Remembering Some of Manchester United's Best Moments Against Liverpool

Manchester United take on Liverpool at Anfield on Monday night, resuming the two clubs' fierce rivalry.

The key moments of these fixtures live long in the memory. Goals against Liverpool count for more than other goals for United fans—and presumably vice versa.

Take the example of Diego Forlan, a striker whose United career was essentially a disaster. His name is still sung at most games by the denizens of the Stretford End. Why? He once scored a brace against Liverpool.

We asked the people of Twitter for their best memories of this fixture. Forlan came up, of course, as did many others. It has been a long, dramatic rivalry, full of last-minute goals and heartbreak in both directions. The key moments here are among the most celebrated in the United community.

By the turn of the year in 1984, United under Ron Atkinson looked like they were mounting a serious title challenge. On January 2, the Red Devils went to Anfield just three points behind the leaders and then-perennial league winners Liverpool.

Joe Fagan's men led 1-0 until the 89th minute, when homegrown goalscoring genius Norman Whiteside popped up with an equaliser to keep the dream of the title alive. Goals against Liverpool were even more precious in this era, when United were the ones punching upward.

Sadly, that dream wasn't realised. A week on from this game, Atkinson's team suffered an embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of Harry Redknapp's Bournemouth, going on to draw four of their next six league games and finish the season in fourth place. It would be just under a decade until the balance of power shifted.

As legendary captain Bryan Robson told FA TV: "For United fans, I think it made it extra special because Liverpool had gone in front. And for us, it made it extra special because we came back, and I was fortunate enough to score one of the best goals I've ever scored for Man United."

It was a remarkable goal on a stage that really mattered to the Red Devils. The FA Cup was vital with Liverpool so dominant in the league. A semi-final replay at Maine Road was required, and as Robson said, United went behind—through a Paul McGrath own goal.

Captain Marvel, as Robson was known, equalised in spectacular fashion before Mark Hughes got the winner. The final against Everton went to extra time before Whiteside confirmed his already certain place in the club's folklore with a beautiful curling winner. The FA Cup was United's again, and knocking Liverpool out along the way made it all the sweeter.

Another sweet FA Cup memory—this time from Wembley Stadium. This was the infamous Spice Boys final, when Liverpool had come out in cream suits before the match. United had their sights set on a double that would prove how far they had come in the battle to be the country's top team.

As he had so often on the march to that season's title, Eric Cantona stepped up and scored the winner. It is one of the many reasons United fans will never forget him.

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@UtdRantcast We beat them 3-0, Pallister scored the first 2, and Cole got the 3rd. So his name was Gary Gary Andy.

— Clever Girl (@JurassicFarts) October 13, 2016"

One particular United fan will apparently never forget Gary Pallister.

By 1997, United were on top in this rivalry. The 1996/97 season saw Liverpool challenging again, and they went into this April clash at Anfield just two points behind Alex Ferguson's men in second place, though United had a game in hand. 

The result was 3-1, centre-back Pallister scoring a brace, and by the end of the game, the title race was all but over. United had a five-point lead, and a brand-new gecko had a unique name.

"And Solskjaer has won it," goes the famous Clive Tyldesley commentary from the ITV broadcast of the 1999 Champions League final.

But that was not the first time on the march to the treble that United needed an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer-inspired come-from-behind win. As BBC Sport wrote at the time:

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Manchester United pulled off the perfect smash-and-grab with two goals in the last two minutes to secure a famous FA Cup victory over their arch rivals.

United, who had not been beaten by the Anfield side in the competition since 1922, looked to be heading out after being caught napping by Michael Owen's second minute header.

But in a sensational finish Dwight Yorke and substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored right at the death to resume normal service and prevent Liverpool registering their first victory at Old Trafford in nine years.

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As Christy said, this was the win that set the tone for the treble, the victory that instilled that unshakeable self-belief in a team that simply did not know when it was beaten. A few months later, that spirit would prove crucial.

There was not all that much to this game. United had got off to a slightly rocky start to the season, but it was only December—there was a long way to go. It was not a come-from-behind win—rather Forlan scored twice to put United ahead.

But something about it stuck in the collective unconscious of United fans. Something about this win, and the goals scored by the underperforming Forlan, meant this one has never been forgotten. As the song goes: "Diego. Woah-oh. He came from Uruguay. He made the Scousers cry."

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@UtdRantcast maybe John O'Shea 90th minute kop end. Awful match which we were terrible in, but the relief and importance of it was so good.

— Alex (@Alex_riesel) October 13, 2016"

By the time March 2007 rolled around, United were nine points ahead of Chelsea at the top of the table. The west Londoners, though, had a game in hand as United tried to ensure their four-year title drought came to an end. The trip to Anfield felt crucial, as dropping points at this stage would have given Chelsea a route back into the title race.

Fortunately, John O'Shea made sure that did not happen. After the game, O'Shea summed it up perfectly saying, per BBC Sport, "The 90th minute at Anfield, in front of the Kop...Gary Neville told me that is his dream and I've just gone and done it!"

A classic moment in modern United history.

Somehow, United were briefly an absolutely brilliant team under Louis van Gaal. It lasted for all of about six weeks, but fortunately, a performance at Anfield was included in the mix.

And what a performance it was.

Juan Mata scored a truly astonishing goal, but more impressive was his all-around contribution. He ran United's attack from the right of a 4-3-3. He scored both United's goals in a game in which—particularly during the first half—Liverpool were torn to shreds.

After the game, then-Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard—who was sent off 38 seconds after coming on as a substitute, told Sky Sports (h/t Luke Edwards for the Sunday Telegraph): "I don’t know what caused [the challenge that led to my dismissal]. I think I’ve probably reacted to the initial tackle, but I don’t want to say too much more. I wanted to apologise to the supporters, and I take full responsibility for the result."

He could not have been more wrong to try to do so. Liverpool looked galvanised by his sending off and played much better when down to 10 men. Gerrard's part in the game was nothing but an unfortunate cameo. Responsibility for the result lay in United's—and Mata's—superb performance.

What a way to introduce yourself to United fans. Huge swathes of the club's following had never heard of Anthony Martial before his high-profile summer 2015 arrival. His first meaningful contribution on the pitch set the tone for a season full of crucial moments, particularly during the successful FA Cup run.

His goal against Liverpool on his debut at Old Trafford was a wonderful, electrifying moment. Whomever United had been playing that day, it would have been brilliant to see the new signing show what he could do in that fashion. That it was against Liverpool made it an iconic moment.

This memory is included not because there was anything special or significant about that game but just to show how important the rivalry is to United fans. The first memory you have of attending a north-west derby will always be significant. And the next one will always be cause for great excitement.

There's always one...