Switzerland’s Johan Vonlanthen is the youngest Euro scorer in the competition’s history. 

During a Euro 2004 Group B match, Johan Vonlanthen became the youngest Euro scorer against France at the age of 18 years and 141 days.

After legendary Zinedine Zidane opened the scoring for France in the 20th minute, Johan Vonlanthen equalised for Switzerland six minutes later.

While Vonlanthen etched his name in the history books, Switzerland eventually lost the game 1-3 in Coimbra.

Wayne Rooney features second on the youngest Euro scorers list. The star forward was aged 18 years and 237 days when he scored for England in their 3-0 win over Switzerland in a Euro 2024 Group B encounter. Rooney later ended the game with a brace.

The former Manchester United forward’s record for being the youngest Euro scorer stood for four days before Johan Vonlanthen claimed the new record.

Portugal’s Renato Sanches and Dragan Stojković of Yugoslavia are next on the youngest Euro scorers list. 

Aged 18 years and 317 days, Renato Sanches equalised for Portugal in a Euro 2016 quarter-final clash after Robert Lewandowski gave Poland an early lead. While the match ended 1-1 in normal time, Portugal later won the game on penalties.

Earlier, former Yugoslavia star Dragan Stojković became the youngest Euro scorer in a Euro 1984 group match against France at the age of 19 years and 108 days.

While Stojković converted a penalty in the 84th minute, Yugoslavia lost 2-3 courtesy Michel Platini’s sensational hat-trick.

Turkey’s Arda Guler is the latest entrant to the youngest Euro scorers list. Arda Guler bagged the fifth spot after he scored in their 3-1 win over Georgia in a Euro 2024 Group F match.  

At the age of 19 years and 114 days, the Real Madrid winger became the youngest Euro scorer on debut, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s previous record.

Meanwhile, Pietro Anastasi is the youngest Euro scorer in a final. The former forward netted a right-footed volley from outside the box to guide Italy to a 2-0 victory against Yugoslavia in the 1968 final replay in Rome. Know the Youngest Euro scorers list. 

Youngest Euro scorers list

Player	Team	Against	Tournament	Age
Johan Vonlanthen	Switzerland	France	Euro 2004	18 years, 141 days
Wayne Rooney	England	Switzerland	Euro 2004	18 years, 237 days
Renato Sanches	Portugal	Poland	Euro 2016	18 years, 317 days
Dragan Stojković	Yugoslavia	France	Euro 1984	19 years, 108 days
Arda Güler	Turkey	Georgia	Euro 2024	19 years, 114 days
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	Greece	Euro 2004	19 years, 128 days
Ferenc Bene	Hungary	Spain	Euro 1964	19 years, 183 days
Cristian Chivu	Romania	England	Euro 2000	19 years, 238 days
Patrick Kluivert	Netherlands	England	Euro 1996	19 years, 353 days
Pietro Anastasi	Italy	Yugoslavia	Euro 1968	20 years, 64 days

Photo credit: Alamy

Portugal national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo is currently leading the Euro top-scorers all-time list. 

Cristiano Ronaldo tops the Euro top-scorers all-time list with 14 goals across five editions of the UEFA European Football Championship.

After making his Euro debut in Portugal in 2004, Ronaldo later netted his first international goal against Greece in the same tournament.

Since then, the Portugal talisman has featured in four more editions of the UEFA European Football Championship in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020.

Legendary French football player Michel Platini features second on the Euro top-scorers all-time list.

Michel Platini previously held the record for the most goals scored in the European Championship with nine goals. His record was surpassed by Ronaldo in 2021.

Having featured in a single edition of the European Championship in France in 1984, Michel Platini netted nine goals to guide his side to the coveted title at home. Michel Platini’s nine goals is still a record in a single European Championship.

England’s Alan Shearer, Antoine Griezmann of France and Spain’s Alvaro Morata share the third spot on the Euro top-scorers all-time list. All three have scored seven goals each in European Football Championship history.

Between 1960 and 2008, the Golden Boot award was presented to the top scorer of each edition of the UEFA European Championship.

Since 2008, if there is more than one player with the same number of goals, the tie-breaker goes to the player who has contributed the most assists. If there is still more than one player, the tie-breaker goes to the player who has played the least amount of time.

Know Euro top-scorers all-time list and the players with most goals in every UEFA European Football Championship.

