The Premier League is currently ground to a halt for the second international break of the 2023-24 season, but there’s plenty to get excited about ahead of the restart on October 21 — as there are set to be big rivalries galore on matchday nine of the campaign.
Liverpool host their Merseyside counterparts Everton at Anfield in the early kick-off at 12:30 to get us back underway, before we head over to Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea take on their cross-city foes Arsenal at 17:30.
It’s not quite a rivalry as such, but Monday Night Football still pits two London sides against each other as table-toppers Tottenham Hotspur go toe-to-toe with Fulham. Anyway, it has us thinking about the biggest derbies in the Premier League. So, we’ve had a go at ranking them.
Everton vs Liverpool
Some people might disagree with seeing the Merseyside derby ranked as only the sixth-best in the Premier League, but the truth is that there’s often nothing more at stake than bragging rights — and that’s amplified by the fact the Toffees have won merely four of their last 50 meetings in all competitions.
There’s no doubt that this is a massive game for the people of the city and the fanbases of both clubs, but does it appeal to a wider audience as much as some of the other fixtures on this list? Arguably not. The match on October 21 will still attract plenty of interest, and Liverpool are the heavy favourites if you’re looking for a Liverpool v Everton bet.
Chelsea vs Arsenal
Another fixture set to take place on October 21, Chelsea vs Arsenal isn’t a classic Premier League rivalry by any means. But it has become a fierce fixture in the last couple of decades as there is often a lot at stake when the two sides meet.
That has led to some fiery matches over the years, especially when Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger were in charge of the respective London clubs. The Gunners are on a run of four wins in a row against Chelsea and will be hoping to make it five when they meet at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool vs Manchester City
Again, Liverpool vs Manchester City is a modern-day Premier League rivalry that’s stemmed from the competitiveness of the two sides in recent years. This isn’t one like Chelsea vs Arsenal that has decades to back it up, however.
These two juggernauts have produced some monumental moments on the pitch in the last five years or so, and the Reds must be left ruing the sheer financial might of Manchester City as Jurgen Klopp’s men have missed out on the Premier League title to the Etihad side by a single on two occasions.
Manchester City vs Manchester United
It is incredibly close between the Manchester derby and the North London derby at this stage, but we have opted to go with the former in third. The legendary Sir Alex Ferguson once called Man City the Red Devils’ noisy neighbours, but the tables have turned massively since his retirement in 2013.
Man City have won six Premier League titles in the last 10 years, while Man United are yet to get their hands on the prestigious title in the post-Ferguson era. Victories can even be hard for United to come by, as they’ve lost four of the last five. The next renewal of this rivalry is coming up on October 29.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal
A derby that has finally got its edge back this season, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are joint-top of the Premier League table on 20 points and are the only two remaining sides with an unbeaten record this campaign.
It’s refreshing to see these two great clubs competing back toward the top of the table after a period of not really challenging for the top four, and it gave their recent meeting at the Emirates an added edge, as Son Heung-min scored twice to cancel out Cristian Romero’s own goal and Bukayo Saka’s penalty in the 2-2 draw.
Manchester United vs Liverpool
Without question, the biggest rivalry in the Premier League is Manchester United vs Liverpool. They are the two most successful clubs in the division, the two most supported sides in the country and around the world, and there are just over 30 miles between them.
There is a real hatred between these two sides and it often transfers on and off the pitch. Liverpool won the last north west derby 7-0 at Anfield in March, so Erik ten Hag’s men will be out for revenge when they head back to Merseyside in December.
