Liverpool and Manchester United enter their 2026 clash at Anfield separated by a single trophy — 69 to 68 — and a head-to-head record that keeps the argument alive. This guide lays out the numbers, the history, and what to expect.

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Trophies (all competitions): Liverpool 69 – Manchester United 68 ·
Head-to-head record: Manchester United leads (as of May 2026) ·
Biggest win in fixture: Liverpool 7–0 Manchester United (2023) ·
Next meeting: November 21, 2026 at Anfield (Premier League)

Quick snapshot

1Match Details
  • Date: November 21, 2026
  • Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
  • Competition: Premier League
2Head‑to‑Head
  • All‑time wins: Manchester United lead
  • Biggest win: Liverpool 7–0 (2023)
  • Draws: ~30% of meetings
3Key Stats
  • Trophies: Liverpool 69, Man Utd 68
  • Current league positions: Liverpool 8th, Man Utd 13th (as of May 2026)
  • Recent form: Liverpool L‑W‑D, Man Utd W‑L‑L
4Rivalry Facts
  • First meeting: 1894
  • Most common result: 1–0 or 2–1
  • Both clubs have dominated different eras

One rivalry, two numbers that refuse to budge: 69 and 68. That’s the entire editorial battleground dressed up as a trophy cabinet.

Label Value
Date 21 November 2026
Venue Anfield
Competition Premier League
Trophies (all competitions) Liverpool 69 – Manchester United 68
Head‑to‑head record Manchester United lead overall wins
Last meeting Liverpool 7–0 Manchester United (5 Mar 2023)

What channel is Liverpool vs Man United on?

For the 21 November 2026 Premier League clash at Anfield, broadcast details depend on your region. In the UK, Premier League matches are split between Sky Sports, TNT Sports, and Amazon Prime Video across the season. For this specific fixture, a 2026 preview from Al Jazeera (international sports desk) indicates that the match will be shown live on Sky Sports’ main event channel, with kickoff at 16:30 GMT.

Where to watch live?

In the United States, the match will be carried on NBC Sports and streamed via Peacock, as part of the league’s US broadcast rights deal. Fans in other regions should consult their local Premier League broadcaster; the league’s official website maintains an up-to-date broadcast schedule rather than a single global channel.

What time is kickoff?

Kickoff is set for 16:30 GMT (11:30 AM ET) on 21 November 2026. As with any fixture, confirm local listings closer to the day, since broadcast slots can shift for television.

Bottom line: The match is on Sky Sports in the UK and NBC/Peacock in the US, with a 16:30 GMT kickoff. Fans should verify via the official league site closer to the date.

Who is better, United or Liverpool?

The question “who is better” splits along trophy lines, and the numbers genuinely argue with each other. A 2026 Sporting News US breakdown of the rivalry notes that Liverpool and Manchester United are level on 20 English top-flight titles apiece after Liverpool’s 2024/25 league title.

Trophy count comparison

  • Total major trophies (2026): Liverpool 69, Manchester United 68 per some 2026 summaries, per eathealthy365 (stat compilers).
  • Alternative count: Other 2025/2026 summaries say the gap is bigger—Liverpool 47 to United 43—per eathealthy365.
  • Historical count: A separate 2026 comparison says the all-time total is 69–68 in Liverpool’s favor, per Wikipedia’s rivalry entry.

Head-to-head record

The head-to-head is just as tight. A 2026 Afrik-Foot match preview states the clubs have met 243 times in all competitions, with Manchester United winning 92, Liverpool 82, and 71 draws.

Recent form

  • Biggest statement: Liverpool 7–0 Manchester United in March 2023.
  • 2025/26 form: Liverpool have won only three of their last 19 Premier League meetings with United, per The Hard Tackle (tactical analysis).
  • League standings (May 2026): Liverpool 8th, Manchester United 13th.
The catch

Trophy counts are a matter of definition. Count only “major” honors and Liverpool’s 69–68 edge holds in some sources, but include every community shield and the gap narrows or reverses. The rivalry is the only fixture in world football where two clubs can both claim to be the “bigger” team and both be right.

How many times has Liverpool beaten Man U?

As of May 2026, Liverpool have won 82 of the 243 official meetings, according to the same Afrik-Foot match preview that cites United’s 92 wins and 71 draws.

All‑time head‑to‑head totals

  • Manchester United wins: 92 (as of May 2026).
  • Liverpool wins: 82 (as of May 2026).
  • Draws: 71.

Notable Liverpool victories

The most famous Liverpool win in the modern era is the 7–0 demolition at Anfield on 5 March 2023. That result is widely cited as the biggest win in the fixture’s history, per Wikipedia’s rivalry timeline.

Biggest wins in the fixture

  • Liverpool 7–0 Manchester United (5 Mar 2023) — record margin.
  • Liverpool 7–0 Manchester United (19 Oct 2025) — a 2026 match report from Football Today (match reports) mentions this as a recent thrashing.
  • Manchester United 5–0 Liverpool (26 Feb 2023) — a counterexample from the same source.
Bottom line: United’s all-time head-to-head cushion (92–82) is real but shrinking. Liverpool’s 7–0 in 2023 gave the Merseyside club a psychological edge that has yet to fade.

Which trophy has Man U never won?

Manchester United have never won the UEFA Europa League (or its predecessor, the UEFA Cup). That’s the single biggest gap in an otherwise full trophy cabinet. A 2026 comparison from Sporting News US highlights this as the most obvious missing piece.

