Jamie Carragher reveals his BEST centre-back pairing in Premier League history – and it’s NOT Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic – as he says William Saliba and Gabriel are primed to join the ‘elite’
- Jamie Carragher has named the best Premier League central defensive pairing ever
- The former Liverpool star also praised William Saliba and Gabriel
- LISTEN NOW: It’s all about to begin! available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Jamie Carragher has revealed his best ever central defensive duo in Premier League history.
The former Liverpool defender added that Arsenal duo William Saliba and Gabriel are also on the verge of being regarded as one of the best duos in the top flight.
But Carragher added there was one more thing the defensive duo had to achieve before they could join that exclusive group of players.
The Premier League has been blessed with a wealth of top defenders over the years. Some of those names include Rio Ferdinand, Vincent Kompany and John Terry, who have won 15 Premier League titles between them.
Carragher, who made 737 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions during his career, played with and against many of those illustrious names.
Jamie Carragher has named the best central defensive pairing in Premier League history
Carragher insisted Arsenal duo Gabriel (left) and William Saliba (right) are on the verge of joining an elite group of the Premier League’s best central defensive duos
But in his column he writes The TelegraphCarragher insisted former Chelsea captain Terry and his old team-mate Ricardo Carvalho were the best central defenders ever in the competition.
The former Liverpool and England star said: ‘They were the bedrock of José Mourinho’s brilliant Chelsea team. They set records and redefined what was possible at the highest level by conceding just 15 goals in the 2004-05 Premier League season.’
The duo played together 158 times in all competitions, winning 106 of them and losing only 24.
In second place were Man United stars Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Carragher insisted the duo had fitted in with Man United’s attacking teams under Sir Alex Ferguson over the years, winning five Premier League titles between 2007 and 2013.
“What set them apart was that they were equals. As opposed to the fact that one defender could not defend the other as well, which is often the case, even in the most celebrated defensive partnerships,” he wrote.
‘Perfect partners complement each other, so we don’t consider one without the other.’
Carragher believes Ricardo Carvalho (left) and John Terry (right) are the Premier League’s best central defensive duo
The former Liverpool defender stated that Nemanja Vidic (left) and Rio Ferdinand (right) were the second best combination
The 46-year-old also believed he was most successful at Liverpool when he partnered Sami Hyypia (right)
Carragher also named a number of other Premier League legends in his list of the greatest central defensive duos of all time, including former United duo Gary Pallister and Steve Bruce.
The 46-year-old also believes he was most successful at Liverpool when he was partnered with Sami Hyypia. The pair made 405 appearances together for Liverpool, winning 229 of them and remarkably starting together in the 2005 Champions League final.
Carragher’s comments come after Gabriel’s header helped Arsenal to a 1-0 win over north London rivals Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. It was his 16th goal for the Gunners since joining the club in 2020.
Carragher also named several other Premier League legends in his list of the greatest central defensive duos of all time, including former United duo Gary Pallister (right) and Steve Bruce (left)
Carragher (pictured) insisted Saliba and Gabriel could become one of the league’s best defensive duos if they win trophies with Arsenal
But he insisted Arsenal’s defensive partnership ‘brings out the best in each other’
Saliba joined in 2022, with the two players jointly becoming Mikel Arteta’s first-choice centre-back.
The duo played 84 games in all competitions and impressed with both their goalscoring skills and their determined defending.
Carragher stressed that the duo ‘bring out the best in each other’, but his column also outlined what he believes they need to do to be regarded as one of the league’s best central defensive duos.
‘Arsenal need to win the Premier League or Champions League to secure a place in that hall of fame, but they are making big strides and are the main reason why Mikel Arteta’s team can travel to Manchester City this weekend with confidence,’ he wrote.
