James Milner has reminded Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt of something they probably didn’t particularly want reminding about.
During an appearance on their The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Milner was sat across from the two former Manchester United midfielders when the subject of his record against their old club came up.
And Milner had a rather brilliant response.
“I think there is a stat where I have beaten Man United by one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven.”
He’s absolutely right.
And when you actually look at the scorelines, it’s quite incredible.
Milner has done the lot
Milner’s record against Manchester United includes victories by every margin from one goal all the way through to seven.
1-0: Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United — April 30, 2012
2-0: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United — March 10, 2016
3-0: Manchester City 3-0 Manchester United — March 25, 2014
4-0: Liverpool 4-0 Manchester United — April 19, 2022
5-0: Liverpool 5-0 Manchester United — October 24, 2021
6-1: Manchester City 6-1 Manchester United — October 23, 2011
7-0: Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United — March 5, 2023
And yes, Milner played in all seven of those victories.
That’s some record.
The 7-0 in particular will obviously bring back wonderful memories for Liverpool supporters. Milner came off the bench late in that game as Liverpool produced one of the most extraordinary results in the history of the rivalry.
From City to Liverpool
What makes the statistic even better is that Milner managed to build this ridiculous collection of results while playing for both Manchester City and Liverpool.
He was part of the City side that demolished United 6-1 in 2011 and beat them 1-0 and 3-0 in subsequent seasons.
Then, after moving to Liverpool, he continued doing damage.
Liverpool’s 5-0 victory at Old Trafford in 2021, the 4-0 at Anfield in 2022 and then that unforgettable 7-0 in 2023 all feature on his list.
Milner has therefore experienced some truly memorable Manchester derbies and North-West derbies from both sides.
And somehow he’s managed to tick every single winning margin from one to seven.
You couldn’t make it up
I absolutely love this.
There’s nothing complicated about it.
Milner was simply sitting across from two Manchester United legends and casually reminded them that he has beaten their club 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0, 5-0, 6-1 and 7-0.
That’s the sort of statistic that is almost impossible to plan.
It just happens to be there.
And knowing Milner, I suspect he was more than happy to bring it up.
At 40, Milner is still going and remains one of the most experienced players in English football. His career has taken him from Leeds to Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton, with the vast majority of his Premier League career spent competing at the very highest level.
But when it comes to Manchester United, he has one hell of a story to tell.
One, two, three, four, five, six and seven.
James Milner has beaten Manchester United by them all.
And I have to admit, that is absolutely brilliant.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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