In this article, Lineker, Shearer & Richards rank the top 10 best derbies in Premier League history for their Match of the Day podcast.
Gary, Alan and Micah have returned with their new series of Match of the Day Top 10, ranking their top 10s from an assortment of topics across the Premier League era.
“These games will always matter more to supporters than other games do but it is amazing how much the occasion affects players too, and how quickly you get sucked into the rivalry even if you haven’t grown up with it. You feel the same way the fans do,” says Lineker.
“Between us, we featured in quite a few.
“Alan has played in several Tyne-Wear derbies and Micah plenty of Manchester ones. When he was at Aston Villa, he had a taste of the Birmingham, or Second City derby, in a League Cup tie too.
“I played in the north London and Merseyside derbies and El Clasico.”
Listen to the MOTD Top 10: Derbies now on BBC Sounds and watch from Friday on BBC iPlayer.
MAN UTD v LIVERPOOL
Alan Shearer (1st), Micah Richards (2nd)
Alan Shearer: “I’ve heard Liverpool and Man United players say this is a bigger game than the Manchester or Merseyside derbies. That’s why I’ve got it as number one, because I’ve heard both sets of players say that’s it’s bigger.”
Micah Richards: “It’s just the two biggest clubs in English football. Rivalry. It’s horrible.”
NEWCASTLE v SUNDERLAND
Alan Shearer (2nd), Micah Richards (6th)
Alan Shearer: “They have a great atmosphere. Great games to play in. You get away with more but you have to win.
“I missed a penalty in one once and the next morning – obviously I felt terrible – I get a buzz off the neighbour to say you need to come to the top of your gate.
“There was a pile of hay, manure, fish guts, eggs and flour, about 10 feet high. Terrible. I don’t know whether it was Newcastle fans or Sunderland fans!”
Sunderland are unbeaten in the past nine meetings, all in the Premier League, however the last time they both came face to face was in 2016 because of the Black Cats’ slide down to the third tier.
“Here if you make a good tackle you’re applauded almost as if you’ve scored a goal. It’s almost like playing a game on the street,” said ex-Sunderland and Inter Milan midfielder Yann M’Vila, who claims the atmosphere is better for that than the Milan derby.
To show how big big the rivalry is, 16,654 went to the Stadium of Light to see Sunderland beat Newcastle’s under-21 side in the EFL Trophy back in 2019.
“It took me two or three hours to clean the 💩 up”
This response to Alan Shearer missing a penalty against Sunderland 😲
Micah, @GaryLineker and @alanshearer discuss the best derbies on the new #MOTDTop10 podcast from @BBCSounds
📲👇— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 25, 2022
LIVERPOOL v EVERTON
Alan Shearer (3rd), Micah Richards (3rd)
BBC Sport say: “Liverpool were formed in 1892 after splitting from Everton and the teams have played each other regularly since.
“It has been a one-sided derby in recent times with Everton not winning at Anfield between 1999 and 2021.
“Several Liverpool legends, including Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler, grew up as Everton fans.”
MAN UTD v MAN CITY
Alan Shearer (4th), Micah Richards (1st)
BBC Sport say: “For years it was Manchester United winning everything in sight and City looking on enviously just hoping for any trophy.
“Now it is the opposite.
“Legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson once called their rivals “noisy neighbours” but City have won eight trophies since United’s last success in 2017.”
TOTTENHAM v ARSENAL
Alan Shearer (5th), Micah Richards (4th)
Micah Richards: “I’ve always looked at this game and thought ‘Arsenal will win this’ – especially in the era I was growing up. Spurs have come better of late.”
Former Gunners defender Hector Bellerin previously said that the first thing players are told when they join the club is “just hate Tottenham”.
This fixture goes back to the 1800s and was claimed to be a true local derby in 1913 when Arsenal moved to north London.
Arsenal fans used to celebrate St Totteringham’s Day for whenever they are guaranteed to finish above Spurs in the table, but the last time that happened was 2016.
CHELSEA v TOTTENHAM
Alan Shearer (6th), Micah Richards (8th)
It is not a main derby that everyone would first think of or even list in the top 10, but here we are. Chelsea v Spurs always carries a bit of an edge says BBC Sport.
Their most famous meeting in recent years was in 2016, a game dubbed the Battle of the Bridge which put an end to Tottenham’s title hopes and instead handed Leicester the title.
Spurs, who let a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2, saw a total of nine players booked – which ended up being a Premier League record. There were a few melees, one of which saw Mousa Dembele banned for six games for eye-gouging Diego Costa.
BIRMINGHAM v ASTON VILLA
Alan Shearer (7th), Micah Richards (5th)
“I played in one: ferocious,” Richards said on the BBC’s Match of the Day Top Ten podcast. “Hatred.
“They take everything personally throughout the whole week. “The city is just… ‘if any game, win this one, we are not bothered, just win this one’.
“We won 1-0 and I was magnificent, top of the game.” Richards’ appearance against Blues was one of only 31 outings during his time with Villa say Birmingham Live. The 33 year-old retired upon his release from Villa in 2019.
CHELSEA v FULHAM
Alan Shearer (8th), Micah Richards (9th)
“Chelsea Fulham. They’re probably as close together as almost anyone with the exception of Liverpool and Everton who are very close geographically,” said Lineker.
