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The Premier League is arguably the most exciting top-tier football league in the world. The English top-flight has pervaded TV screens across the planet and this has helped clubs gain incredible returns from a financial standpoint.
As a result, Premier League clubs have been able to sign the very best in the business. The English top-flight has been home to some of the greatest players to have graced the game. Oftentimes, top clubs will have several top-quality players on their payroll.
Premier League has seen its fair share of iconic duos
If those individuals can strike up a partnership and play to each other's strengths, then the club could even get more than they bargained for. The Premier League has played host to some of the most iconic duos in modern football.
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There are few things better to watch on a football pitch than two world-class players complementing each other and elevating each other's game. Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the most iconic Premier League duos of all time.
#5 Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
There was an age gap of nine years between Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry. But that just lends more weightage to the master and apprentice relationship the duo shared during their time together at Arsenal.
Bergkamp is one of the finest players of his generation and he truly hit his stride after joining Arsenal from Inter Milan in 1995. The Dutchman was the epitome of technical brilliance and has often been described as a player with the exquisite technique.
Thierry Henry, one of the greatest Premier League strikers, joined the Gunners in 1999. Henry spent seven years with Bergkamp at Arsenal and the duo won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups.
They were almost unstoppable together up front for Arsenal. Both Bergkamp and Henry possessed incredible ball control and they were precise with everything that they did on a football pitch.
Despite having played with the likes of Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Patrick Vieira, Henry picked Bergkamp as his favourite teammate. Speaking in a Facebook Q&A (via BleacherReport), Henry said:
"Because of longevity, and because I saw him every day in training for seven years, Dennis Bergkamp. Because he was always doing what the game was asking him to do."
#4 John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea)
To this day, Jose Mourinho uses a cautious style of play. His defence needs to be stable and formidable first and foremost. How can you blame him when it's the same philosophy that made him a sensation in England after taking over at Chelsea in 2004?
He won the Premier League in his first two seasons as coach of Chelsea and the defensive pairing of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho played a critical role in it. Carvalho took some time to win over Mourinho following his arrival in the summer of 2004 but once he did, there was no looking back.
Ricardo Carvalho was the perfect foil for John Terry. The Englishman was the kind of player who enjoyed defending. He was a tough-tackling, brave defender whom the opposition loved to hate.
Carvalho might not have looked daunting but his understanding of the game, his pace and penchant for the dark arts made him an exceptional defender.
In the 2004-05 season, Chelsea kept 25 cleansheets in 38 games and that's, in no short part, thanks to their formidable defensive duo. They conceded just six goals in 19 Premier League matches that were played at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues conceded just 22 goals in the 2005-06 season. Of course, Petr Cech's heroics between the sticks cannot be ignored when we talk about Chelsea's defensive record. But John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho formed one of the greatest defensive pairings in the history of the English top-flight and it is not up for debate.
#3 Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
To fight Chelsea's growing clout, Sir Alex Ferguson needed to beat them at their own game. Manchester United had made Rio Ferdinand the most expensive British player by paying arch-rivals Leeds United £30 million in 2002 for his services.
Four years later, Manchester United signed a Serbian stalwart called Nemanja Vidic and the rest is history. Ferdinand, with his mobility and ball-playing abilities, was the 'silk' and Vidic provided the steel.
Ferdinand and Vidic helped goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar achieve the Premier League record of going 1,311 minutes of action without conceding a goal. They did this in the 2008-09 season.
It's hard to find a defensive duo that complemented each other as well as Ferdinand and Vidic. Together they won five Premier League titles, one Champions League and three League Cups. Both players were natural leaders and this helped Manchester United become powerful at the back.
This enabled their talented midfielders and attackers to attack with abandon. The Red Devils were dominant towards the end of Fergie's stay mainly because of the Vidic-Ferdinand partnership.
#2 Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Steven Gerrard spent 17 years at Liverpool. He saw several incredible players coming and going. Gerrard has played alongside several Premier League greats but his most exciting partnership came with the electric Fernando Torres.
Liverpool signed Torres from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007 for around £20 million. He was an instant hit, scoring 24 goals and providing four assists in 33 Premier League appearances. Gerrard started playing as the second striker and the two of them were a force to be reckoned with.
They spent three-and-a-half years playing together and were a nightmare for any defence that stood in their way. Gerrard and Torres were the driving force behind Liverpool's title charge in the 2008-09 Premier League season where they ultimately settled for a second-placed finish.
The iconic duo shared a telepathic connection. The legendary midfielder knew Torres' game so well that he'd play inch-perfect passes which he could take in his stride and their link-up play felt automatic.
Liverpool's erstwhile manager Rafa Benitez was full of praise for the duo. He once said:
“The understanding between Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard is good and they can kill off any team."
Simply put, having Gerrard and Torres on the same side was like using a cheat code. It's a pity that the Spaniard swapped Liverpool for Chelsea in the second half of the 2010-11 season. Gerrard admitted to feeling heartbroken when Torres left. He told the Robbie Fowler podcast (via SportBible):
"I didn't play with Torres long enough because he went to Chelsea and broke my heart. If you asked me who was the best player on a daily basis consistently, Suarez was an animal but my best years were alongside Torres in terms of how I felt."
Torres has also said that Steven Gerrard is the best player he has played with. After announcing his retirement in 2019, Torres said:
“I always say the best player I played with is Steven Gerrard. I found he was the player who completed my game. I think my level got into a different dimension when I was on the pitch with him.”
#1 Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Sir Alex Ferguson truly assembled the best attacking talents on his side as he fought to re-establish Manchester United's dominance in the Premier League. In the summer of 2003, Manchester United spent £12 million to sign a Portuguese youngster who had given them the run around in a Champions League game.
That kid was Cristiano Ronaldo. A year later, United roped in a teenager from Everton for £31 million. He was dubbed the greatest striking talent England had produced since Michael Owen and his name was Wayne Rooney.
Both players had impeccable technique. Ronaldo mesmerized Old Trafford with his dazzling skills and shooting prowess. Wayne Rooney won over the fans thanks to his technical brilliance and tactical intelligence. His versatility would prove to be one of Manchester United's greatest assets in the years to come.
In the 2006 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo played a role in Rooney getting sent off in the quarter-final matchup between Manchester United and Portugal. While fans were expecting the two to be uncomfortable around each other, what transpired is the exact opposite.
Rooney had no problem putting the past behind him and the two went on to enjoy an absolutely stellar season. He was happy to play the supporting role as Cristiano Ronaldo embarked on his journey to become one of the greatest footballers of all time.
They won the Champions League together in 2007-08 and were instrumental in Manchester United reaching the finals in the 2008-09 season as well. The addition of Carlos Tevez to the mix, albeit for a short while, saw Manchester United transform into an unstoppable force going forward.
To this day, the triumvirate of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney is revered as one of the greatest attacking trios in the history of the Premier League. In BBC's documentary on Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo says:
"I miss playing with Rooney. Maybe we will play together again one day. He was so powerful I was calling him Pitbull. The power of Wayne Rooney is his mentality and strength and he never stops.
“He’s a fantastic team player and he scores. He’s a fantastic boy and he helped me a lot when he came to join us in Manchester.”
