The Greatest Premier League Rivalries
By Oli Dickson Jefford
It has been almost 30 years since the old First Division merged into the Premier League, a moment that changed football both across the UK and the globe.
The Premier League has made superstars of its biggest players and managers and turned its clubs into some of the biggest teams in the sporting world.
The past 30 years has delivered some classic encounters, more often than not fuelled by some key rivalries across both players and managers.
We take a look at some of the biggest rivalries of the Premier League era.
Alex Ferguson v Arsene Wenger
Between 1996 and 2004 the title was won by either Manchester United or Arsenal, with arguably the two greatest managers of the Premier League era bringing English football to new heights.
United and Arsenal were each other’s biggest rivals in this era and while there was respect between the two managers, there was also a great deal of animosity.
Ferguson once remarked that Wenger should “keep his opinions to Japanese football” after the Frenchman suggested the league schedule was in Man Utd’s favour.
While, on a separate occasion, Wenger once retorted “I will never answer any questions any more about this man” after being repeatedly quizzed on his rival in the early 2000s.
Their rivalry was not as tense towards the end as Arsenal’s status as title challengers faded, but the opening decade or so made Arsenal v Man Utd unmissable - partly due to the tension between the two rather than what was happening on the pitch.
Patrick Vieira v Roy Keane
If Wenger and Ferguson lead the Arsenal-Man Utd rivalry off the pitch, Vieira and Keane led it on pitch in undoubtedly the greatest player rivalry in Premier League history.
There were clear similarities between the two; Vieira and Keane were both captains, both holding midfielders, not afraid of getting in an opponent’s face or making a big tackle.
And another thing they had in common was a mutual hatred of each other during the height of the club’s battles.
There were several flashpoints between the two, most notably in 2005 - towards the end of the rivalry - where they infamously clashed in the tunnel at Highbury ahead of a 4-2 win for the Red Devils.
Both men forged hugely successful careers and seem to have put the past behind them, often appearing together as pundits, but this was the most vicious, unmissable duel of their or any generation.
Frank Lampard v Steven Gerrard
This might not have been as vicious as Vieira v Keane, but there was a simmering tension and sense of huge anticipation when Lampard and Chelsea came up against Gerrard and Liverpool.
Lampard and Gerrard were two of the leading English stars of the so-called ‘Golden Generation’, with Gerrard Liverpool’s captain and Lampard a key part of Chelsea’s mid-2000s resurgence.
Debate still rumbles on as to who was the better of the two, and there was always a sense when the two came up against each other in the league that there was an uneasy - if respectful - relationship.
The fact that Gerrard almost joined Lampard in south west London twice when Jose Mourinho was Chelsea manager – before being persuaded to stay at Liverpool on both occasions - only added to the hype when the two faced each other.
Lampard would finish his career the most decorated of the two, winning the league on three occasions, while Gerrard could never quite anchor the Reds to the title – coming closest in 2014 before his infamous slip, against Chelsea of all teams, proved costly.
Nemanja Vidic v Fernando Torres
Vidic was one of the best defenders of his era and Torres was one of the best strikers; the fact that they were at rival clubs always meant that this was always going to be a terrific contest.
And, with Liverpool chasing Man Utd for the title in the late 2000s, the individual battles between the two had greater significance.
In their early meetings it was Torres who had the better of their duels; the Spaniard scored in consecutive matches between the two, with Vidic sent off on both occasions for challenges on his rival.
However, the Serbian later got to grips with Torres’ pace and potency and had a much better time of things in a couple of meetings after that.
This rivalry did rather fizzle out when Torres moved to Chelsea and suffered a severe dip in form, but for a couple of seasons this was a must-watch individual contest.
Pep Guardiola v Jurgen Klopp
In recent seasons the Premier League has been dominated by Man City and Liverpool, led by Guardiola and Klopp respectively.
The two are among the best managers in world football and there is undoubtedly huge respect between the two, but both also possess a ruthlessness and an unwillingness to accept defeat that has defined recent league seasons.
The peak of the rivalry between Guardiola and Klopp was during the 2018-19 season, where Man City pipped Liverpool by just a point to win the league title - both sides were clear of any other team by 25 points.
This season also has both teams and managers once again in league contention, and a thrilling 2-2 draw earlier in the season has only further built the anticipation whenever these two managers face off.
With both Liverpool and Man City flying high, this rivalry might last for a little longer yet.
Photo Credit: Getty Images