Traditionally, Manchester United ruled the roost in Manchester. For the last 13 years, however, the city has most definitely been blue.
No team has won more English top-flight titles than the Red Devils, who are tied with bitter rivals Liverpool on 20. Thirteen of those came in the first 21 seasons of the Premier League, which was formed in 1992, but there have been, as you probably well know by now, a grand total of zero since legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in the summer of 2013.
City’s rise changed everything in Manchester
At that point, City had only won three league titles, but United’s neighbors had started to make some serious noise. Taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, the Sky Blues, who had suffered five relegations between 1983 and 2001, suddenly had money to burn and the capacity to fight against the very biggest teams at home and abroad, United included.
𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐘 🤩🍿
The derby that always 𝘿𝙀𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙎 🫡
Goals, crazy actions, high tension… The Manchester Derby has it all 🥵
𝗪𝗛𝗢’𝗩𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗚𝗢𝗧 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬? 👀 pic.twitter.com/C9qpfOuoc0
— 433 (@433) September 12, 2026
Indeed, they won their first league championship the year before Ferguson retired from management, pipping United to the trophy on the final day of the 2011/12 season thanks to that Sergio Agüero goal.
Since 2013, three years before Pep Guardiola moved to Manchester, it has been one-way traffic in City’s favor in the Premier League, with United’s joy coming in the shape of a few derby victories, one of which was in the 2024 FA Cup final. City had won the previous year’s final between the teams.
Manchester City have finished above their rivals in 13 consecutive seasons since United won their last title. In that time, the Sky Blues have amassed 1,096 points to the Red Devils’ 862, an average of 84.3 points per season for City compared with 66.3 for United.
Manchester United vs Manchester City: season-by-season
| Season | Manchester United | Points | Manchester City | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 7th | 64 | 1st | 86 |
| 2014-15 | 4th | 70 | 2nd | 79 |
| 2015-16 | 5th | 66 | 4th | 66 |
| 2016-17 | 6th | 69 | 3rd | 78 |
| 2017-18 | 2nd | 81 | 1st | 100 |
| 2018-19 | 6th | 66 | 1st | 98 |
| 2019-20 | 3rd | 66 | 2nd | 81 |
| 2020-21 | 2nd | 74 | 1st | 86 |
| 2021-22 | 6th | 58 | 1st | 93 |
| 2022-23 | 3rd | 75 | 1st | 89 |
| 2023-24 | 8th | 60 | 1st | 91 |
| 2024-25 | 15th | 42 | 3rd | 71 |
| 2025-26 | 3rd | 71 | 2nd | 78 |
The closest United came to finishing ahead of City was in 2015/16, the season before Guardiola took over from Manuel Pellegrini. That year, both teams collected 66 points, but goal difference saw the Citizens take fourth place ahead of their rivals.
With Guardiola no longer on the scene and City beginning a new era, can United finally reassert their dominance on their home patch?
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