Euro top-scorers all-time: Know the leading UEFA European Championship goal-scorers

Rank	Player	Team	Goals	Tournaments
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	14	2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020
2	Michel Platini	France	9	1984
3	Alan Shearer	England	7	1992, 1996, 2000
	Antoine Griezmann	France	7	2016, 2020
	Alvaro Morata	Spain	7	2016, 2020, 2024
4	Ruud van Nistelrooy	Netherlands	6	2004, 2008
	Patrick Kluivert	Netherlands	6	1996, 2000, 2004
	Wayne Rooney	England	6	2004, 2012, 2016
	Romelu Lukaku	Belgium	6	2016, 2020
	Thierry Henry	France	6	2000, 2004, 2008
	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	Sweden	6	2004, 2008, 2012, 2016
	Nuno Gomes	Portugal	6	2000, 2004, 2008

Euro top-scorers all-time: Players with most goals in every UEFA European Championship

Year	Top-scorer (s)	Goals
1960	François Heutte (France), Viktor Ponedelnik (USSR), Valentin Ivanov (USSR), Drazan Jerkovic (Yugoslavia), Milan Galic (Yugoslavia)	2
1964	Jesus María Pereda (Spain), Ferenc Bene (Hungary), Deszo Novak (Hungary)	2
1968	Dragan Dzajic (Yugoslavia)	2
1972	Gerd Muller (West Germany)	4
1976	Dieter Muller (West Germany)	4
1980	Klaus Allofs (West Germany)	3
1984	Michel Platini (France)	9
1988	Marco van Basten (Netherlands)	5
1992	Henrik Larsen (Denmark), Karl-Heinz Riedle (Germany), Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands), Tomas Brolin (Sweden)	3
1996	Alan Shearer (England)	5
2000	Patrick Kluivert (Netherlands), Savo Milosevic (Yugoslavia)	5
2004	Milan Baros (Czech Republic)	5
2008	David Villa (Spain)	4
2012	Fernando Torres (Spain), Alan Dzagoev (Russia), Mario Gomez (Germany), Mario Mandzukić (Croatia), Mario Balotelli (Italy), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)	3
2016	Antoine Griezmann (France)	6
2020	Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Patrik Schick (Czechia)	5

Photo credit: Alamy

Goals win matches in football and assists lead to goals. So those creative through balls or a killer pass before the final touch into the net could be just as important for the attacking team as the finishing touch that leads to an eventual.

Though five players in English Premier League (EPL) have managed 100 or more assists, no one quite comes near the record of Manchester United's former Welsh winger  Ryan Giggs, who holds the record for most assists in the Premier League.

Ryan Giggs is the only player to have made over 150 assists in the Premier League. He tops the list that includes greats of the game like David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas and Frank Lampard. 

This list also has some active players like Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City and James Milner of Liverpool FC in it. 

Most assists in English Premier League

Player (Nationality)	Clubs	Assists
Ryan Giggs (Wales)	Manchester United	162
Cesc Fàbregas (Spain)	Arsenal, Chelsea	111
Wayne Rooney (England)	Everton, Manchester United	103
Frank Lampard (England)	Manchester City, Chelsea, West Ham United	102
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)	Manchester City, Chelsea	100
Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands)	Arsenal	94
David Silva (Spain)	Manchester City	93
Steven Gerrard (England)	Liverpool	92
James Milner (England)	Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Leeds United	87
David Beckham (England)	Manchester United	80

Ryan Giggs (Wales) - 162 assists

Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs has made the most assists in the English Premier League. The Welsh winger made a total of 162 assists in the EPL and spent his entire senior club career with the Red Devils. 

During his time at Old Trafford from 1992 to 2014 in the Premier League, Ryan Giggs made 632 appearances for Manchester United. 

He was a key member of the dominant Manchester United side under Sir Alex Ferguson and won 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, four League Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles during his playing days. Giggs also scored a total of 109 goals for Manchester United. 

Cesc Fabregas (Spain) - 111 assists

Spain’s 2010 FIFA World Cup winner Cesc Fabregas, with a tally of 111 assists, ranks second for most assists in the English Premier League. He made his league debut for Arsenal in the 2003-04 season and made a move to Barcelona in La Liga eight years later. 

Fabregas, who preferred playing as a central midfielder, returned to the Premier League for a stint with Chelsea in 2014 and played his last game for the club in 2019. During his stay at Chelsea, Fabregas won two EPL titles in 2014-15 and 2016-17. He played a total of 350 matches - 212 for Arsenal and 138 for Chelsea - in the English Premier League career and also scored 50 goals. 

