Premier League derbies can provide fans with the best viewing. They are games were they arguably mean a little more than just the three available points.
Matches played between rival teams can often create compelling moments. They can leave fans talking for ages, as they often give one team the bragging rights until the next meet.
On the pitch, players can be riled up by the intensity that fans project. They can find themselves getting involved in the passion that fans are showing in the stands, making challenges that get the crowd and everyone on the pitch going. Adrenaline spikes are only natural for these types of matches.
Several derbies take place in the Premier League
When looking at the clubs involved in the Premier League, fans of the competition can be considered to be blessed with the number of derbies that are played each year.
Derbies can be looked at in two different ways:
- Traditional derbies are based on location
- Historic derbies that are based on competition
If we take a look at the derbies in terms of the classic way, there are several to be played this season. There are seven clubs in London, meaning each of them will play 12 derbies across the year. This doesn’t include any matches they may have with teams that have been fierce opponents over the years.
In Manchester, we have the two Manchester clubs. Liverpool and Everton will play the Merseyside derby. To a lesser-extent, Bournemouth and Southampton can be considered a derby, although it might be classified as loosely as the way the derby between Brighton and Crystal Palace can be referred to.
Which derbies still need to be played in November and December 2024?
The 2024/25 Premier League season is already in full swing, but several derbies still need to be played before the end of the season. Fans have been treated to many so far, and with it possible to live stream football, many are looking forward to the remaining couple of months of 2024.
Indeed, with the calibre of games on offer still to be played, it’s going to be a great couple of months to come. We can look forward to the following contests:
- Fulham vs Brentford – 4th November
- Crystal Palace vs Fulham – 9th November
- Chelsea vs Arsenal – 10th November
- Brighton vs Southampton – 29 November
- West Ham vs Arsenal – 30th November
- Tottenham vs Fulham – 1st December
- Arsenal vs Manchester United – 4th December
- Everton vs Liverpool – 7th December
- Fulham vs Arsenal – 8th December
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea – 8th December
- Chelsea vs Brentford – 15th December
- Manchester City vs Manchester United – 15th December
- Brighton vs Crystal Palace – 16 December
- Crystal Palace vs Arsenal – 21 December
- Chelsea vs Fulham – 26th December
Derbies and festive period: A recipe for disaster for some?
With so many derbies still to be played heading into the final two months of the 2024/25 Premier League season, could it be a recipe for disaster for some?
The festive period is known for being potentially chaotic. Clubs play games almost every couple of days due to the calendar and the traditions that have been set. This can cause problems for each of them.
Players can pick up injuries because of the intensity of the period, which is only amplified when a derby is played. At the same time, suspensions can be picked up because each player is going at it with more than 100% because of what these games can mean. Teams may find that they are left short in places if bookings or red cards are picked up.
This may leave them feeling the pinch during the festive period. A couple of bad results at this stage of the season can have a huge impact on how they finish. Title races have been lost at Christmas in the past. The other end of the table has seen teams all but be confirmed to be relegated because the points gap can become too large to close. This can lead to an unhappy time for many, and managers can lose their jobs.
Everyone loves a Premier League derby
Nonetheless, derbies are what football fans live for.
With the Premier League able to offer them on a near-regular basis, perhaps that’s why it’s widely considered the best football competition in the world.
