While there has been plenty of debate about the Premier League’s great striker pairings, there have also been some outstanding centre-back partnerships in the competition over the years – read our Premier League legends piece looking at those rocks at the back.
Premier League Legends: 4 Greatest Ever Centre-Back Pairings
Here’s a look at some of the best defensive duos to ever do it in the Premier League since it started back in 1992.
Premier League Legends: Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd)
Starting at Manchester United with one of the all-time great centre-back partnerships, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic formed an outstanding pairing from the mid-2000s to the early 2010s. While Ferdinand was the ball-playing defender who had the ability to start United on one of their countless attacks, Vidic was the no-nonsense, hard-hitting centre-back that every great team needs.
Between them, Ferdinand and Vidic won no less than six Premier League titles and were nominated for the competition’s Team of the Season a combined 10 times.
Premier League Legends: Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry (Chelsea)
Helping Chelsea win the Premier League titles in both 2005 and 2006, Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry helped the Blues achieve a brief era of dominance at the very top of the English game. Two key cogs in the Jose Mourinho machine at Stamford Bridge, the Portuguese tactician has often spoken of how important both Terry and Carvalho were for him in west London.
Both players went on to become icons for their efforts at Stamford Bridge, a ground that opposition teams found almost impossible to win at with both defenders on the field. Helping Chelsea go on an 86-match unbeaten run at home in the Premier League spanning four years, it’s little wonder Terry and Carvalho are considered one of the greatest centre-back pairings.
Premier League Legends: Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure (Arsenal)
Two centre-backs who helped Arsenal become the infamous 2003/04 Invincibles, Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure were instrumental in helping the Gunners become the only side in the Premier League era to go an entire season undefeated.
With Tony Adams and Martin Keown also one of the great centre-back partnerships, with two Premier League and FA Cup doubles, there’s plenty of debate over which pairing was the best. However, simply going an entire league season without losing just gives the duo of Campbell and Toure the edge here to make this list.
Premier League Legends: John Stones and Ruben Dias (Man City)
A defensive duo who can still be witnessed today, John Stones and Ruben Dias have emerged as one of the great modern centre-back partnerships. Key figures in helping Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City win the Premier League title of the last four years, there is little doubt the success Stones and Dias have enjoyed during their time at the Etihad Stadium.
Stones has the ability to get forward with the ball and the Yorkshireman also has the habit of coming up with big goals for the Cityzens from set-pieces. Dias is more of the traditional centre-back, with this strength, pace and physicality making him one of the toughest defenders in the Premier League to come up again.
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