Wayne Rooney (England) - 103 assists

Wayne Rooney was a prolific striker who could also feed in assists with precision. He is the only player to feature in both the lists of top three goal-scorers and top-three assists in the EPL.

The English forward made a total of 103 assists during his time in the English Premier League. He started his EPL career at Everton during the 2001-02 season before moving to Manchester United after playing four seasons for his boyhood club on the blue side of Merseyside.

Rooney spent the bulk of his club career with Manchester United and also netted 208 goals in the league. He was part of a Manchester United side that won five of the seven EPL seasons between 2006-07 to 2012-13. Rooney returned to Everton in the 2017-18 campaign and scored 10 goals in his farewell season in the league.

Photo credit: Alamy

Scoring a goal is perhaps the hardest part of and definitely the most important aspect of football. 

Finding the back of the net is never easy at any level in football and even more so at the highest level of the game on the international stage where only a select few strikers leave a mark.

Representing your country on the international stage is one of the biggest honours in world football but to end up as the leading goal-scorer for your nation is another unparalleled achievement in itself.

Harry Kane is one of the few players who can lay claim to the title of the leading goal-scorer for their respective international team.

During England’s UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers campaign opener, Harry Kane netted his 54th goal of the English and became England’s top scorer of all-time.

The Tottenham Hotspur legend scored his 54th goal in his 81st appearance to surpass Wayne Rooney’s tally of 53 goals in 120 appearances for the Three Lions.

Here’s a look at the leading goal-scorers for the England national football team.

England top scorers of all-time

Name	Goals	Caps	Years
Harry Kane	54	81	2015-present
Wayne Rooney	53	120	2003-2018
Sir Bobby Charlton	49	106	1958-1970
Gary Lineker	48	80	1984-1992
Jimmy Greaves	44	57	1959-1967
Michael Owen	40	89	1998-2008
Nat Lofthouse	30	33	1950-1958
Alan Shearer	30	63	1992-2000
Sir Tom Finney	30	76	1946-1958
Vivian Woodward	29	23	1903-1911

Harry Kane

Harry Kane is the fastest player to reach 50 goals for the Three Lions and the current English skipper took just 81 games to net his 54th England strike to become the country’s all-time leading scorer. He scored in his first England appearance during a 4-0 win over Lithuania in 2015. Kane’s netted five hat-tricks in English colours over the years and is likely to score more, meaning he will in all likelihood finish his international career with a big gap to Wayne Rooney, who is second among England’s top scorers of all-time.

Wayne Rooney 

When Wayne Rooney first burst onto the football world, very few defenders fancied going up against him both at the club and international levels. His UEFA EURO 2004 displays for England still remain one of the standout displays by any English player in an international tournament over the last couple of decades. Not an out-and-out striker and more of a team man, Rooney had a tireless work ethic on the pitch to go with his prodigious talent. He scored 53 goals in 120 games for England before hanging up his boots.

Sir Bobby Charlton 

A living legend, a World Cup winner, and a Ballon d’Or recipient, Sir Bobby Charlton held the record for being England’s leading goal-getter for 45 years before Rooney surpassed him in 2015. An attacking midfielder who wasn’t shy of getting stuck into opponents on the other end of the pitch either, Charlton scored 49 goals in 106 games. He was key to England’s only World Cup triumph in 1966 and also netted four hat-tricks for the Three Lions.

 

Photo Credit: Alamy

England national football team captain Harry Kane has now scored 200 league goals in his Tottenham Hotspur career, a record for the most Premier League goals for a single club.

Kane made his Premier League debut at 19 years and 21 days during Tottenham’s 1-2 defeat to Newcastle United in 2012. The striker scored his first-ever English Premier League goal for Spurs in a 5-1 victory over Sunderland in 2014.

Since then, Harry Kane has averaged 20 goals per Premier League season right up to 2021-22.

Besides winning the Golden Boot in 2015-16 (25 goals) and 2016-17 (29 goals), Harry Kane’s best Premier League campaign came in 2017/2018, where he scored 30 goals.

Interestingly, Kane’s record-breaking 185th goal was also his 250th career goal for Tottenham Hotspur across all competitions.

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s all-time record goalscorer in history, previously held the record for most Premier League goals for a single club.

The Argentine forward, who retired in 2021, scored 184 goals during his time in the Premier League between 2011 and 2021.

Aguero is best remembered for his stoppage-time goal in the 3-2 win against Queens Park Rangers that won Manchester City their first Premier League title.

