The first match between Manchester United and Manchester City in the 2009–10 Premier League football season was played on 20 September 2009 at Old Trafford, Trafford. It was the 153rd Manchester derby between the two clubs. Heading into the game, both teams were level on points having both won four matches in the opening weeks of the season, and big-spending City were seen as a new threat to United, who had been the dominant force in English football for over 15 years.

The Manchester derby refers to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United, first contested in 1881. City play at the Etihad Stadium in Bradford, east Manchester, while United play at Old Trafford in the borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester; the two grounds are separated by approximately 4 miles (6.4 km). The teams have played 192 matches in all competitions, United winning 78, City 61, and the remaining 53 having been drawn. Amongst the most successful clubs in England, they have won a combined 101 honours: 67 for Manchester United and 34 for Manchester City. They are also the first cross-city rivals to have won the treble; United's success came first in 1999, while City's own happened 24 years later.