The English Premier League’s unique scheduling format sets it apart from most other major sports leagues in the world. Instead of having the regular season serve as an extended set of qualifiers to determine who makes the postseason and how high of a seed they’re awarded, the regular season is both the appetizer, the main course and the dessert when it comes to the Premier League.
Each team plays their 38 game schedule, and that’s it. No playoffs, no championship game, the team that sits atop the standings at the end of May is the one that takes home the trophy. Similarly, there’s no division based scheduling formula to foster rivalries. Each team plays each opponent twice, once at home and once on the road. Instead rivalries form naturally, whether because of proximity — like Manchester City and Manchester United vying for supremacy in the Rainy City — or by success, like City going toe to toe with Liverpool. Here’s a look at some of the best rivalry matches of all time, where both teams left it all out on the pitch… but only one came away a victor.
2014’s Topsy-Turvy Finish
Liverpool was the hottest team in the league late in the 2014 season, on a nine-match winning streak as they looked set to swipe the crown away from Chelsea in a furious finish. With five matches left in the season and a game in hand, the Reds would secure the title if they managed to win out.
Manchester City stood in their way, but the Reds seemed prepared to make quick work of their hated rival, opening a 2-0 lead in the first half. As is often the case with rivalries, it wouldn’t be that easy. City stormed back after the break, tying the game at 62’ with the help of an own goal.
Liverpool managed to survive the scare, though, with Philippe Coutinho scoring the game winner at 78’.Unfortunately for fans of the Reds, it was Manchester City who got the last laugh. Liverpool couldn’t ride an eventual 11 game winning streak to the league title, as a loss and a tie in their last three matches—along with a five game winning streak from the Sky Blues—allowed Man City to supplant them for the title.
This pivotal season marked the genesis of Manchester City’s dominant reign in modern English football. Since then, they’ve overtaken Liverpool, becoming the most successful club in terms of top-flight titles. Presently, they stand as favorites to etch their name in history once again, aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title. Various premier Best Betting Apps in the UK tout them as high as -138, showcasing the widespread anticipation of their continued supremacy on the football pitch this year.
Chelsea Gives It Their All
The 2003-04 season was one of the most unique in the history of the Premier League, as Arsenal coasted to the finish with a 12 point cushion, becoming the first club in the history of the league to not lose a single match.
The Gunners had a six point lead over Chelsea in late February, and with the two clubs set to face off, it marked a pivotal chance for the Pensioners to make up for lost ground. Playing at Stamford Bridge, Eidur Gudjohnsen gave the home crowd something to cheer about just 27 seconds in, breaking the ice with an early goal to give Arsenal a scare.
The Gunners wasted no time returning fire, with goals from Patrick Vieira and Edu at 15’ and 21’ putting them ahead for good. Both sides traded furious scoring attempts throughout, but Chelsea couldn’t crack their defense and end their rival’s historic streak.
Tournaments Spice Things Up
Of course, the Premier League schedule isn’t the only time we get to see famous rivalries like Chelsea and Arsenal take place on the pitch. With added competitions like the FA Cup, which allows teams from the lower flights of English Football, whether it’s the EFL Championship and EFL League One all the way down to the semi-professional and amateur circuits, a chance to prove their mettle as the best team in the British Isles.
It may be a step below the honor of winning a Premier League title, but the allure of bragging rights runs deep, and the stakes are never higher than in the midst of a single elimination tournament. We’ll go all the way back to the 1993 semifinals for this entry, a Steel City derby between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, both of whom played in the newly-founded Premier League at that point in time.
Playing in front of a packed house of nearly 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, it didn’t take long—less than two minutes, in fact—for Wednesday midfielder Chris Waddle to blow the roof off, netting a free kick with a hooking shot. Alan Cork scored the equalizer moments before heading into the break at 44’, but neither team could put themselves ahead in the second half, even with furious back and forth play.
Mark Bright of Wednesday used his head to net the game-winner in extra time, setting up a dramatic date with Arsenal in the FA Cup Final. Despite the heroics, Wednesday couldn’t put the cherry on top with a championship win, tying the first match before falling 2-1 in the replay.
Other single elimination tournaments include the UEFA Europa League, but there are less chances for English rivalry games there because it’s open to the entire continent.
