Manchester United vs Manchester City. The Derby. Or, to Mancunians, the Darby. As two of the best clubs in the English Premier League, Man Utd and City have a rivalry that dates back to 1881. The Derby has taken place 173 times between the two clubs and the match in Houston was the first one played outside of the United Kingdom in their 136-year history.

Needless to say I, a Man Utd fan since middle school (hi, David Beckham!), freaked out when the announcement of this match took place. I bought pre-sale tickets and had it marked on my calendar in bold font for months…

And then, a week before the game, through a kind recommendation from my friend and fellow photographer Christian, I was on the phone with Soccer.com. I booked the gig to shoot pre-match content for City (and vowed not to wear a United shirt) as well as the Derby itself. It was the experience of a lifetime for me, and I’m so grateful to have had it. I’m not as diehard into the rivalry as most fans, being a fan of the overall League and someone who has huge respect for City and and their roster. It was all fun, all the time. But yes, I was pretty happy about the 2-0 United victory! And maybe even happier that I was, for a brief minute, mere feet from Drake as he presented the game ball. Here are the highlights from a night I’ll never forget!

J.J. Watt. 

Drake looking deep into my soul and me, behind the lens, trying to keep it together. 

The Manchester worker bee is on the city’s coat of arms and represents the industrial heritage of the region. It’s been used as a symbol of strength following the Manchester Arena attack in May, and the two teams wore custom shirts at the match in a show of solidarity for the victims.

Photographed at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.