Patrick Vieira Crystal Palace
Patrick Vieira during a Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United Premier League match at Selhurst Park on January 21, 2023
When discussing dominant midfielders from the Premier League era, Arsenal great Patrick Vieira is an obvious name, but even the Arsenal legend found certain European stars difficult to handle. So, who were the two toughest opponents he encountered?
Ultimately, there was very little the imposing Frenchman failed to accomplish during his decorated career – both at club level and with his country. He lifted the World Cup in 1998 and claimed the Premier League title three times.
Vieira developed through Cannes’ academy before catching the attention of AC Milan, who brought him to the San Siro in 1995. Arsenal, Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City would later become part of his journey as he established himself as one of the best French footballers of all time.
Vieira's Toughest Opponent
During his 405-game career in north London with Arsenal, the spell for which he remains most fondly remembered, the defensive midfielder faced numerous outstanding players, including Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Gary Speed.
Most memorable, perhaps, were his intense confrontations – packed with crunching challenges, heated exchanges and plenty of animosity – against Manchester United midfielder-turned-pundit Roy Keane, but was the Irishman actually the hardest opponent he faced?
The 30 greatest central midfielders since 1990 ranked from 'World Class' to 'GOAT'
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Born and raised in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, Vieira spoke to Sky Sports Football to tackle the web’s most searched question about him, discussing everything from his relationship with Arsene Wenger to the toughest opponents he ever came up against.
The former World Cup winner was quick to identify his old adversary Keane as the most difficult opponent he faced in England, while he also highlighted the exceptional qualities of 74-cap Netherlands international Edgar Davids.
Davids and Keane Gave Vieira a Tough Time
Though he was shorter than Vieira, Davids became renowned for his relentless style and determination to regain possession and, across his three meetings with the former Arsenal captain, recorded two victories and one defeat – a 3-1 loss while representing Juventus.
Because of their overlapping years in the Premier League, Keane – one of the hardest players in football history – and Vieira regularly found themselves on opposite sides, meeting 20 times in total. The two midfielders recorded seven victories each, with the remaining six encounters ending in draws.
More than any historical rival stars can ever say, though, Vieira must have really felt the physical presence in the middle of the park when coming up against Davids and Keane.