Holding the position as the most successful club in domestic English football to date, there is no surprise that Manchester United has managed to make their fair share of sporting enemies over the years.
Feuds between the Red Devils and their adversaries have dominated the skyline of Premier League football for many years, giving life to several natural rivalries over the decades, varying in intensity depending on the stakes and the moment.
Of course, there is always the question of what makes a major rivalry in the modern day: Is it based on history, competition for silverware, or geographic proximity? Uniquely, Manchester United arguably ticks each box.
The Red Devils not only have a rich history, but their success has made for plenty of memorable trophy showdowns. And they also happen to be geographically situated to some fierce competitors. So it should come as little wonder that they find themselves embroiled in so many tense footballing confrontations.
The Sporting News compiled the list of Manchester United’s top five rivals ranked in order of significance.
5. Newcastle United
When you think of Manchester United vs Newcastle, it is impossible not to immediately picture a furious Kevin Keegan delivering one of the most explosive interviews in football history in response to the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.
In the 1995-96 campaign, both clubs were vying for the Premier League crown with stakes reaching fever pitch as the title race reached the home stretch. With two matches left in the season, Newcastle defeated Leeds United 1-0, one week after Man United beat Leeds by the same score.
After his team’s win, Ferguson accused the Leeds players of trying harder against Manchester United than other sides in the league, and he also suggested that their performance levels would drop against Newcastle in their next match.
This queued one of the most iconic moments in Premier League folklore courtesy of Keegan. Newcastle’s manager at the time. After the Magpies’ 1-0 win over Leeds, Keegan went on live TV after the game and delivered a defiant tirade in Ferguson’s direction (video).
“You can tell him now: We’re still fighting for this title and he’s got to go to Middlesbrough and get something.
“I’ll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it.”
Unfortunately for him, Newcastle only managed to draw their last two games, leading to United winning the title by four points. In spite of the financial and competitive disparity that has formed between the clubs over the years, there have still been some great matches between the two in recent seasons.
And now that Newcastle have recently been taken over by a wealthy Saudi Arabian-led investment group, they could well soon be challenging United for title glory once again.
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4. Arsenal
Manchester United and Arsenal have always been keen competitors, owing to their capability to compete at the top of the English football pile.
Undoubtedly, you could not mention this particular rivalry without pointing to the clash of personalities between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. Throughout the period when both coaches were in charge, the two heavyweights were able to produce some fantastic battles due to the quality of their playing squads, as well as the brilliance of their respective managers.
This fixture has seen some fascinating encounters, including a battle of Old Trafford in which both teams were embroiled in a tussle that saw eight yellow cards, one red card and several fights across the 90 minutes. Highly unlikely to lose its significance any time soon, it is a matchup that football fans immediately look forward to once preseason starts.
3. Manchester City
Steeped in local tradition, the Manchester Derby is one that never fails to capture the imagination of the city. Though the game has always been a cornerstone of the footballing calendar, its appeal to a worldwide audience has grown over the last decade, largely due to the Citizens’ rise as a global power on the field.
Since being taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group back in 2008, City have gone on to win 17 domestic honors in English football, whereas Man United have not been as prolific. Controversy has never been too far away between these two, with the Carlos Tevez saga being one example after he swapped red for blue back in 2009 in a move that enraged Reds supporters.
It is fair to say this rivalry has evolved to the point where it is one of the most eagerly watched fixtures in world football.
2. Leeds United
Why are Leeds United above Manchester City in this list? One reason: bad blood.
To say these teams strongly dislike each other would be an understatement. There have been numerous events between the two clubs, too many to list, but there are a few key flashpoints that encapsulate why this rivalry gets tempers flaring on and off the pitch.
The War of the Roses can always be attributed to the divide between the two cities, however the 1965 FA Cup semifinal was most certainly one of the most defining points within the sporting rivalry. In the first leg, both sides drew 0-0 in a game that saw a fair share of meaty challenges. But in the replay, it was the fans in the stands who were the ones embroiled in controversy.
Following an 89th-minute winner by Leeds’ Billy Bremner, Manchester United fans stormed the pitch and knocked the referee to the ground, believing that he favored the Yorkshire side. And just like that, a spark was forever set alight and a rivalry was born.
These days, players choosing to move from Elland Road to Old Trafford have also become a major source of contention which has fanned the flames in the North West. Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand and Alan Smith all made the switch from Leeds to Man United during their playing careers, and those moves did not go down well with supporters of the Yorkshire club.
Of course, Leeds had been a club in steady decline over the last two decades, only returning to the Premier League in 2020-21 after a 16-year absence from the top flight. If they can maintain their standing, there should be plenty of new, memorable chapters written in this rivalry.
1. Liverpool
There was only going to be one No. 1 team on this list.
The Man United vs. Liverpool rivalry contains all the ingredients needed to create the perfect spectacle: history, geographic proximity, and success. They are also two of the biggest football clubs in the world, with supporters around the globe and a long list of glorious conquests between them.
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Manchester United lead the way domestically with 20 titles to Liverpool’s 19, whereas the Anfield club reigns supreme in Europe with six Champions League trophies to United’s three. Such is the fine measure of both clubs having so little to separate them, United edge Liverpool on total trophies won with 66 to 65.
It will take a lot for any of the other rivalries to ever come close to this one. They probably never will.
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