5 football derbies fans would love to see in the Premier League
Fuel to the fires of a football fan’s imagination, derby matches are what get fans going. And with a wide array of derbies on offer, the Premier League is just what a football fan wants!A match, complete with drama, quality football and soaring tempers, derbies are what the passionate fan wants. Everyone has their individual favourites - cross town rivals, inter-city rivals or just rivals for some sort of reason, as the season progresses one just wants to see their side defeat their fierce rivals on the pitch by any means possible.But with so many rivalries across Britain, both club fans and neutrals alike miss out on some big clashes because their rivals playing in different divisions. We take a look at 5 such derbies that fans would love to see in the Premier League.
#5 Southampton vs Portsmouth
With only 17miles separating the two clubs, the South Coast rivalry between Southampton and Portsmouth is bound to be intense. Like any other rivalry, clashes between these two mean a lot to the fans associated with the clubs. But unlike other rivals, these two don’t share the same city, have rarely been in the same division and don’t even meet very often.
The club’s have met a total of 139 times with Portsmouth winning 62 and the Saints winning 56 games. These clashes have always had a bitterness attached with it, with even violence witnessed at stadiums. Many players have even crossed the divide, joining the rival club. But as the Portsmouth fans suggest, none as cruelly as Harry Redknapp.
The current QPR manager was then managing Portsmouth and switched to rivals Southampton just days after resigning from Portsmouth – less than a month after defeating the Saints at home. As fate had it, the clubs met later on in the month when they were drawn in the FA Cup where the Saints won by a penalty from ex-Pompey striker Peter Crouch.
The sides again met in the League later at Fratton Park, where banners and chants of ‘Judas’ were aimed at Redknapp, who saw his Southampton side get thrashed 4-1. Sadly, Portsmouth now is in League Two, and the Saints are battling at the top of the Premier League table.