The first Manchester derby of the 2026-27 season produced plenty of drama and controversy, with Erling Haaland scoring the only goal as Manchester City edged Manchester United at Old Trafford. Enzo Maresca managed City in a Manchester derby for the first time, while Michael Carrick took charge of his second……
The first Manchester derby of the 2026-27 season produced plenty of drama and controversy, with Erling Haaland scoring the only goal as Manchester City edged Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Enzo Maresca managed City in a Manchester derby for the first time, while Michael Carrick took charge of his second derby as United boss after guiding the Red Devils to victory over City last season.
The encounter remained closely fought before Haaland produced the decisive moment. Replays appeared to suggest the Norwegian was in an offside position, but the goal was allowed to stand, giving City all three points and moving the striker closer to another piece of derby history.
The goal was Haaland’s ninth in the Manchester derby, all of them coming in the Premier League. It moved him level with Sergio Agüero and Bobby Charlton in joint-fourth place on the all-time scoring list. It was also his first derby goal at Old Trafford since 2023.
According to Planet Football on Sunday, here are the 10 leading scorers in Manchester derby history:
1. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) – 11 goals in 31 games
Rooney remains at the top of the standings, having scored eight league goals, two in the FA Cup and one in the EFL Cup against City. His most memorable strike came in 2011 when he produced a stunning bicycle kick.
2. Joe Hayes (Manchester City) – 10 goals in 17 games
Hayes found the net against United more than any other opponent. Nine of his 10 derby goals came in the league, including two in City’s 5-0 victory at Old Trafford in 1955.
3. Francis Lee (Manchester City) – 10 goals in 19 games
Lee endured a difficult start to his derby career, failing to score in his first five meetings with United. He then found the net in five successive derbies, including a hat-trick in City’s 4-1 win at Old Trafford in 1970.
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4. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – 9 goals in 11 games
Haaland has climbed the rankings at remarkable speed. All nine of his goals have come in Premier League derbies, with his latest strike, despite the offside controversy, taking him into the fixture’s top four scorers.
5. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) – 9 goals in 16 games
Agüero opened his Manchester derby account in 2011 during City’s famous 6-1 victory over United. He subsequently scored seven times across seven derby appearances before finding the net just once in his final six meetings with the Reds.
6. Bobby Charlton (Manchester United) – 9 goals in 27 games
Charlton scored three times in his first 17 Manchester derbies before adding six goals across his final 10 appearances. His tally included two goals at Old Trafford in 1960. His overall record against City was evenly split, with nine wins, nine draws and nine defeats.
7. Colin Bell (Manchester City) – 8 goals in 21 games
Bell’s long association with the Manchester derby helped him build a tally of eight goals. The City great scored braces in two separate derby matches during his career.
8. Eric Cantona (Manchester United) – 8 goals in 6 games
Cantona was highly prolific in the fixture, scoring in five of his six Manchester derbies. City were the club he scored against most frequently, with the Frenchman finding the net in every meeting after failing to score in his first.
9. Brian Kidd – 8 goals in 13 games
Kidd is the only player on the list to have scored for both Manchester clubs. He registered five goals for United and three after switching to City.
10. Joe Spence (Manchester United) – 8 goals in 14 games
Spence was a major figure at United in the years following the First World War. He spent 14 years at the club, making 510 appearances, and was United’s record goalscorer and appearance holder when he left. Eight of his goals came against City before he moved to Bradford in 1933.
Haaland’s record is particularly striking given how few appearances he has needed to reach nine derby goals compared with many of the players above him. With the Norwegian still in his prime, he has a strong opportunity to continue climbing the list and challenge Rooney’s record of 11 goals.
