Many derby games are solely remembered by one stand out moment, often being an unbelievable goal, much like Rooney with his bicycle kick in the 2011 Manchester derby at Old Trafford. While many people saying Manchester City were the better team on the day, it was the number 10’s overhead kick in the 78th minute, an unstoppable finish that City keeper Joe Hart could never have saved, that ultimately secured the 2-1 win for the home team, and an even more memorable day for the Red Devils who were there to witness the famous goal in all its glory.
Other derbies are remembered by one team completely outplaying their opponent on the pitch, much like the Tyne Wear derby in 2010. The 31st of October saw the Black Cats get absolutely thrashed by the Magpies, with a Kevin Nolan hat-trick and a Shola Ameobi brace. The match embodied the intense rivalry between two clubs who bitterly despise each other and showed the quality of the better team on the day, making a memorable day at home for Toon fans, and a miserable day out for the Red and White Army.
This fixture is integral to the North East football culture, and with Sunderland’s successive relegations throughout the past few years, many derby memories date back to what feels like a different time.
This fixture is integral to the North East football culture, and with Sunderland’s successive relegations throughout the past few years, many derby memories date back to what feels like a different time. However, with Sunderland back in top flight football this season, and exceeding everyone’s expectations by currently sitting in 6th, just touching distance away from securing Europe, and Newcastle having a more inconsistent season in the Premier League, but proving their worth in the Champions League, the first league fixture of this derby since 2016, on the 14th of December at the Stadium of Light, is set to be an unmissable afternoon of football.
Ultimately, the best derbies are the ones where you’re sat on the edge of your seat, heart racing the whole game, and desperately praying for a miracle. This is what every Blue in Liverpool felt during the last ever Merseyside derby, earlier this year. With it being the last season at the Grand Old Lady, stakes were higher than ever for Everton to get a result at home against their noisy next-door neighbours. Beto opened the score early on, but was quickly shut down by a Mac Allister equaliser, and later a Salah strike, securing what Liverpool fans thought was a comfortable win at their rival's home turf. This was until added time saw James Tarkowski deliver an absolute rocket of a volley, making the score 2-2, and resulting in Goodison Park erupting into a pure frenzy. While that goal didn’t equal to three points on the night, it sure felt like a win under the lights for the Toffees, showing just how important derbies are, to the fans, to the clubs, to the league, and to the backbone of football culture.