Definition of North West Derby

Liverpool and Manchester United are the two most successful clubs in England, which makes it natural that they would form a fierce rivalry with one another. This "North West Derby" became known as one of the most fierce rivalries in Europe.

The rivalry doesn't just begin with football. The cities Liverpool and Manchester are actively rivals and have been so since the industrial revolution. This gives it an economic stand to the rivalry on the pitch.

Then one has to take into account the success of the two clubs over time. Both clubs went for long stretches without league titles since their formation, with Liverpool suffering it most recently until their success in 2020. United suffered such a stretch in between 1967 and 1993, while Liverpool won just about every trophy imaginable over that period.

This rivalry even affects the transfers that the two clubs do. A player has not transferred directly from one club to the other since Phil Chisnall in 1964. Others have ended up playing for both clubs, but always by moving to a third club in between for a time.

In terms of the total trophy haul, Manchester United have it edged out by 2 trophies - 66 to Liverpool's 64. The majority of Liverpool's success is older than Manchester United's, but with their recent success in both Europe and the league, some wonder if they might have a new period of success after United's dominance of the last decade and a half.

While United might not be as challenging at the top of the Premier League as they have been in the past, the rivalry between these two remains as fierce as ever.