Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand has put his cards on the table, ranking the Premier League’s top defenders in a no-nonsense knockout showdown, and his verdicts will spark plenty of debate. In a high-energy Q&A with GOAL, the former England skipper was asked to play “winner stays on” with some of the league’s biggest centre-back names.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed details of his conversation with referee Anthony Taylor in the moments after Chelsea secured a late, drastic victory over the champions in west London. Van Dijk says he was surprised the referee appeared to end the match prematurely after The Blues' lengthy celebrations.

Manchester United legend Wes Brown gave his verdict on whether Rio Ferdinand was better than Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk ahead of the huge clash between the two rivals this weekend. As anticipation builds for Sunday’s heavyweight showdown at Anfield, the former Red Devils star reignited one of football’s most heated debates by picking a side between two of the greatest Premier League defenders.

Milos Kerkez stands accused of being unable to withstand the demands at Liverpool, with the left-back told that he even brought down Virgil van Dijk during the Reds' 2-1 loss to rivals Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday. Kerkez, who was one of the Premier League's best full-backs in 2024-25 season while at Bournemouth, is yet to live up to the expectations on Merseyside.

GOAL's Front Three football content creators Yani, Juwon and Ali build the best Liverpool starting XI of the modern era