Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the world, and nowhere is that more obvious than in England, where the beautiful game is often treated more like a religion than merely a form of entertainment.
The English game is known for the raw, tribal emotion it evokes, with the fans arguably among the most passionate and intense worldwide.
No time demonstrates this as well as in English football's biggest and fiercest derbies and rivalries, which are more than just battles for three points, with local bragging rights, historical superiority and cultural identity all on the line.
There are countless of these derbies and rivalries between teams in the English game, but here, FootballGroundGuide takes a look at the top 10 in English football.
Manchester United vs. Liverpool – North West Derby
The North West derby is not only one of the biggest games in English football, but one of the biggest and most viewed fixtures in European football.
That is understandably the case given Manchester United and Liverpool are the two most successful clubs in England, while they are among the most supported in the world, and that is just one of several factors that plays into this rivalry.
Born from 19-century industrial competition between the two cities, the hostilities quickly converted onto the pitch, and as each team have continued to enjoy prolonged success, the intensity of the derby has only continued to grow.
Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur – North London Derby
The North London derby has grown into one of the fiercest in the modern era, often providing a throwback match to a bygone era of crunching tackles and fiery confrontations.
Upon Arsenal's move into North London in 1913, when they relocated to Highbury, this derby started to quickly grow in intensity, and despite the frequency of meetings between the two, the game rarely fails to entertain.
Manchester City vs. Manchester United – Manchester Derby
Once seen as a one-sided affair, with Manchester City often the forgotten team during Manchester United's Premier League dominance, the Manchester derby has now grown into a worldwide spectacle.
Manchester City's rise from the ‘noisy neighbours' to becoming the league's dominant side in recent years has seen the power dynamic in this fixture dramatically shift, but that has not stopped this derby from providing several intriguing and intense matchups.
Everton vs. Liverpool – Merseyside Derby
There are very few places in England that live and breathe football more than Liverpool, so it is no shock that the Merseyside derby is one of the most passionate and explosive derbies in the country.
While Liverpool have dominated the fixture that often splits families and households in two, every victory is still met with unrestrained celebration, while the rare Everton triumph is celebrated as intensely as a trophy triumph.
Newcastle United vs. Sunderland – Tyne-Wear Derby
Nothing sums up the rivalry and hatred between these two teams than the fact that Sunderland fans reading this article will be agitated that the derby is labelled the “Tyne-Wear” rather than “Wear-Tyne”.
The fixture is often one of the most ferocious in the English football calendar, producing a mass of red cards over the years, and the hostility of the two remains as strong as ever despite the matchups becoming more scarce in the modern era – although Sunderland's return to the Premier League means more regular meetings.
Remarkably, the record in the derby is perfectly equal, with both teams boasting 54 wins each alongside 49 draws.
Aston Villa vs. Birmingham City – Second City Derby
The North London and Merseyside derbies may involve plenty of passion and intensity, but the Second City Derby knocks them both out of the park with the hostility and hatred between Aston Villa and Birmingham City.
The adrenaline-pumping fixture has seen some volatile atmospheres that have spilled over, including an incident where then-Aston Villa star Jack Grealish was actually attacked on the pitch by a Birmingham City fan.
Portsmouth vs. Southampton – South Coast Derby
The South Coast derby may not be the most glamorous on this list, with both regularly finding themselves outside the heights of the Premier League in recent years, but it is certainly one of the biggest rivalries in the country.
The hostility between the two stems from pre-football years, with the cities have two opposing ports, with Southampton primarily commercial and Portsmouth a naval site, leading to a very civil and economic difference between the two cities.
West Ham United vs. Millwall – East London Derby
Despite being another of the less glamorous derbies on the list, the East London derby has actually received plenty of worldwide attention, largely due to films such as ‘Green Street' and ‘The Firm' – which depict the hooliganism involved in the fixture.
West Ham and Millwall's hooligan groups during the height of the fan culture in England were among the most notorious groups in the country, and several brutal acts have occurred due to this derby throughout history, including mass arrests and even more unsavoury scenes.
Sheffield Wednesday vs. Sheffield United – Steel City Derby
One of the most historic footballing cities in the country, the Steel City derby splits the city of Sheffield in two, with Wednesday taking on United.
While the two clubs are separated by a small number of miles, the hostility between the Blue-and-White and Red-and-White sides has not been dampened, with fierce clashes and electric atmospheres commonplace.
Nottingham Forest vs. Derby County – East Midlands Derby
Both teams may be closer to other clubs in proximity, but the East Midlands derby remains the most important to each fanbase, understandably so when silverware – the Brian Clough Trophy – is handed to the winner of every meeting.
As a result, the competitiveness of this fixture is among the largest in English football, meaning it is fully deserving of being on this list.