On this day in 1881, Manchester United and Manchester City played the first ever Manchester Derby.
West Gorton (St Mark’s), who would later become City, hosted Newton Heath, who would later become United. Newton Heath won by three goals to nil in a match that the Ashton Reporter described as ‘a pleasant game’.
United of course have had the upper hand not only in this fixture but in English football in general, having won the top flight for a record twenty times and lifting the European Cup on three occasions. But City, with the financial backing of the Abu Dhabi United Group, have established themselves as one of the best teams on the planet.