City and Manchester United will renew one of English football’s oldest rivalries at Old Trafford on Sunday, with more than 140 years of Manchester derby history behind them.
The clubs first met in November 1881, although neither had their modern name. City’s predecessors St Mark’s (West Gorton) faced Newton Heath, who would eventually become Manchester United.
Working out precisely how many derbies have followed is surprisingly complicated.
City include an 1891 FA Cup qualifying tie between Newton Heath and Ardwick in their official count, while some statistical records omit it. That means different totals can be found depending on the methodology being used.
Manchester derby records
What isn’t disputed is that United lead the overall head-to-head, while City own some of the fixture’s most spectacular records.
| Record | Manchester derby figure |
|---|---|
| Biggest competitive City win | 6-1 |
| Biggest competitive United win | 5-0 |
| Highest-scoring competitive derby | City 6-3 United |
| Most derby goals | Wayne Rooney – 11 |
| Most derby goals for City | Joe Hayes/Francis Lee – 10 |
| Record attendance | 78,000 |
City have twice beaten United 6-1 at Old Trafford.
The first came in January 1926 and the second, rather more famously, in October 2011. Mario Balotelli scored twice that afternoon before Sergio Agüero, Edin Džeko and David Silva helped turn it into one of City’s most celebrated derby victories.
City have another five-goal victory to their name, having won 5-0 at Old Trafford in February 1955. United’s biggest official derby win was also 5-0, at Old Trafford in November 1994.
There was a 7-1 United victory at Maine Road in 1941, but that came in the wartime league and is not counted as an official competitive fixture.
Who has scored the most Manchester derby goals?
Wayne Rooney leads the all-time list with 11, but the next two places belong to City. Joe Hayes and Francis Lee both scored 10 derby goals, with Sergio Agüero another prominent Blue on nine. The most extraordinary individual scoring afternoon came in October 2022. Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both scored hat-tricks as City won 6-3 at the Etihad, the highest-scoring competitive Manchester derby.
The attendance record takes us much further back. A crowd of 78,000 watched the sides draw 0-0 at Maine Road in September 1947. United were playing home matches there at the time because Old Trafford was still undergoing repairs following wartime bomb damage.
United retain the advantage across the entire history of the fixture. But when it comes to the biggest wins, the highest-scoring game and City’s two men immediately behind Rooney in the goalscoring charts, there is plenty of blue in the Manchester derby record book.
Sunday will add another entry to a rivalry stretching back more than 140 years, with all the build-up and latest stories available on our LIVE! Premier League 2026/27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments page.
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