victory and sent United through to the FA Cup's last 16.

Despite consolation goals for Michael Tarnat and Robbie Fowler, United went on to win the FA Cup that year while City's 30-year wait for a win at Old Trafford continued.

City 0 United 1, 5th May 2007

Edwin van der Sar saved a late penalty as United effectively won the Premier League title at the home of their foes.

Despite playing a beautiful brand of football throughout the season, winning the plaudits and support of football fans along the way, there was still talk amongst City fans of doing Chelsea a favour at Eastlands.

The match was by no means a classic, but it was fitting that Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty should win the game after he had been savagely stamped on by Michael Ball in the first half.

Sir Alex Ferguson went on to lift his ninth title in 15 years as a result, while City have not claimed a major trophy for 31 years - and still counting.

City 5 United 1, 23rd September 1989

Many younger readers will have been protected from this truth which has been washed away by a gushing fountain of hype and nonsense: In the late 80s Manchester United were rubbish.

Plain old Mr Alex Ferguson was struggling to establish a winning formula and a nervy Gary Pallister floundered in defence like a monkey on roller skates. Only the excellence of Mark Hughes kept them afloat.

Sadly, Mel Machin's City were worse, despite the promise of a number of their younger players. So this result was still a massive upset.

Journeymen David Oldfield and Trevor Morley put City two-up in a frantic early spell which included more than enough fisticuffs in the North Stand and a brief evacuation of the pitch.

Ian Bishop's classic diving header made it 3-0 at half time, but a spectacular bicycle kick from Hughes (which I almost clapped) made blue doubts resurface.

When Oldfield tapped in a fourth it was all over and then came the crowning glory - David White's cross, Andy Hinchcliffe's unstoppable header. There have been few better moments watching City in the last 30 years.

City 3 United 3, 27th October 1990

Twelve months on, it nearly happened again. Both teams were much improved - Howard Kendall had given City some quality and steel, with signings such as Peter Reid and Niall Quinn while Fergie's first title-winning team was beginning to take shape and as FA Cup holders they were on their way to lifting the Cup Winners' Cup.

Two goals from David White, the first scrappy, the second brilliantly direct, had City fans dreaming of a glorious repeat. Hughes pulled one back again and after White hit the bar, Colin Hendry exchanged passes with Quinn before stroking his shot past Les Sealey for an exquisite third.

Job done, Kendall took off Reid with 10 minutes to go. His replacement Ian Brightwell immediately lost possession to Brian McClair who raced clear to score. Moments later, McClair headed an equaliser. It should have been another big City win. What it turned out to be was a magnificent, memorable Manchester derby.

City 3 United 1, 9th November 2002

Thirteen years had passed since City had beaten United, but Shaun Goater proved to be the hero of Kevin Keegan's first - and City's last - derby at Maine Road.

Keegan was slow to recognise Goater's Premiership quality and the veteran Bermudian was confined to the bench until mid-October. But after impressing in wins against Birmingham and West Brom he got his chance against the Reds and grabbed it with both hands.

Nicolas Anelka fired City ahead on five minutes after a comedy fumble from the increasingly erratic Fabien Barthez, only for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to level three minutes later. Nobody remembers the mistake by Barthez, however, because of what was to follow.

To most City fans, Gary Neville is the epitome of United's snarling win-at-all-costs mentality, so it was especially sweet that rare embarrassment should visit him at Maine Road. Attempting to usher the ball out of play for a goal-kick, the long-faced, medal-laden full-back lost his bearings and consequently the ball to Goater, who carried it into the area and lashed it beyond a bemused Barthez. Delightful.

Five minutes into the second half the Goat sealed the win, collecting a clever pass from Eyal Berkovic, holding off a feeble challenge from Larry White and lifting his shot over Barthez.

City 4 United 1, 14th March 2004

It's fair to say City fans never really took to Robbie Fowler, Jon Macken and Trevor Sinclair. For a start, they spent much of their time battling chronic injury problems which meant, when they did get on the pitch, they weren't very good at football.

Yet all three dragged themselves out of the treatment room - along with Steve McManaman, Claudio Reyna and Daniel Van Buyten - and onto the pitch to score in a rare humbling of the enemy, thus giving the supporters something other than the over-sized shorts, dodgy knees and vastly inflated price tag (respectively) to remember them by.

It wasn't as one-sided as the score suggests - Cristiano Ronaldo hit the post at 1-0 and David James made some fine saves - but the dazzling last-minute goal by Shaun Wright-Phillips, who scampered down the touchline before crashing a shot in off the bar, made it feel like a rout, and that's good enough for me.

City 3 United 1, 14th January 2006

If only Cristiano Ronaldo would get himself sent off at Eastlands more often. Still, once is a good place to start.

Frustrated that his side were deservedly losing to goals from Trevor Sinclair and Darius Vassell, Ronaldo high-kicked one of his dancing feet into Andy Cole's midrift and was quickly dismissed by Steve Bennett, who had conveniently missed Stephen Jordan's hefty assault on a Portuguese ankle moments earlier.

Riled, United rallied and got one back through Ruud van Nistelrooy, but Robbie Fowler drilled in a third in stoppage time after Vassell ran down a blind alley right to the cheeky Scouser's feet.