Featured Image Credit: Alamy/talkSPORT
Topics: Gabriel Agbonlahor, Manchester United, Liverpool, Premier League, England, Football
Adnan Riaz
Topics: Gabriel Agbonlahor, Manchester United, Liverpool, Premier League, England, Football
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has claimed that Liverpool vs Manchester United is NOT the biggest derby in Britain.
United have been in remarkable form under Erik ten Hag this season and lifted their first major piece of silverware in six years with their League Cup triumph last month.
The Red Devils are still capable of adding to their trophy cabinet this season, with United reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals and Europa League round of 16.
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And United are continuing to strengthen their push for a top-four finish this season, with the Red Devils third in the table and 11 points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have struggled for consistency under Jurgen Klopp this season and are currently sixth in the Premier League table.
The Reds are 10 points adrift of United in the league table, but Liverpool could reduce the points margin with a win over Ten Hag’s men at Anfield on Sunday.
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Speaking ahead of United vs Liverpool, Agbonlahor insisted that the fierce rivalry of the past between the two teams has weakened in more recent times.
The Villa hero added that the Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers is the biggest in Britain ahead of the likes of United vs Liverpool.
“Biggest derby is Rangers [vs] Celtic. It is on my bucket list to go and see,” Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT.
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“When you watch it on the TV, you can feel the adrenaline watching the game.
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“You can feel the atmosphere from the fans, you can see the two teams dislike each other. That is a big, big derby. The biggest in Britain by a mile, for me.
“Some of the others… Manchester United vs Manchester City -- not really for me.
“Manchester United [vs] Liverpool -- yes, there is a rivalry but the players are shaking hands nowadays.”
Agbonlahor played in the Midlands derby against Birmingham City during his time at Villa, with the talkSPORT pundit boldly putting it second behind the Old Firm derby.
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The former England international put Liverpool vs United as his third choice, while West Ham vs Millwall came fourth and Tottenham vs Chelsea completed his top five.
Speaking on the derby between Villa and Birmingham, Agbonlahor said: “There is actual hatred between both fans.
“We always knew we would beat Birmingham City and we knew how much it meant to the fans.
“Even if you had four or five bad games, you go and beat Birmingham City in the Premier League and it is sort of like, you are forgiven for their poor performances.
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“Massive, massive derby. It gets very heated. You see the incident with Jack Grealish [attacked by a fan], you don’t really see that in English football. It just shows the hatred between both clubs.”