Ranking the top 5 central midfield duos in Premier League history

#3. Fernandinho & Kevin de Bruyne - Manchester City

Manchester City v Arsenal - Premier League

Manchester City have taken the Premier League by storm ever since their title-winning run in the 2011-12 season.

Breaking the Manchester United-Chelsea duopoly, City went on to establish themselves as one of the biggest sides in English football. In the nine years since, City have won a mammoth five Premier League titles.

While many rival fans attribute City's success to their financial position, there is no doubt that they have some of the world's best players in their ranks. Many believe that City's metamorphosis is mainly due to their quality in midfield.

While it has to be mentioned that City have had a host of players in midfield such as David Silva, Yaya Toure and Bernardo Silva, the most prolific pairing of all has been that of Kevin de Bruyne and Fernandinho.

De Bruyne was signed in 2015 from Wolfsburg, while Fernandinho has been at City since 2013. The pair demonstrate the perfect mix of attack and defense, which is evident in the way they set up together against other teams.

De Bruyne is widely regarded as one of the best footballers in the world. Fernandinho, although approaching the end of his career, has set the standard for a defensive midfielder in the modern game.

The pair have won three Premier League titles together, including in 2017-18 where City reached a historic 100 points. They have also won one FA Cup as well as five League Cups in six years together.

Still bossing the midfield, it remains to be seen if the pair can add more medals to their kitty in the upcoming season.

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#2. Gilberto Silva & Patrick Vieira - Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal

Gilberto Silva and Patrick Vieira formed a formidable partnership in midfield for Arsenal.

Although the pair played together for only three years, their achievements together are truly commendable. The duo embodied Arsene Wenger's football philosophy that enabled Arsenal to win several trophies, most notably the title-winning 'Invincibles' run of 2003-04.

Vieira was the more experienced of the two, having joined from Milan in 1996. Gilberto joined later in 2002 from Brazil. .

Both players were known for their incredible work rate and relentless play. While both players were typically more on the defensive side, they often initiated counter-attacks as well after recovering the ball.

The midfield duo have won several trophies, including two FA Cups and one Premier League title. They will be fondly remembered for the 2003-04 season, where Vieira and Gilberto were integral to Arsenal's title-winning run without losing a single game.

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#1. Roy Keane & Paul Scholes - Manchester United

Roy Keane, Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes and Roy Keane are arguably the best-ever midfield pairing in Manchester United's history.

Both Scholes and Keane made their Manchester United debuts in 1993 and went on to spend over a decade with the club. Scholes went on to spend 20 years at Old Trafford before his eventual retirement, while Keane moved to Celtic in 2005.

Known for their rugged style of play and unforgiving tackling, the pair struck fear in the hearts of opponents worldwide.

Keane was arguably the tougher of the two; famous for his strong tackles and excellent passes. Scholes was more of a pass-master, famed for his incredible ability to find teammates irrespective of their location on the field.

The midfield duo won an unbelievable amount of silverware together. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, the pair won a mammoth seven Premier League titles and three FA Cups.

Their most memorable achievement together was the UEFA Champions League victory in 1999, when United came back from behind to beat Bayern Munich in the final. Although both players were suspended for the final, they were instrumental in taking United to the stage.

The duo will be revered as Manchester United legends forever and will go down in history as arguably the best midfield pairing in the Premier League.