Rivalry is part of the joy of being a football fan, and whenever two rival sides lock horns, fans have always come in large numbers to watch the battle. Let’s explore some of the biggest rivalries in English Premier League history.
Manchester United Vs Arsenal
It’s hard to fathom English Premier League without these two teams. They are the face of the league, and they can only give back to fans of football by being fierce rivals. The rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester reached its pinnacle during the era of Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, the two most successful coaches in the league. That was in the late 1900s and early 2000s, when the two sides were on top of their game. With Patrick Viera and Roy Keane skippering Arsenal and Manchester respectively, any match between the two sides was never short of tension, and emotions would run high, with the encounter threatening to turn physical sometimes.
Manchester City Vs Manchester United
City dominated the city of Manchester before the Second World War. Little did they know that a second force would come up thereafter. While City would experience a decline in the 90s, their resurgence in the last decade could only reactivate the rivalry, whose genesis dates as far back as 1890s.
Arsenal Vs Tottenham Hotspurs
What a derby. The two sides come from North London, so what do you expect? While Arsenal has been the most successful team in the city, a match between the two has always been unpredictable. It doesn’t matter whether a team is playing in the home ground or not, the scales of the game can tilt either side. And with Jose Mourhino and Mikel Arteta at the helm of Spurs and Arsenal respectively, it will be interesting to see how the rivalry unfolds.
Other honourable mentions include Liverpool Vs Chelsea, Liverpool Vs Manchester United, Liverpool Vs Everton, and Chelsea Vs Manchester City, among others.