Manchester United and Manchester City have met close to 200 times in competitive football, first in an FA Cup qualifying round in October 1891. Their earliest meeting of all began with Newton Heath’s 3-0 win over St Mark’s of West Gorton in November 1881. Most of those afternoons have faded.
A handful confirmed a relegation, settled a title on goal difference and produced the first all-Manchester FA Cup final, which is a large part of why Man Utd vs Man City betting markets attract the attention they do. These five have lasted.
A backheel and a relegation, 1973-74
Denis Law scored 237 goals for United before a free transfer took him across the city in the summer of 1973. On 27 April 1974 he returned to Old Trafford in a City shirt and, with nine minutes left, flicked a backheel past Alex Stepney for the only goal of the game. He refused to celebrate and was substituted straight away.
The goal is still credited with relegating United. Birmingham’s win over Norwich and West Ham’s draw with Liverpool the same afternoon had already done that. Supporters invaded the pitch, the match was abandoned with minutes remaining, and the result was allowed to stand. United went down and won the Second Division at the first attempt in 1974-75. City finished 14th.
Seven goals and six added minutes, 2009-10
Old Trafford, 20 September 2009. Wayne Rooney opened the scoring, Gareth Barry levelled, Darren Fletcher scored twice and Craig Bellamy twice, the second of them on 90 minutes. Four added minutes had been signalled. Michael Owen won it 4-3 in the sixth, taking Ryan Giggs’s pass past Shay Given.
Mark Hughes spent much of the following week on the subject of the clock. United finished the season second, a point behind Chelsea. City came fifth and missed the top four, so the afternoon was a better match than it was a turning point.
The 6-1, 2011-12
The 23 October 2011 produced United’s heaviest home defeat in the Premier League. Mario Balotelli scored on 22 minutes, Jonny Evans was sent off two minutes after the restart and Balotelli added a second on 60 minutes, with Sergio Aguero making it three on 69. Fletcher pulled one back on 81, and Edin Dzecko scored on 89. City then added two more in stoppage time through David Silva and Dzeko again.
Both clubs finished 2011-12 on 89 points. City took the title on goal difference, plus eight ahead of United, so the five-goal margin at Old Trafford was worth more than any single result that season.
Kompany’s header, 2011-12
City went into the return on 30 April 2012 three points behind United with three games left. In first-half stoppage time at the Etihad, Silva swung in a corner and Vincent Kompany got in front of Chris Smalling to head down past David De Gea. Nothing else was scored.
The win put City top on goal difference, and they took the championship on the final day against Queens Park Rangers, 44 years after their previous one. United’s 89 points would have won most seasons.
The first all-Manchester FA Cup final, 2022-23
Wembley, 3 June 2023. Ilkay Gundogan met a cleared header on the volley in just 12 seconds, the fastest goal in an FA Cup final. Bruno Fernandes equalised from the penalty spot on 33 minutes and Gundogan scored again on 51, so City won 2-1.
Seven days later they beat Inter in Istanbul to complete the treble. United finished third in the Premier League and had already won the League Cup in February, which was their first trophy in six years.
What the five have in common
Four of them decided something concrete. Only the 2009 game, the best contest of the lot, settled nothing beyond three points. That pattern is the useful part for anyone reading a football betting market on this fixture, because a one-off derby answers to form and motivation rather than to the league table.
United beat City 2-1 in the 2024 FA Cup final through Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, Jeremy Doku replying late, in a season United finished eighth and City won a fourth consecutive title. Betting is for over-18s only.
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