HomeOpinion/FeaturesSix unforgettable games between Liverpool and Man United

Six unforgettable games between Liverpool and Man United

Liverpool vs Manchester United. English football’s two most successful clubs. A fierce North-West rivalry.

The two teams meet in the Premier League this weekend, in the latest instalment of a clash which is always among the most eagerly anticipated on the English football calendar.

Liverpool 3-3 Manchester United – January 4, 1994

An instant classic, as Liverpool staged a remarkable comeback to earn a point at Anfield. Manchester United arrived on Merseyside as the Premier League leaders and wasted no time in showing just why they were on course for a domestic double under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Goals from Steve Bruce, Ryan Giggs and Denis Irwin put the Red Devils three goals to the good inside just 24 minutes, with the home crowd stunned into silence. Irwin’s fabulous free-kick looked to have put the result beyond doubt at 3-0, but Nigel Clough struck an instant reply to offer Liverpool hope.

Clough scored his second before half-time to cap a five-goal first-half, setting the stage for Neil Ruddock to complete the comeback. The defender powered home a header from Stig Inge Bjornebye’s cross to equalise 11 minutes from time.

Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool – March 14, 2009

Perhaps the only time that the teams have directly competed for the title in the Premier League era, Liverpool kept alive their fading hopes of being crowned champions with an emphatic result at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side looked set to extend their lead at the top when Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot, but Fernando Torres capitalised on a misjudgement from Nemanja Vidic to equalise eight minutes later.

Liverpool turned the game around before half-time, as Steven Gerrard scored from the spot after being brought down by Patrice Evra. United’s afternoon went from bad to worse when Vidic was sent off for hauling down Gerrard, with Fabio Aurelio bending home the resulting free-kick in stunning style.

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Andrea Dossena came off the bench to complete the win for Liverpool, lofting a finish over Edwin van der Sar to make it 4-1 to Rafael Benitez’s side. Defeat was Manchester United’s heaviest at home in the Premier League since New Year’s Day 1992.

Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool – September 19, 2010

Dimitar Berbatov’s brilliant hat-trick downed Liverpool in a five-goal thriller between the teams in September 2010.

The Bulgarian was in irresistible form for Manchester United as the North-West rivals met early in the season, opening the scoring with a header after losing Fernando Torres at a set piece.

Berbatov’s second was the goal of the game, as the forward cushioned Nani’s cross on his thigh, before executing an audacious overhead kick that flew past Pepe Reina and into the top corner.

Steven Gerrard brought Liverpool back into the game, pulling one back from the penalty spot, before scoring an equaliser as his free-kick found a gap in the Manchester United wall.

Berbatov, however, was not to be denied. With six minutes remaining, he climbed above Jamie Carragher to connect with John O’Shea’s cross and seal a memorable win for Manchester United.

Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United – March 22, 2015

Juan Mata’s delightful double earned Manchester United a win on Merseyside, in a fixture that saw Steven Gerrard sent off in quick-fire fashion.

Mata had opened the scoring after being slipped in by Ander Herrera in the first half, and Manchester United’s advantage became numerical on both the scoreboard and pitch in a bizarre start to the second half.

Gerrard, a surprise omission from the Liverpool side by Brendan Rodgers, was brought on at half-time and lasted just 38 seconds after being sent off for a stamp on Herrera.

Mata scored a sublime second with an acrobatic effort to double the visitor’s lead, who held on for the win despite Daniel Sturridge’s consolation goal for 10-man Liverpool.

Manchester United 0-5 Liverpool – October 24, 2021

Manchester United’s post-Sir Alex Ferguson decline has coincided with Liverpool’s rise under Jurgen Klopp, with the shift in the status of the teams demonstrated during a five-star performance from the Merseysiders in 2021.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were cut apart during a humiliating home defeat to their arch-rivals, a result which left the Manchester United manager hanging on to his position in charge.

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Mohamed Salah became the first away player to score a Premier League hat-trick at Old Trafford, with the Egyptian’s treble coming after Liverpool had raced into an early two-goal lead through Naby Keita and Diogo Jota.

It was 4-0 before half-time, on a chastening afternoon for the Red Devils.

Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United – March 5, 2023

If that win had been humiliating for Manchester United, even that paled in comparison to last season’s embarrassment.

In a barely believable scoreline, Liverpool thrashed Manchester United 7-0 in front of an ecstatic and disbelieving Anfield. Remarkably, Cody Gakpo’s opener had been the only goal of a fairly even first half, but Liverpool were supercharged after the break to run riot.

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah scored twice, Gakpo added a second to record a brace of his own, and Roberto Firmino sealed a 7-0 win for Jurgen Klopp’s side. It was the biggest-ever winning margin in this fixture and the joint-heaviest competitive defeat in Manchester United’s history.

Delirium and despair in equal measure, on opposite sides of English football’s biggest rivalry.

Read – Five of the best Liverpool vs Manchester United goals

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