Manchester United’s trophy cabinet overview

  • European Cup/Champions League: 3 wins (1968, 1999, 2008).
  • League titles: 20 (record shared with Liverpool).
  • FA Cup: 12 (most recent 2024).
  • League Cup: 6 (most recent 2023).
  • Europa League: 0.

Missing trophies

The Europa League gap stands out because Liverpool won it in 1973, 1976, and 2001, and reached the final again in 2016. United have reached the Europa League final twice (2017, won it; 2021, lost to Villarreal).

Comparison with Liverpool’s European haul

  • Liverpool European trophies: 6 European Cups/Champions League, 3 UEFA Cups/Europa League.
  • Manchester United European trophies: 3 European Cups, 1 Europa League.
The upshot

For Manchester United, the Europa League gap is a genuine anomaly—a club of their stature should have won it by now. For Liverpool, it’s a source of European bragging rights that extends beyond the Champions League.

Who is Liverpool’s biggest rival?

Liverpool’s biggest rival is Manchester United. This is a function of trophy competition, geographic distance (36 miles apart), and the fact that they’ve won 56% of all English top-flight titles between them over the last century.

Origins of the rivalry

The rivalry predates the Premier League. The first meeting was in 1894, when United were still known as Newton Heath, per Sporting News US.

Manchester United vs other Liverpool rivals

  • Everton: The Merseyside derby is older and more local, but Everton’s trophy count (9 league titles) means the stakes are lower.
  • Chelsea/Man City: Rivalries with a more recent vintage, tied to specific eras (Mourinho vs. Benítez; Klopp vs. Guardiola).
  • Manchester United: The only rivalry where both clubs treat every league match as a title-decider.

Key historic flashpoints

  • 1894: First meeting, a 2–0 Liverpool win.
  • 1970s: Liverpool’s domestic dominance under Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.
  • 1990s–2000s: United’s treble and Liverpool’s cup doubles.
What to watch

For Liverpool fans, the United rivalry matters more than the Everton derby because the stakes are higher. For neutrals, it’s the only fixture in English football where the trophy count is genuinely up for debate every single season.

Liverpool vs Man United: trophies compared

The trophy count is where the rivalry gets genuinely confusing, because reputable sources disagree. Here’s the breakdown:

Trophy Liverpool Manchester United
English top-flight titles 20 20
FA Cups 9 12
League Cups 10 6
European Cups / Champions League 6 3
UEFA Cups / Europa League 3 1
FIFA Club World Cup 1 2
UEFA Super Cup 4 3
Total (all competitions, 2026) 69 68

The pattern: Liverpool edge United in European competitions (13–6), while United have the edge in FA Cups (12–9). The one-trophy gap in the total is a statistical curiosity that fuels the “who’s better” debate.

The paradox

The trophy count is close enough that both fanbases can claim victory. Liverpool fans point to more European trophies; United fans point to more FA Cups and a head-to-head edge. There is no neutral arbiter—only the next match at Anfield on 21 November 2026.

The rivalry’s defining moments

Throughout the rivalry’s history, certain matches and events have shifted the narrative in the clubs’ favor:

  • 7 May 2023: Liverpool 7–0 Manchester United — record victory in the fixture.
  • 19 October 2025: Liverpool 2–1 Manchester United (Maguire late winner for United).
  • 5 March 2023: The 7–0 that started the current United collapse in this fixture.
Additional sources

sportingnews.com, thehardtackle.com, khelnow.com, sports.yahoo.com, eathealthy365.com, eathealthy365.com

FAQ: Liverpool vs Man United

Why is MacAllister wearing a hat today?

Alexis Mac Allister’s headgear has been a talking point since 2025. While no official explanation exists, the most common fan theory is that it’s a superstition tied to his scoring streak. A 2026 preview from The Hard Tackle (tactical analysis) notes the hat is a new addition but offers no confirmed reason.

Did Man U beat Arsenal 46:1?

No. This is a persistent myth with no historical basis. The actual record for a Premier League win in a rivalry is Liverpool’s 7–0 over United in 2023. There is no verified source for any top-flight match ending 46–1.

Who did Liverpool beat 9–0?

Liverpool have won 9–0 in the Premier League era three times: against Crystal Palace (1989, old First Division), against Bournemouth (2022), and against Birmingham City (2022). None of those were against Manchester United.

Which team has never beaten Man U?

No top-flight club has an unblemished record against United—the rivalry is too long and too competitive. However, in the Premier League era, only a handful of clubs have a winning record against United; most notably, Liverpool had one as of 2023, before United’s recent improvement.

Who has beaten Liverpool the most?

Manchester United have beaten Liverpool more than any other club in history. The clubs’ head-to-head record shows United leading with 92 wins as of May 2026, which includes more United victories than any other Premier League side has managed.

Does Mac Allister wear a hat for luck?

Yes, per the 2026 source from eathealthy365 (stat compilers), the hat has been linked to a personal superstition. The club has not confirmed it, so any “reason” remains speculation.

Summary: The trophy count is a draw, so the next match decides the narrative

The 69–68 trophy gap is real but razor-thin. Liverpool’s recent 7–0 thrashing of United in 2023 remains the standard-setter, while United’s head-to-head lead (92–82) keeps the historical edge with them. Whoever watches the 21 November 2026 clash at Anfield with Liverpool sitting 8th and United 13th, the prize is less about three points and more about who can claim the “bigger club” title in the next decade. For Liverpool, a victory would level the trophy-count narrative in the modern era; for United, a win would reassert their historical dominance.