“The Fulham fans are nice though, aren’t they? You go there, have a nice relaxing day. There’s no animosity,” replied Richards.
“Chelsea is horrible. To play there, to go and watch there, the fans are just…”, he continued.
“Fulham, are they the nicest fans in football?”, questioned Lineker.
“We should have a top 10 nicest fans in football and Fulham could win it. Chelsea won’t win it though!”
NOTTINGHAM FOREST v LEICESTER
Alan Shearer (9th), Micah Richards (6th)
“The only derby that really matters, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest in the East Midlands Derby,” Lineker said on Match of the Day’s Top 10 podcast, before adding: “Sorry Derby.”
“It’s quite interesting in the East Midlands derby because you could have an argument about which is the derby in the East Midlands,” he added.
“I’ve gone with Leicester vs Forest because it involves Leicester but a lot of people in the East Midlands would say that Forest vs Derby is the East Midlands derby but obviously I’m involved in this so there was no way that was going to happen.”
He spoke on the FA Cup meeting earlier this season, saying: “Obviously it doesn’t compare to the Manchester derby, the Liverpool derby or even the North London derby, but it matters to the fans.”
“Leicester played Forest in the cup recently and Leicester were pathetic that day, and Forest I have to say, played brilliantly, but it’s nice to give these small clubs a little bit of joy occasionally!”
BRIGHTON v CRYSTAL PALACE
Alan Shearer (10th), Micah Richards (10th)
This is deemed to be one of the least likely rivalries in the Premier League, with the teams 45 miles apart.
It dates from when they played each other five times in 1976 and managers Terry Venables (Palace) and Alan Mullery (Brighton) had beef with each other.
Mullery spoke the media after the match, saying that he had hot coffee chucked on him by Palace fans after a game so threw some change on the floor and shouted: “That’s all you’re worth, Crystal Palace.” Quite the heated one.
According to BBC Sport, Brighton even changed their nickname from Dolphins to Seagulls because it rhymed with Palace’s nickname Eagles. Nowadays its a rivalry with had the odd crowd troubles and arrests.
Twitter users reacted as Lineker, Shearer & Richards rank the top 10 derbies in Premier League history…
@thfcsxn: NLD 5th 💀 its top 3 at least
@terryi219: United Liverpool isn’t a Derby
@tbettam1: West Brom vs Villa or Wolves
@RussJAdams81: How the hell is Rovers v Burnley not on that list??
@banisteridol: Saints v Pompey. There’s a lot more to our rivalry than just football. When Southampton’s dockers went on strike in 1890, ‘backlegs’ from Portsmouth arrived in our city. They were called scabs & there were riots.
@LeeBrom: 1, 2, 9 & 10 arent true derby games. Huge rivalry games yes but a derby game in its essence is two teams from the same city playing each other.
@Peete20: Embarrassing that is 😂 Chelsea v Fulham 😂😂😂🥴
@Fleetwood_Zach_: In terms of derbies, Portsmouth v Southampton should definitely be in the top ten. Not a fan of either club but they will chant hate about the other regardless of the game they’re playing.
@Harry_VTID: Villa vs blues as a derby is so much better than 99% of the teams on this list
@jbenny99: Where is the Sheffield Derby?? A proper derby as the teams are from the same City!
@iamcarlbonner: Forest v Leicester? Don’t know a single Forest fan who see Leicester as a local rival
@Theaks1: Sheffield derby and Birmingham v villa are top 2 the rest don’t even come close
@Carl_Griffiths_: United vs Liverpool isn’t a derby, it’s a rivalry like United vs Arsenal. There’s plenty of derbies in football, but not necessarily in the PL (none more so in Britain than the old firm). In the PL it’s the Manchester derby, the Mersey side, North London, Tyne Wear and Midlands.
@IanWindsor99: Liverpool v Man Utd is a rivalry not a derby !
@AndrewMcEwan07:
1. United v Liverpool
2. Newcastle v Sunderland
3. United v City
4. Arsenal v Tottenham
5. Liverpool v Everton
6. Arsenal v Chelsea
7. Aston Villa v Birmingham
8. Sheff Wed v Sheff United
9. United v Leeds
10. Southampton v Portsmouth
(Apologies to Norwich & Ipswich)
@plazz84: Newcastle Sunderland is the closest thing in England to an old firm for atmosphere
@bauer_jnr: Surprised by these lists!
Outrageous that:
– Birmingham villa isn’t higher on both
– Chelsea fulham, and Brighton palace is on the list at all
– Blackburn Burnley isn’t!
– Newcastle Sunderland isn’t top
And Manchester derby should be lower imo on both
@AlishaW1709: How on Earth has the South Coast Derby been missed off? I know it isn’t played regularly but it is one of the most bitter rivalries in football! 🤦🏽♀️
@lewis_WBA: I usually like these top 10s but the fact that Chelsea Fulham and Brighton and palace are on here and Albion vs wolves isn’t is just wrong
@rmbyres: Chelsea v Fulham?? Wtf?? Arguing over house prices and school catchment areas Vs which Waitrose has the better quinoa isn’t quite up there with Blackburn/Burnley or Saints/Pompey
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