Top 7 Premier League Teammate Clashes That Made Headlines
- Think Football Ideas
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Football is an emotional sport filled with tension beyond goals and results, and there are times when teammates clash on match day in front of thousands who watch every moment unfold.
These moments tend to surface in environments where pressure runs high, but at the elite level, it becomes clear how expectation and pride can turn teammates into rivals for a few heated seconds.
Such incidents often reveal how much the game demands from those involved, showing the strain that builds inside a team fighting for points, trophies, or respect.
What follows are some of the most striking moments when emotions boiled over and teammates found themselves in confrontations that would be remembered long after the final whistle.
Below Are 7 Explosive Premier League Player Confrontations Within the Same Team
1. Bruce Grobbelaar & Steve McManaman (Liverpool, 1993)
The Merseyside derby on 20 March 1993 turned tense for Liverpool when an Everton move ended in a goal after Steve McManaman failed to clear the danger.
Bruce Grobbelaar reacted with clear frustration, moving straight toward his younger teammate and grabbing him by the face.
McManaman pushed him away as the argument unfolded in front of the crowd at Anfield. Neither player received a card, though the moment overshadowed the match as Liverpool fell to a 2–0 defeat.
The incident became a talking point for its unusual nature, revealing the pressure surrounding a rivalry fixture during a difficult season.
2. Lee Bowyer & Kieron Dyer (Newcastle United, 2005)
On 2 April 2005, St James’ Park witnessed a rare scene when Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer turned on each other during a heavy 3–0 loss to Aston Villa.
Bowyer’s frustration boiled over after feeling ignored in attacking positions, and the argument quickly escalated into a physical confrontation.
Both players were sent off, leaving Newcastle to finish with nine men. They later apologised, but the consequences continued, as suspensions ruled them out of the FA Cup semi-final. The fight became one of the most replayed moments of that Premier League era.
3. Craig Bellamy & John Arne Riise (Liverpool, 2007)
Liverpool prepared for a Champions League meeting with Barcelona in February 2007 with a team trip that produced one of the strangest off-field clashes in English football.
A disagreement developed when John Arne Riise declined to join a karaoke session, leading to tension with Craig Bellamy.
Later that night, the situation escalated when Bellamy struck Riise with a golf club. Riise escaped without major harm, and the story gained further attention when both players scored in the 2–1 victory at the Camp Nou days later.
Bellamy even marked his goal with a swing of an imaginary club, sealing the moment in football folklore.
4. Ricardo Fuller & Andy Griffin (Stoke City, 2008)
Stoke’s match against West Ham United on 28 December 2008 took an unexpected turn when Ricardo Fuller confronted captain Andy Griffin after a defensive lapse.
Fuller reacted by slapping Griffin during the game, leaving the referee with little choice but to send him off. The relationship between the pair did not recover, and they never appeared in the same lineup again.
Griffin’s time at the club wound down soon after, with later disagreements involving manager Tony Pulis influencing his departure. The clash remains one of the Premier League’s most surprising teammate disputes.
5. Emmanuel Adebayor & Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal, 2008)
Arsenal’s League Cup semi-final against Tottenham on 22 January 2008 fell apart on the pitch and on the sidelines. During the 5–1 defeat, Emmanuel Adebayor confronted Nicklas Bendtner over his performance, sparking a heated exchange.
Television cameras picked up the moment Bendtner was left with a bleeding nose after a head-to-head confrontation.
Both players faced fines for their conduct, while Adebayor received a four-match ban. The episode highlighted the tension inside an Arsenal squad in need of direction during a difficult period.
6. Hugo Lloris & Son Heung-min (Tottenham, 2020)
Tottenham’s meeting with Everton on 6 July 2020 produced a notable moment at half-time when Hugo Lloris challenged Son Heung-min over tracking responsibilities.
The disagreement forced teammates to step in as the two exchanged heated words while walking toward the tunnel. José Mourinho later framed the scene as evidence of higher standards, though the footage made clear how strongly both players felt about the situation.
Tottenham controlled the match and secured a 1–0 victory, yet the confrontation became the main talking point that evening.
7. Idrissa Gueye & Michael Keane (Everton, 2024)
A fixture against Man United at Old Trafford on 24 November 2025 added another chapter to this collection when Idrissa Gueye struck Michael Keane during play after a defensive breakdown.
He received a red card in the 13th minute for the act, leaving Everton to navigate the rest of the match a man short. The moment drew immediate attention and rekindled memories of previous teammate flare-ups in English football.
The incident placed the squad under the spotlight, with staff eager to avoid the prolonged issues that followed older examples across the league.
Remarkably, Everton went on to win the match with ten men, easing the tension around the situation. Days later, both players appeared on social media wearing single boxing gloves and play-fighting, signalling that the matter had been settled internally.
It served as a reminder of how quickly emotions can rise during difficult stretches of a season and how fast teammates can move past heated moments once the dust settles.
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