Every single defender who faced off against Ruud van Nistelrooy and Didier Drobga during the mid-2000s likely has PTSD over it.
Both number nines were defender’s nightmares, using their poacher’s instincts, deft touches and strength to dominate Premier League backlines.
But who was better?
As part of90min‘s 50 greatest Premier League players of all time series, that’s what we’re here to find out…
While Didier Drogba did manage nine more Premier League goals (104) than Ruud van Nistelrooy did (95) during his Premier League career, it’d be remiss to say that scoring five more goals in 76 more games makes the former the better goalscorer.
Van Nistelrooy’s 128 minutes-per-goal ratio is bested by just four players ever in the Premier League (Harry Kane, Thierry Henry, Sergio Aguero and Erling Haaland), and he also bagged 20-plus in double the amount of seasons Drogba managed that feat despite playing four fewer campaigns in England.
Winner, very clearly, Van Nistelrooy.
Didier Drogba was the Super Sunday footballer.
If Chelsea were playing at 4.30pm on a Sunday, Drogba was going to score and be named player of the match. That’s how football worked in the 2000s.
The stats prove that to be fact too, as Drogba scored a rather outrageous 39 goals against fellow ‘big six’ clubs during his time in England – including a whopping 13 against Arsenal alone. Van Nistelrooy, on the other hand, managed 21, with just five coming against Man Utd’s main title rivals of the era Chelsea and Arsenal.
Winner: Drogba.
Along with scoring goals, number nines are expected to bring their teammates into play too – as we’re sure you know.
While big Ruud could do that, as the man who preferred to be in the box waiting to put the finishing touches on a move as opposed to starting one, it wasn’t really his game.
It was, however, very much Drogba’s game. As the stats attest, the Ivorian was brilliant at creating chances for his teammates, setting up an impressive 45 goals during his time at Stamford Bridge.
With two category wins to his name, Drogba takes the W over Van Nistelrooy. The Chelsea legend is rightfully considered one of the greatest strikers to ever play in the Premier League.
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