Third on the list is another Manchester legend in Wayne Rooney. The all-time record goalscorer for Manchester United, Rooney scored 183 goals during his trophy-laden spell with the Red Devils.

Among the top moments in Wayne Rooney’s Premier League legacy, the one that certainly stands out is his 78th-minute overhead kick against Manchester City in a derby.

Thierry Henry (175) and Alan Shearer (148) complete the top five list of players with the most Premier League goals for a single club.

Henry, one of the greatest overseas players ever to play in the English Premier League, scripted history of his own with his contribution as part of ‘The Invincibles�?and as Arsenal’s record scorer in the English top-flight league.

Lastly, Alan Shearer is the fifth player on the list. The legendary England striker was a force to be reckoned with during his time at Newcastle United, after which he also played for Southampton and Blackburn Rovers. 

Most Premier League goals for a single club

Player	Club	Goals
Harry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur	200*
Sergio Aguero	Manchester City	184
Wayne Rooney	Manchester United	183
Thierry Henry	Arsenal	175
Alan Shearer	Newcastle United	148

 

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / IAN KINGTON

A Manchester derby is a football match played between Manchester-based clubs Manchester United and Manchester City.

One of the oldest rivalries in world football, the fixture’s origins date back to 1881 when the Manchester clubs were named St. Mark's (West Gorton) �?who would later become Manchester City �?and Newton Heath �?rechristened as Manchester United.

Manchester United vs Manchester City: Head-to-head record in all competitions

Manchester United and Manchester City have faced off in 189 Manchester derbies, with MUFC in command of the head-to-head record. While United have registered 78 victories, the Cityzens, on the other hand, have managed 58 wins.

An astonishing 53 games have ended up with the Manchester rivals sharing the spoils.

Manchester United vs Manchester City: Head-to-head record in the Premier League

Manchester United and Manchester City have clashed on 51 occasions in the Premier League and the upcoming fixture will be the 52nd between the English giants in English top-flight football.

Since the formation of the Premier League in 1992 right up until February 2011, Manchester United lost only five of their Manchester derbies at the league level against Man City.

However, the tables turned since the 2011-12 season as Manchester City have won 13 of the 23 Manchester derbies played in the Premier League against Manchester United, with the Red Devils claiming seven wins and fighting to secure three draws.

Who has the most goals in the Manchester derby?

Wayne Rooney has scored the most goals in a Manchester derby, with 11 strikes in 31 meetings. In a career that spanned over 13 years, Rooney - MUFC’s all-time leading goalscorer - hit nine goals in the Premier League alone against the Cityzens including the classic overhead-kick that propelled the Red Devils to a 2-1 win in 2011.

An iconic Manchester derby goal from angles you've never seen before @WayneRooney | @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/JexGMV8CXV

�?Premier League (@premierleague) November 2, 2021

As for Manchester City, Joe Hayes and Francis Lee share the title of record scorer in the Manchester derby. The forwards found the net 10 times against the red half of Manchester, and still maintain hold over the honour that could have been equalled by a certain Sergio Aguero.

The Argentina star, who was forced to retire from football last year due to heart problems, scored nine goals against MUFC in all competitions; eight of which were in the Premier League.

What is the biggest win in the Manchester derby?

Manchester City have registered the biggest win in a Manchester derby twice, a 6-1 win in the 1925-26 season which would be matched by Roberto Mancini's team in the 2011-12 campaign.

Happy 6-1 Day! #mcfc pic.twitter.com/X8KSe3cfAO

�?Manchester City (@ManCity) October 23, 2016

After Mario Balotelli’s twin strikes and Sergio Aguero’s 69th-minute goal made it 3-0 to City, Darren Fletcher tried to incite a comeback with an 81st-minute goal.

However, Man City were eager to go for more than three goals and they did so with Edin Dzeko (89', 90 +3') and David Silva (90 +1') completing a 6-1 rout of Man Utd at the Theatre of Dreams.

The result was United’s biggest home defeat in Premier League history and would later be matched by Tottenham Hotspur in October 2020.

 

Featured photo: AFP / OLI SCARFF

English footballer James Milner and former Portugal forward Luis Figo share the record for most assists in a single UEFA Champions League season, with nine assists.

Milner, who joined Liverpool in 2015, achieved the feat in the first leg of the 2017-18 Champions League semi-final against AS Roma, when Roberto Firmino headed his 69th-minute corner kick past now Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker to make the score 5-0.

