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The Premier League has seen some of the best players in the world showcase their skills on the biggest stage. Since the league's rebranding in the 1992-93 season, the Premier League has become more of a global spectacle. That has attracted a lot of quality managers to top sides, and with them, top quality players as well.
Since then, teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have been mainstays in the top half of the table. The fierce competition for the Premier League title has forged some intense individual rivalries. The league has seen rival players, managers, coaching staff and sometimes even fans have a go at each other in tense moments.
Some of that turned into career-long battles in terms of performances and statistics, and who won more silverware. Meanwhile, there were players whose rivalry had an unsavoury element to it. These players gave their all to their team, managers and the badge they represented.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five greatest player rivalries in Premier League history:
#5 Petr Cech (Chelsea) vs Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United)
Two of the greatest goalkeepers of their generation, Edwin van der Sar and Petr Cech, enjoyed several successful years in the Premier League. They were always in direct competition for goalkeeping records and awards. Both shot-stoppers were brought in to boost their respective teams' title credentials, and they did just that.
Between the two, they won eight Premier League titles, with four apiece. They both also won one UEFA Champions League title each. Van der Sar managed to win the FIFA Club World Cup with Manchester United in 2008, while Cech only has a runners-up medal in the competition with Chelsea in 2012.
The Czech, though, won five FA Cups during his spells at Chelsea and Arsenal, while the Dutchman did not win any. Cech also won one UEFA Europa League title with Chelsea in 2013.
Cech holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets in a single season, with 24. Meanwhile, Edwin van der Sar holds the Premier League record for the most consecutive minutes without conceding a goal, shutting up shop for 1311 minutes. The defenders in front of the pair played a big part in that too.
Petr Cech went on to make 443 appearances in the Premier League with Chelsea and Arsenal, keeping 202 clean sheets. Edwin van der Sar, meanwhile, made 313 appearances for Fulham and Manchester United in the Premier League, keeping 132 clean sheets. Two of the greatest custodians the league has been fortunate to witness!
#4 Luis Suarez (Liverpool) vs Patrice Evra (Manchester United)
Luis Suarez was one of the most exciting clutch and clinical strikers to set foot on English soil. The Uruguayan scored 69 goals and assisted an additional 51 in 110 Premier League games during his stint with Liverpool.
However, he had a nasty streak, and was infamous for using dirty methods of intimidation or distraction on the pitch. One such incident occurred with Manchester United's French left-back Patrice Evra.
Suarez allegedly used a racist term to address Evra while the two engaged in a heated conversation following an on-pitch incident. Suarez was found guilty and was handed an eight-match ban in 2011.
Patrice Evra, meanwhile, had different ways of dealing in the aftermath of the incident. He celebrated right in front of Suarez as they walked towards the tunnel at the Stretford End of Old Trafford. His excuse was that he was just walking towards his fans.
However, the Frenchman delivered an important message a few years later as a pundit which everyone should hear. Evra said that he did not want Suarez to be banned, but would rather be made aware of his wrongdoing and educated about racism. He stressed that we are all the same and that he sees no colour in people.
It is remarkable to see the graceful manner in which Evra dealt with the incident years later. This rivalry is a reminder to Premier League fans worldwide that humanity should always come first, no matter what is at stake in a competition.
#3 Thierry Henry (Arsenal) vs Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United)
Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy locked horns several times during the pair's time in the Premier League. Their managers competed to be the league's best. Their teams competed for the coveted Premier League title, and the two engaged in fierce battles to win the Golden Boot award.
Henry arrived at Arsenal in 1998, and went on to make 258 appearances in the Premier League for the Gunners. The Frenchman scored 175 goals and provided a stunning 100 assists during that time. He ended his Arsenal career with a tally of 228 goals, finishing as their all-time top goalscorer.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, meanwhile, played in the Premier League for a much shorter duration. The Dutchman made 150 appearances for United in the league, scoring 95 goals and providing nine assists. He won one FA Cup and one Premier League title with United, rounding off the league-winning season with a Golden Boot for himself.
Van Nistelrooy was a consistent and prolific striker, and held the record for most consecutive games with at least one goal scored with ten games. It was broken and bettered by Jamie Vardy (11) for Leicester City in 2015, fittingly against Manchester United.
The pair lit up the Premier League with their goalscoring exploits as Arsene Wenger's Arsenal and Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United engaged in several epic battles.
#2 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) vs Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Rarely does one get the chance to witness such a long-drawn career rivalry between two players with near identical trajectories.
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard played together in the Premier League for 17 seasons. While Gerrard played all of those seasons for Liverpool, Lampard represented West Ham and Manchester City, and had a long and legendary spell with Chelsea.
Gerrard played 504 Premier League games for the Reds, scoring 120 goals and assisting 100. Unfortunately, he never won the league title. However, Gerrard won two FA Cups, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League during his time with the club, cementing his spot in their history as a legend.
Frank Lampard, meanwhile, made a total of 609 appearances in the Premier League for his three clubs. He scored 177 goals and set up 124.
The Englishman won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Champions League title with Chelsea. Lampard is Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer with 211 goals in all competitions.
The pair was also part of the England squad for many years, but was unfortunate not to win any major honours for country. However, any football fan will remember the feeling one felt when commentators Peter Drury and Martin Tyler screamed one of the players' last names when the ball hit the back of the net.
#1 Patrick Vieira (Arsenal) vs Roy Keane (Manchester United)
The rivalry between Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira felt more than just two captains of two big clubs standing their ground. It felt like war. Rather, it was war.
Relentless in their dominant physical approach to the game, both players were combative midfielders who played box-to-box roles. Vieira made 307 appearances for Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League. He scored 31 goals and assisted 32. Keane, meanwhile, made 366 appearances in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest and Manchester United. He scored 39 goals and provided 25 assists.
The two faced off in several heated games between Arsenal and Manchester United in the late 1990s and early 2000s. On one occasion, they were even involved in a heated exchange in the tunnel before a game at Highbury.
Here is another clip of the pair fighting for the ball in an FA Cup clash between the Gunners and the Red Devils.
However, in a remarkable interview years later, the two seemed to be all smiles and full of respect for each other. They acknowledged what the game meant for both of them, as well as explained why they played how they did. Keane and Vieira also discussed the infamous tunnel bust-up during the clip. You can watch it below.
It is fiery when two big players from big teams come together and have a few words to say or a push here and a shove there. But to see two of the greatest captains in the history of the Premier League do it was different gravy.
