Chelsea's Frank Lampard: Liverpool Our Toughest Opponents, Not Manchester United

Blues star Frank Lampard has insisted that Liverpool are Chelsea's toughest rivals, and not champions Manchester United.

Although the England midfielder acknowledges Sir Alex Ferguson's men have earned their right to be labelled the Premier League's 'best team', 'Lamps' still finds the Merseysiders to be his side's most difficult opponents.

The Chelsea-Liverpool rivalry has blossomed over the years since Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez landed in the Premier League and although the 'Special One' has been superseded in the Chelsea hotseat – the rivalry remains as intense as ever.

“In England, Liverpool are our toughest rivals. They aren't the best team because United have proved they are” Lampard told the News of the World.

“But Liverpool have a really difficult way of playing. Their defence is very strong and they have a lot of players who press you, even up front.”

Despite the animosity exerted from both sides in recent years, particularly between the coaching staff – Lampard remained diplomatic ahead of this afternoon's much-anticipated clash at Stamford Bridge, choosing to sprinkle praise on his biggest rival – Liverpool captain and England team-mate Steven Gerrard.

“It's a good rivalry because we get on well and I enjoy playing with him for England. Stevie is one of the best players in the England team and in the world, so it's always nice to play with and against great players," he added.

The Chelsea-Liverpool rivalry has even extended into the Champions League. The Reds currently have the edge over Chelsea on the continental stage, knocking the Blues out of the competition in the semi-final stages in 2005 and 2007.

However, the west Londoners did manage to exact revenge in last season's exhilarating quarter-final win over the Merseysiders.

Daniel Phan, Goal.com