Who are Liverpool’s biggest rivals? The Reds’ top five fiercest football rivalries

Liverpool are one of the most successful and best-supported clubs in English football, so it is hardly surprising that the Reds have accumulated plenty of rivals over more than a century of competition.

Some are driven by geography and local pride, while others have been forged through title races, transfer battles and unforgettable matches. The intensity of those rivalries has changed over time.

Everton remain Liverpool's great local enemy, while Manchester United provide the biggest historic rivalry, but Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have all developed significant sporting feuds with the Reds.

So, who are Liverpool's biggest rivals? FootballGroundGuide takes a look below.

Everton

There can be no doubt that Everton are Liverpool's biggest local rivals.

The two clubs contest the Merseyside Derby and, unlike many major derbies, the fixture has traditionally been known as the “friendly derby”, but that does little to disguise the intensity, with some remarkably fierce encounters over the years.

The rivalry dates back to Liverpool's formation in the 1890s, when a dispute between Everton officials and Anfield owner John Houlding led to Everton leaving the ground for Goodison Park. Houlding subsequently formed Liverpool to play at Anfield, creating a rivalry between two clubs whose grounds are now less than a mile apart.

Liverpool's recent dominance has given the Reds the bragging rights, but the fixture continues to produce drama. Liverpool won the emotional 1989 FA Cup final 3-2, while Gary McAllister's spectacular last-minute free-kick secured a 3-2 victory at Goodison Park in 2001. The 3-3 draw in 2013 was another chaotic classic.

However, no matter how the clubs are performing, there is no escaping the importance of the Merseyside derby.

Manchester United

Manchester United are Liverpool's biggest historic football rivals, with the rivalry extending well beyond football.

Manchester and Liverpool were fierce commercial competitors during the Industrial Revolution, and that existing tension eventually found its way onto the football pitch.

The two clubs have dominated English football across different eras, with Liverpool enjoying their golden period in the 1970s and 1980s before United took over under Sir Alex Ferguson in the 1990s. That battle for supremacy made this arguably the most famous fixture in English football, with both clubs also boasting enormous support around the world.

There have been plenty of iconic encounters, from United's 2-1 FA Cup final victory in 1977 to the 3-3 comeback at Anfield in 1994. More recently, Liverpool's extraordinary 7-0 win at Anfield in March 2023 delivered the Reds their biggest-ever victory over United and added another unforgettable chapter to a rivalry that needs no introduction.

Manchester City

Manchester City have become Liverpool's most significant modern sporting rival. The intensity is not quite the same as with Everton or United, but the two clubs have repeatedly pushed each other to extraordinary levels during the Premier League era.

The rivalry really exploded once Pep Guardiola's City and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool became the dominant forces in England. The 2018-19 title race was particularly remarkable, with City finishing on 98 points and Liverpool on 97, while the clubs have repeatedly battled for league titles and met in important cup competitions.

Liverpool also eliminated City from the Champions League in 2018, winning the quarter-final tie 5-1 on aggregate, while City beat Klopp's side in the 2016 League Cup final.

These are clubs that have consistently demanded near-perfection from one another, making the fixture one of the defining rivalries of modern English football.

Chelsea

Chelsea's rivalry with Liverpool developed rapidly during the 2000s, when Roman Abramovich's investment transformed the London club into one of the Premier League's dominant forces.

What followed was a series of major clashes in England and Europe, with very little love lost between the two sets of supporters.

Few moments encapsulate the rivalry better than Luis García's infamous “ghost goal” in the 2005 Champions League semi-final, which sent Liverpool through at Chelsea's expense. The following years produced even more drama, including the extraordinary 4-4 Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge in 2009.

Fernando Torres also added a personal element when he left Liverpool for Chelsea in January 2011, despite previously insisting he would not move to another English club.

Liverpool have had the better of several major recent meetings, including the 2022 FA Cup and League Cup finals and the 2024 League Cup final.

Arsenal

Liverpool's rivalry with Arsenal is less bitter than those with Everton or Manchester United, but it has a long history and has frequently involved major prizes.

The clubs first met in 1893 and have produced memorable encounters across several different eras.

Perhaps the most famous came in 1989, when Arsenal travelled to Anfield on the final day of the season knowing they needed to win by two clear goals to snatch the title from Liverpool. Michael Thomas' last-minute goal completed the extraordinary 2-0 victory and remains one of English football's defining moments.

Liverpool eventually enjoyed revenge in the 2001 FA Cup final, with Michael Owen scoring twice late on to overturn Arsenal's lead.

The sides have continued to produce important Premier League meetings in more recent years, although Liverpool's dominance during their title-winning period has given the Reds the upper hand.