On November 12, 1881, two sides - West Gorton and Newton Heath - met for a footballing clash which concluded as a 3-0 win for the visitors. The names of these two clubs are no longer in existence, but certainly they will be of huge significance for anyone tuning into one of the most-anticipated derbies in world football due to what this pair of Manchester-based clubs have become over the past century.
It just so happens that that game played nearly 134 years ago was the first ever "Manchester Derby", although the first official league clash between West Gorton (by then known as its current name, Manchester City) and Newton Heath (soon to become Manchester United) would take place 13 years later on November 3, 1894.
Before Manchester United and Manchester City, there was Newton Heath and West Gorton
Again, the forefathers of the Red Devils were the ones to emerge as victors, powering past their city rivals 5-2 whilst both were featuring in what was then known as English football's second tier (Football League Second Division).
Flash-forward several more years and the first derby would take place at the storied Old Trafford on September 17, 1910. By now, Newton Heath had become Manchester United and both were now in the modern-day Championship Division. This clash ended as a 2-1 victory in favour of the home side, setting the stage for many spicy encounters to come over the next century.
Whilst Manchester United had tasted a period of dominance in this widely-viewed derby battle, Manchester City lately have been the one who can enjoy the bragging rights as of late, much to the chagrin of Red Devils fans. Ahead of their big meeting, let us have a look at the last quartet of derbies and what both sides can glean from these results.
April 8, 2013 - A disappointing final meeting for a club legend
Despite clinching the league title, a 2-1 derby loss at Old Trafford was not how legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson would have wanted to conclude his heralded career that saw him win an unprecedented 25 major trophies. Sergio Aguero's match-winning goal would also mark the start of what would be a frustrating next few meetings between the "old establishment" and the "new upstarts" as the tide fully began to swing towards the blue side of Manchester.
Aguero has acquired a knack of netting against Manchester United as of late
September 22, 2013 - The beginning of a campaign to forget
Following Sir Alex's departure, in came David Moyes and so arrived what would be one of the worst campaigns endured by the Premier League giants in recent years. Outplayed and outclassed, the 4-1 drubbing suffered by the Red Devils was the worst result at the Etihad in nine years and the second-worst in recent seasons following the 6-1 humiliation at Old Trafford during the 2011/2012 term.
It would be also a bittersweet moment for star striker Wayne Rooney, as he became the derby's all-time leading scorer with 11 goals with his consolation strike shortly before full-time.
Although he achieved a personal record, Rooney was unable to prevent his side from a crushing defeat at the Etihad
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March 25, 2014 -The game that sealed his fate?
At this point, with the league title well out of their hands, patience had finally run thin with former Everton boss Moyes. Given that he would be dismissed a month later, some may wonder if this was the match that effectively ushered him out the door after a torrid time at the helm of one of the world's biggest clubs.
Red Devils fans' hopes had been temporarily lifted after a Robin Van Persie hat-trick against Greek outfit Olympiakos secured their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals and Rooney had led them past West Ham.
However, they were given a bad taste of reality as City cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win, thus completing a double en route to securing their second league title in three seasons.
The loss meant that City had outscored them by a grand total of seven to one in their past two meetings including the four to one mauling suffered at the Etihad six months prior. Additionally it would represent the third straight loss at Old Trafford. The last time Manchester United had posted such poor results at home was back from March 1968 to April 1974, when they went six years sans a win until May 1976.
November 2, 2014 - LVG's frustrating derby debut
Both teams had headed into the first Manchester Derby of the 2014/2015 season desperate to make a point. After the shockingly bad campaign under David Moyes, new coach Louis Van Gaal was determined to make sure that the Red Devils avoided yet another loss to their cross-town rivals as they sought to claw their way up the table.
Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini's men's task was also quite simple: avoid defeat. The Citizens came into this game having lost two consecutive games in all competitions, but were clearly enjoying the upper hand having outscored Manchester United by a total of nine goals versus two. Yet, despite a man advantage following Chris Smallings' two rapid yellow cards, it took until Aguero's 63rd minute goal to settle what had been a tense clash from start to finish.
Kun Aguero's strike condemned Manchester United to their fourth straight derby loss for the first time in over FOUR decades
Not only did it give Pellegrini's squad all three points but it also marked a happy occasion for Manchester City fans and a distressing one for Manchester United supporters. For the first time in over 40 years, the Red Devils have failed to win four consecutive derby clashes against the Citizens. This bad run of form commenced on March 27, 1968 and was finally broken on May 5, 1971. During that time, Manchester City won five out of their six derby meetings, with the other ending as a 0-0 draw.
April 12, 2015 - Will it be five for five? Or will the Red Devils get it finally right?
Like Le Classique last weekend, which had PSG and Marseille just two points apart prior to the clash, the Manchester Derby will have the same level of excitement as, in this case, only one point divides the hosts from the visitors. However, whilst this match, unlike the Ligue 1 big game will not decide the Premier League title, there is still plenty at stake and heaps of pressure on both sides.
For City, this will represent a chance not just to make it five straight wins, but also to get back on track after hitting a serious snag as of late. However, the momentum is firmly in favour of the Red Devils as they have won five games on the trot. As such, one should not bet against LVG's troops from finally quieting their "noisy neighbours" and restoring some pride to Old Trafford as they seek their first home derby win since February 12, 2011.
