Why the relatively young but fierce rivalry between the two sides is one to look out for.
When Manchester United met Chelsea this past weekend at Old Trafford, it made for another hotly anticipated match between these two heavyweight rivals. And for good reason. Over the last seven years or so, matches between these two sides have been intense and often an indicator of which side the league trophy would be heading home with.
The matches have rarely disappointed as these two sides have always slugged it out and given their fans great contests. But it wasna��t always so, for this is a relatively modern day rivalry, and a great one at that. Rivalries in football are usually born out of two things: geographical proximity or persistent competition for trophies between two clubs. Every Derby is a rivalry, but every rivalry is not a derby. Traditionally derbies have always been defined as encounters between cross-town or local rivals with ensuing bragging rights going over and beyond the boundaries of the league.
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Derbies can be great levelers. A side more comfortably positioned in the league can quite easily come undo at the hands of its lesser accomplished cross-town rival. The big difference, however, remains in the honors & trophies won, with Arsenal edging out Spurs by 25 titles to 14, while Manchester United absolutely towering over its City rivals with 60 titles compared to Citya��s 13.
The traditional a�?biga�? rivalries, not all of them derbies mind you, would therefore be Liverpool vs. Manchester United, Inter Milan vs. AC Milan & the biggest of them all a�� the El ClA?sico as ita��s called a�� Real Madrid Vs Barcelona a�� who share a staggering 140 odd trophies between them.A� Over the last two decades, the Premier League has seen two great rivalries viz. Manchester United vs. Arsenal & Manchester United vs. Chelsea.
Sure, the North West derby between Liverpool & Manchester is still very much a high profile fixture but with Liverpool failing to provide any consistent challenge in terms of local honors except for that one odd season & slowly even slipping out of the elite Champions League, this derby has lost a little sheen.
The same goes for Arsenal, who developed one of the fiercest rivalries with Man United at the turn of the 90s, going all the way into early 2000s. Boasting footballing giants of the likes of Viera, Henry, Pires, Bergkamp, Keane, Scholes, Beckham & Nistelrooy, their matches were nothing short of explosive, so much so, that even a goalless draw ended up being talked about as the infamous a�?Battle of Old Trafforda�? match.
But with time and Wengera��s inability to match the heady days of his success, even this rivalry cooled down. One of the reasons was Arsenala��s lack of spunk in the fight for silverware since the departure of some of the bigger names from the club. And second, the rise of Chelsea F.C which seemed to eclipse Arsenala��s position in the league.
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In the early years of the Premier League, Chelsea werena��t much of a force to reckon with. Take the case of the 1994 FA Cup Final, it was Chelseaa��s first FA Cup final for 24 years, while Manchester United last appeared four years earlier. The gulf between the two teams was massive. The United team burst with icons such as Gary Pallister, Denis Irwin, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona.A�
Chelsea could only boast players such as Dennis Wise, Craig Burley, Mark Stein and John Spencer.A� And though Chelseaa��s team sheet would soon field players of the likes of Hughes, Gullit, Zola & Di Matteo & trophies such as the FA Cup & the League Cup would come their way, the all important Premier League & European Cup were still missing from the trophy cabinet. Enter Roman Abramovich, who went on a A?100 million spending spree before the start of the season and landed players like Claude Makelele, Joe Cole & Damien Duff.
But it was his signing of a non-player that truly lit the spark of this fantastic rivalry. a�?The Special Onea�� – Jose Mourinho – was the shot in the arm Chelsea needed. No sooner had he arrived, Mourinho landed the Premier League trophy in his debut season in charge, & continued to do so for another season in such a strong manner that it looked impossible to shake off Chelseaa��s grip on the League trophy.
His friendly feud with Sir Alex Ferguson added fuel to the Manchester United a�� Chelsea fire.A� But a resurgent Manchester United began a surge which would eventually lead to a hat trick of Premier League trophies, a Champions League trophy (against Chelsea in the final) & a consecutive Champions Leaguea��s final appearance resulting in a loss to Barcelona.
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After Mourinho left Chelsea under puzzling circumstances, many feared it would lead to the deflating of the Chelsea-Manchester United rivalry. But that was not to be, an inspired Avram Grant led Chelsea toA� their A�first ever European Cup final, only to go down to Manchester United on penalties in a match that was one of the most entertaining & evenly contested finals in recent years. A couple of years, and managers later, Carlo Ancelotti would then lead the club to their first ever a�?Doublea�?, in what would be one the most riveting seasons ever with Manchester United losing the league by a single point.
Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday, a score-line that flatters the Red Devils considering it was closely fought, was a match that had it all: a stunning strike, shambolic defending, a John Terry moment & an open goal howler that Harry Redknappa��s missus could have scored.
Villas- Boas in electing to go with such an attacking line-up has faced as many accusations of being naive as he has commendations for his bravery. There was much to admire about Chelsea’s imagination and drive when pressing forward. Not many apart from Barcelona would take a team forward with such an attacking mindset at Old Trafford.
This memorable match is hardly the exception. It merely adds to the list of enthralling matches between these two sides which includes the last yeara��s Champions League quarter finals draw, the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow, & virtually every other match between the two sides.
Cut to the Spanish league where Real Madrid & Barcelona have battled in the highly covered a�?El Clasicoa�? for years. With the rise of Messi, the balance of power has undeniably shifted in favor of Barcelona, who haveA�had the better of Real Madrid on more than a couple of ocassions.
With Jose Mourinho added to that equation, the all-Spanish affair did become even more interesting, but perhaps for all the wrong reasons. What was once the epitome of footballing rivalry has now descended into a violent, no-holds-barred, free-for-all.
Ita��s not that Chelsea and Manchester United havena��t had their share of on-field brawls, but with these two English sides the brawls are at the most, a side-show barely distracting from the real on-field action. And any loss of temper in these encounters can be chalked down to the heat of the moment or bad judgment, unlike the El Clasico which is a hotbed of nationalism, animosity and bad blood.A�
The current United side is in the process of establishing their best start to a season in 26 years. Pace and energy are the current buzz wordsA�surrounding the club and the youthful enthusiasm demonstrated by Jones, Smalling, Welbeck & Cleverly have proven infectious in spreading itself throughout the team. With Fergusona��s signing of Ashley Young & last seasona��s star Chicharito, adding toA�Valencia & Nani, this Manchester United team is looking settled for the future. With Rooney in the prime of his life, Ferguson can be forgiven for feeling content with his side.
Meanwhile at Stamford Bridge, Villas-Boas has identified a similar reconstruction project & signed on young prospects such as Lukaku & Romeu along with proven talents like Mata. With a young attack minded manager at helm, things look to be going in the right direction at Stamford Bridge.
This abundance of youth could be the reason why the rivalry between the Red Devils & Blues is one to look out for in years to come. While Arsenal remain a perpetual work in progress, Liverpool still to come out of their own shadows,A�and Manchester City stillA�the new kid on the block, the Manchester United a�� Chelsea battles will continue to be the one game to tune into watch.
– Saumitra ‘Sam’ Sabnis
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