Most assists in a single #UCL campaign:

17/18 - James Milner [9]
16/17 - Neymar [8]
13/14 - Wayne Rooney [8]
21/22 - Bruno Fernandes [7]*

Going for the record. pic.twitter.com/FvXg8Y3PAa

�?Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 23, 2022

The Englishman matched Luis Figo’s tally of assists which the Portuguese great first achieved in the 1999-00 season. As per transfermarkt.co.uk, Figo racked up nine assists in 13 matches for FC Barcelona in the campaign and repeated it in the following season - nine assists in 14 games - while representing Real Madrid.

Neymar and Wayne Rooney sit joint-second on the list for most assists in a single UEFA Champions League campaign with eight assists.

Rooney, Manchester United’s all-time top scorer, notched eight assists in the 2013-14 Champions League campaign.

Neymar matched Wayne Rooney’s record in the 2016-17 season, when he provided eight assists for FC Barcelona. The Brazilian played a role in four goals in the Blaugrana’s 7-0 win over Celtic, and it remains one of his best performances in the competition.

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes notched his seventh UCL assist in a single campaign in the ongoing 2021-22 campaign, when his 80th-minute pass enabled Anthony Elanga to equalise for the Red Devils in their 1-1 first leg draw against Atletico Madrid.

6 - Bruno Fernandes is the first player in Champions League history to assist in six consecutive appearances while playing for an English club, breaking the record held by David Beckham (for @ManUtd) since 1998. Creator. pic.twitter.com/y92qBMZas8

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2022

By doing so, Bruno also set a new record as the first player in Champions League history to assist in six consecutive games for an English club. 

Furthermore, the Portuguese playmaker’s tally of seven assists puts him joint-third on the list for most assists in a single UEFA Champions League campaign alongside Roberto Firmino (2017-18), Ryan Giggs (2006-07), Zlatan Ibrahimović (2012-13) and Xavi Hernández (2008-09).

Most assists in a single UEFA Champions League campaign

Player	Assists	Season
Luis Figo	9	1999-00, 2000-01
James Milner		2017-18
Wayne Rooney	8	2013-14
Neymar		2016-17
Ryan Giggs	7	2006-07
Xavi Hernández		2008-09
Zlatan Ibrahimović		2012-13
Roberto Firmino		2017-18
Bruno Fernandes*		2021-22

*indicates an active player who could break the record

Author: William Paul

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Featured photo: AFP / PETER BYRNE

Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has called time on his illustrious playing career at the age of 35 after being appointed as the permanent manager of Derby County.

Signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Championship side, Rooney acted as Derby's caretaker since the departure of Phillip Cocu in November 2020. The 35-year-old will be assisted by Liam Rosenior, while former Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given will become the club’s first-team coach.

“When I first arrived back in the United Kingdom I was completely blown away by the potential of Derby,�?said Rooney. “The stadium, training ground, the quality of the playing staff and the young players coming through and, of course, the fanbase that has remained loyal and supportive. Despite other offers, I knew instinctively Derby County was the place for me.

“To be given the opportunity to follow the likes of Brian Clough, Jim Smith, Frank Lampard and Phillip Cocu is such an honour and I can promise everyone in involved in the club and all our fans, my staff and I will leave no stone unturned in achieving the potential I have witnessed over the last 12 months of this historic football club. Despite other offers I knew instinctively Derby County was the place for me.�?/p>

Rooney's former club, Manchester United were one of the first teams to send their all-time top scorer best wishes for his new journey, and others soon follow suit:

A captain.
A goalscorer.
A legend.

And now, .

Happy retirement, @WayneRooney �?thank you for the memories ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZGxe1xr3tR

�?Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 15, 2021

One of our all-time great footballers has retired. It’s never an easy moment for any player but @WayneRooney has enjoyed a truly wonderful career on the field. Here’s hoping he’s successful off the pitch with @dcfcofficial. Well played and good luck.

�?Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) January 15, 2021

History under the arch �?/p>

The moment Wayne Rooney became the all-time leading goal scorer for @England

Happy retirement, @WayneRooney - we look forward to welcoming you back to Wembley as a manager some day in the future pic.twitter.com/Za250peOAy

�?Wembley Stadium (@wembleystadium) January 15, 2021

He was almost a manifestation of a part of ourselves on the pitch because that's how the kids from that generation would play in the park.

No other footballer has had this image since. In a protected VAR environment, we'll never have one in the future too.

�?Kaustubh Pandey (@Kaus_Pandey17) January 15, 2021

Wayne Rooney: one of the very best to ever do it. A legend.

