United's number one rival is difficult to determine. Traditionally,
the closest rivals have been Liverpool, Manchester City and Leeds,
though Arsenal have come into the frame in recent years. Currently,
most fans see Liverpool as their biggest rivals, due to the success
of both clubs as well as their proximity to each other, while
others rate intra-city rivals Manchester City as their biggest
rivals.
The Liverpool rivalry began during the 1960s when the two clubs
were among the strongest in England, and have been competing
closely just about every season since. The Manchester City rivalry
dates back to the Newton Heath era of the 1890s, and has remained
fierce due to both clubs being in the same division for much of
their history.
Whilst based in traditional Yorkshire-Lancashire rivalry, the
rivalry with Leeds United began during the late 1960s when Leeds
emerged as a top side, and continued through the 1970s and 1980s
before arguably reaching its apex when Leeds pipped United to the
league title in 1992. The rivalry with Arsenal is more recent and
based more on battles on the pitch; it has been particularly
intense since Arsenal and United have been in direct competition
for several trophies since the late-1990s.
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Date Published: Feb 01, 2009 - 5:48 am