Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has mentioned Liverpool and Manchester United greats Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes as the toughest opponents he has played against.
The English duo attained legendary status with the Reds and Red Devils respectively, making a combined 1446 competitive appearances.
They won a combined total of 36 titles, including the Champions League. Scholes won the bulk with 25, 11 of them being the Premier League.
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The rise to prominence of Chelsea as an English powerhouse which was partly made possible by acquisitions such as Essien, made Manchester United vs Chelsea and Liverpool vs Chelsea some of the most highly-anticipated fixtures in England.