Manchester Utd v Tottenham Hotspur

Before the name change, before the legend; Newton Heath and Spurs were already rivals in the making.

The two clubs first crossed paths in the late Victorian era, when Manchester United were still known as Newton Heath. Spurs, founded in 1882, were climbing through the Southern League, while Newton Heath were an established Football League outfit. Their earliest encounters were friendly fixtures, but the competitive edge was already there. Newton Heath would be renamed Manchester United in 1902, and the fixture would grow in stature with each passing decade.

Spurs arrived at Old Trafford as top-flight newcomers, with United's ground already more than a year into hosting First Division football.

Manchester United had moved into Old Trafford in February 1910, and by the 1910-11 season the ground was hosting First Division football. Spurs, newly promoted to the top flight after winning the FA Cup as a non-league side in 1901, travelled north to face United at their new home. The fixture quickly became a regular feature of the English football calendar, with both clubs establishing themselves as forces in the First Division.

Two footballing idealists in one fixture; Busby's fluid United and Rowe's push-and-run Spurs were practically competing to reinvent the beautiful game.

The post-war years gave this fixture its philosophical edge. Matt Busby was building a side at Old Trafford committed to fluid, attacking football. Down in north London, Arthur Rowe's Spurs were perfecting their famous "push and run" style that would win the league title in 1951. When these two met, it was a meeting of footballing idealists. United won the FA Cup in 1948 with a side widely regarded as one of the most entertaining in the country; Spurs were doing the same thing from White Hart Lane.

Spurs became the first club to complete the Double in the 20th century; United's young lions never stood a chance.

The 1962 FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough saw Spurs beat United 3-1 on their way to retaining the trophy. But it was the league encounters of the early 1960s that truly defined the era. Spurs had become the first club to complete the Double in the 20th century in 1961, and their meetings with United's emerging young side, featuring the likes of Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, and George Best, were box-office affairs. These were two clubs who refused to play it safe.

The man who left Spurs scored the goal that sealed United's Treble; some ironies write themselves.

On the final day of the 1998-99 Premier League season, United needed to beat Spurs at Old Trafford to clinch the title. They fell behind to a Les Ferdinand goal, and for a brief, agonising spell, Arsenal were champions. Then Beckham equalised, and Andy Cole scored the winner. The title was secured, and United went on to win the FA Cup and Champions League to complete an unprecedented Treble. The delicious irony: Teddy Sheringham, who had left Spurs for United in 1997, scored the equaliser in the Champions League final.

Three Spurs goals at Old Trafford on the opening day; the champions never saw it coming.

The 2001-02 season opened with a statement from Spurs. Dean Richards, Les Ferdinand, and Christian Ziege all scored as Tottenham dismantled the reigning champions 3-1 at Old Trafford. It was a rare and emphatic away victory that reminded everyone this fixture could still produce shocks. United, of course, recovered to finish third, but the result stood as proof that Spurs at their best could trouble anyone.

Berbatov cost Spurs £30.75 million, then cost them five goals at Old Trafford.

Dimitar Berbatov's £30.75 million move from Spurs to United in 2008 added fresh needle to the fixture. In January 2009, United thrashed Spurs 5-2 at Old Trafford, with Berbatov scoring against his former club. The Bulgarian's languid brilliance was perfectly suited to Old Trafford, and his goals against Spurs carried an extra edge. The transfer had been acrimonious, and Tottenham fans never quite forgave the manner of his departure.

One point separated these two sides in the final league table; Spurs were no longer chasing United, they were matching them.

Under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs became genuine title contenders and their visits to Old Trafford took on renewed significance. The 2017-18 season saw Spurs finish third, just one point behind United in second. Their 2-0 win at Old Trafford in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in April 2018 was a marker of how far the club had come. With Harry Kane leading the line, Spurs were no longer plucky underdogs; they were peers.

Ronaldo's 807th career goal broke every record the game had kept; Spurs simply had the misfortune of being there to witness it.

In March 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as United beat Spurs 3-2 at Old Trafford in a pulsating encounter. It was Ronaldo's 807th career goal, breaking the all-time scoring record. The match encapsulated everything this fixture has always been: high stakes, individual brilliance, and a refusal by either side to settle for a draw. Under Erik ten Hag, United would later beat Spurs 2-0 at Old Trafford in the 2022-23 season, reasserting home advantage in a fixture that continues to deliver.

74,000 voices inside Old Trafford, and still the scoreline refuses to be predictable after 190 meetings.

With over 190 competitive meetings between them, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur continue to produce one of the Premier League's most watchable fixtures. United hold the historical advantage in head-to-head results, but Spurs have closed the gap considerably in the modern era. Old Trafford on matchday, with 74,000 filling the Theatre of Dreams, remains one of the finest settings in English football to watch two sides who have always believed attack is the best form of defence.