'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
To fight Chelsea's growing clout, Sir Alex Ferguson needed to beat them at their own game. Manchester United had made Rio Ferdinand the most expensive British player by paying arch-rivals Leeds United £30 million in 2002 for his services.
Four years later, Manchester United signed a Serbian stalwart called Nemanja Vidic and the rest is history. Ferdinand, with his mobility and ball-playing abilities, was the 'silk' and Vidic provided the steel.
Ferdinand and Vidic helped goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar achieve the Premier League record of going 1,311 minutes of action without conceding a goal. They did this in the 2008-09 season.
It's hard to find a defensive duo that complemented each other as well as Ferdinand and Vidic. Together they won five Premier League titles, one Champions League and three League Cups. Both players were natural leaders and this helped Manchester United become powerful at the back.
This enabled their talented midfielders and attackers to attack with abandon. The Red Devils were dominant towards the end of Fergie's stay mainly because of the Vidic-Ferdinand partnership.
#2 Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Steven Gerrard spent 17 years at Liverpool. He saw several incredible players coming and going. Gerrard has played alongside several Premier League greats but his most exciting partnership came with the electric Fernando Torres.
Liverpool signed Torres from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007 for around £20 million. He was an instant hit, scoring 24 goals and providing four assists in 33 Premier League appearances. Gerrard started playing as the second striker and the two of them were a force to be reckoned with.
They spent three-and-a-half years playing together and were a nightmare for any defence that stood in their way. Gerrard and Torres were the driving force behind Liverpool's title charge in the 2008-09 Premier League season where they ultimately settled for a second-placed finish.
The iconic duo shared a telepathic connection. The legendary midfielder knew Torres' game so well that he'd play inch-perfect passes which he could take in his stride and their link-up play felt automatic.
Liverpool's erstwhile manager Rafa Benitez was full of praise for the duo. He once said:
“The understanding between Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard is good and they can kill off any team."
Simply put, having Gerrard and Torres on the same side was like using a cheat code. It's a pity that the Spaniard swapped Liverpool for Chelsea in the second half of the 2010-11 season. Gerrard admitted to feeling heartbroken when Torres left. He told the Robbie Fowler podcast (via SportBible):
"I didn't play with Torres long enough because he went to Chelsea and broke my heart. If you asked me who was the best player on a daily basis consistently, Suarez was an animal but my best years were alongside Torres in terms of how I felt."
Torres has also said that Steven Gerrard is the best player he has played with. After announcing his retirement in 2019, Torres said:
“I always say the best player I played with is Steven Gerrard. I found he was the player who completed my game. I think my level got into a different dimension when I was on the pitch with him.”
#1 Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Sir Alex Ferguson truly assembled the best attacking talents on his side as he fought to re-establish Manchester United's dominance in the Premier League. In the summer of 2003, Manchester United spent £12 million to sign a Portuguese youngster who had given them the run around in a Champions League game.
That kid was Cristiano Ronaldo. A year later, United roped in a teenager from Everton for £31 million. He was dubbed the greatest striking talent England had produced since Michael Owen and his name was Wayne Rooney.
Both players had impeccable technique. Ronaldo mesmerized Old Trafford with his dazzling skills and shooting prowess. Wayne Rooney won over the fans thanks to his technical brilliance and tactical intelligence. His versatility would prove to be one of Manchester United's greatest assets in the years to come.
In the 2006 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo played a role in Rooney getting sent off in the quarter-final matchup between Manchester United and Portugal. While fans were expecting the two to be uncomfortable around each other, what transpired is the exact opposite.
Rooney had no problem putting the past behind him and the two went on to enjoy an absolutely stellar season. He was happy to play the supporting role as Cristiano Ronaldo embarked on his journey to become one of the greatest footballers of all time.
They won the Champions League together in 2007-08 and were instrumental in Manchester United reaching the finals in the 2008-09 season as well. The addition of Carlos Tevez to the mix, albeit for a short while, saw Manchester United transform into an unstoppable force going forward.
To this day, the triumvirate of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney is revered as one of the greatest attacking trios in the history of the Premier League. In BBC's documentary on Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo says:
"I miss playing with Rooney. Maybe we will play together again one day. He was so powerful I was calling him Pitbull. The power of Wayne Rooney is his mentality and strength and he never stops.
“He’s a fantastic team player and he scores. He’s a fantastic boy and he helped me a lot when he came to join us in Manchester.”