�?Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) January 15, 2021

First saw Wayne Rooney play for Everton reserves at Old Trafford in 2002, when he tried to score from inside his own half. He was a frigthening force of nature in his teens and early 20. Though never the same player again after Munich 2010, he won everything his talent deserved.

�?Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) January 15, 2021

To one of the greatest. It was a dream come true to play alongside you. Congrats on the most unbelievable career. The Happy Retirement @WayneRooney ♥️ pic.twitter.com/9l1QCU4S4O

�?Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) January 15, 2021

Congratulations on a magnificent playing career, @WayneRooney

All the best in management pic.twitter.com/SP1ORnzJxV

�?Premier League (@premierleague) January 15, 2021

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @dcfcofficial

The English Premier League’s history is filled with some of the most intense rivalries, with various contexts elevating their thrill and severity. A Manchester derby, in particular, is one such box office event that not only blends quality football with passionate fan support, but has also been a platform for homegrown players to evolve into world-class professionals.

The dynamics of the 140-year-old Manchester rivalry has shifted in recent years, with City’s astronomical rise in the last decade putting Manchester United in the back seat. However, the Red Devils�?‘comeback kings�?persona has prevailed on certain occasions.

While Manchester City have grown into a European giant, ending their 35-year trophy drought in 2011 with the FA Cup and going on to lift 10 domestic titles between 2010 and 2019, United have mellowed down in recent years.

The once Premier League giants have won just three trophies - FA Cup in 2015-16, the Europa League in 2016-17 and the EFL Cup in 2017 - since Sir Alex Ferguson retired after the 2012-13 season. However, that hasn’t lessened the fierce rivalry between the two sides.

Here are the three Manchester derbies that have defined the face of the rivalry in recent times.

Michael Owen’s ‘Fergie time�?winner (September 2009)

Amongst the 180-plus Manchester derbies, the Premier League meeting on September 20, 2009 is fondly remembered for Michael Owen’s ‘Fergie time�?winner.

Just five matches into the season, the Manchester clubs put out one of the most classic displays in a derby game but it was a bigger result for the red half of Manchester who were struggling on the defensive front.

Wayne Rooney, the all-time leading scorer in Manchester derbies, gave United the lead in the second minute before Gareth Barry equalized for City. There onwards, the tie became more gruesome with as many as four goals scored within the regulation time.

Sir Alex Ferguson, known for making the best out of crunch situations, brought on Michael Owen for Dimitar Berbatov to inject some attacking power. While this move didn’t pay off immediately, it set the stage for one of the most iconic extra-time winners in Premier League history.

The fixture, evenly poised at 3-3, moved into injury-time with both teams pushing for a winner at Old Trafford. Owen, whose summer move to Manchester United had raised many concerns, became an overnight hero when he tapped in a Ryan Giggs pass in the 96th minute to seal the game with a 4-3 win for United.

The 6 - 1 demolition at Old Trafford (October 2011)

Three years on from the Abu Dhabi group takeover in 2008, Manchester City had silenced the fortress of Manchester United to kickstart their dominance and paint Manchester ‘blue�? It was, in a way, City’s announcement to the world of their arrival.

It was the first time that United had conceded six goals at Old Trafford since 1930. With City leading 1-0 at half-time, even Sir Alex Ferguson couldn’t have predicted the disastrous end to the match.

The Red Devils had played the second-half with 10 men after Jonny Evans was given a straight red for a challenge on Mario Balotelli, and it was an absolute demolition since then. The likes of Balotelli and Edin Dzeko bagged a brace while Sergio Aguero and David Silva had contributed a goal apiece.

After 90 minutes, Manchester United were staring at their heaviest defeat at the Old Trafford in Premier League history, since 1955.

Van Persie rescues United at death (September 2012)

Robin van Persie, who signed for Manchester United in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season as a manager, made his mark as a club icon with a 92nd-minute direct free-kick, which had silenced the City fans at the Etihad Stadium.

Wayne Rooney’s double strike in the first half had propelled United to an advantageous position in the contest. However, just when United looked to bury the ghosts of the 6-1 home defeat, City had returned with goals from Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta.

The derby, which was marred by seven yellow cards and a couple of flare-ups between players, will always be remembered for Ferguson looking at his watch with his team in a disadvantageous position. 

Van Persie’s momentous free-kick in the dying minutes of the game was crucial in the legendary Scottish manager’s 13th and final Premiership trophy for Manchester United.

Feature Image courtesy: AFP / ANDREW YATES