Manchester City legend Shaun Wright-Phillips firmly asserts that his former club’s stature is now on par with Manchester United, especially after their remarkable Treble victory.
While Manchester United holds the title of the most successful club in English football history and is internationally recognized as one of the “biggest” teams, Wright-Phillips, who had two spells at City, believes that the Sky Blues have reached a similar level after a decade of dominance.
“Man United have been a very big team for a very long time, you can’t really brush away what they’ve achieved in the past. But everything in the present is all blue, it’s all Man City,” Wright-Phillips emphasized in an exclusive interview with Daily Star Sport, in partnership with Betway Sports Betting.
“One thing people said was City had never won the Champions League, then the year they won it they matched Man United by winning the Treble – the second team to do it in England. Around the world globally there’ll be a few more Man United fans, but City are catching them fast.”
“I’ve been on a few trips with the club in recent years and the fanbase is growing so quickly,” he added. “I think the clubs are around about the same now [in terms of size].”
Wright-Phillips went on to discuss the growth of the club’s fanbase, saying, “I’ve been involved with the club on various occasions in recent years, and it’s remarkable how quickly the fanbase is expanding. I believe the two clubs are now quite similar in size.”
The upcoming clash between City and United on Sunday will be their first encounter since the FA Cup final in June, where Ilkay Gundogan scored twice in his final appearance for City, overturning Bruno Fernandes’ goal to secure one-third of City’s historic Treble.
In terms of trophies and honours, City still lags behind United, but the undeniable truth is that City’s reputation has undergone a significant transformation over the past 15 years.
Wright-Phillips began his career at City, joining their youth academy in 1999 as a teenager. He made just under 200 appearances for the club before Chelsea signed him in 2005.
During his three-year stint at Stamford Bridge, Wright-Phillips secured his first major silverware, winning the Premier League in 2006 and the FA Cup and League Cup in 2007. He later returned to City in 2008, accumulating 94 more appearances for the club and earning another FA Cup winner’s medal before moving on to QPR in 2011.
The former England international, who earned 36 caps for his country, concluded his career in the United States, initially with the New York Red Bulls and later with Phoenix Rising, ultimately retiring in 2017.
Manchester City performance and stats
Manchester City is currently 3rd in the Premier League with 21 points.
In the last 9 games, it has won 7 times and lost twice. In its last match, Manchester City won 2-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 19 goals and conceding 7.
Manchester City will play the next match in Premier League against Manchester United on Sunday 29th of October in Manchester. The prediction is Manchester City winning the match.
Manchester United performance and stats
Manchester United is currently 8th in the Premier League with 15 points.
In the last 9 games, it has won 5 times and lost 4 times. In its last match, Manchester United won 1-2 against Sheffield United.
It has a negative goal difference after scoring 11 goals and conceding 13.
Manchester United will play the next match in Premier League against Manchester City on Sunday 29th of October in Manchester. The prediction is Manchester City winning the match.