It is still revered as the greatest clash in English football, and it is said to draw in around 700million viewers worldwide, yet more often than not these days the Northwest derby is something of a damp squib - two teams so frightened by the implications of defeat that they're reduced to kicking lumps out of each other instead of the ball into the back of the net.

That is not to say there haven't been thrillingly engaging encounters and gloriously intoxicating moments down the years; Steven Gerrard almost scoring a hat-trick of penalties at Old Trafford as Liverpool charged at the title, the Reds' brilliant three-goal comeback in 1994, Dimitar Berbatov's 84th-minute winner and Paul Ince scoring past his former employers in front of the Kop all instantly coming to mind.

But those instances have been surprisingly few and far between considering the Northwest derby has been a biannual permanence of the Premier League era, and for the neutral viewer of the English top flight, it's hard to tell quite what they actually get out of this fixture anymore. While there have been just three scoreless draws from 51 Premier League encounters to date, just four of the remaining 48 games have seen in excess of four goals, and none have seen more than six.

Per match, the Northwest derby produces no more goals than Newcastle and Sunderland's bitter skirmishes, paling in comparison to the North London derby and the Manchester derby. In fact, the only major Premier League derbies it exceeds for goals per game are the Merseyside derby, which is notorious for it's repeated trade of sumptuous attacking displays for horrific tackles, and the Pennines derby between Leeds and the Red Devils - which hasn't been seen in the top flight in nearly 14 years.

Of course, a multitude of goals doesn't necessarily qualify as a great game, and the prevailing counterweight to an absence of goalmouth action is the sheer competitiveness of the game itself, often expressed through increasingly meaty, increasingly dangerous challenges and a relentless pace from back to front.

But in some senses, the idea of Liverpool and Manchester United being genuine rivals in this fixture is largely an illusion; although there has been a more level playing field recently, United have claimed 42 more points from it than the Reds during the Premier League era. That's the biggest points gap from any of the top flight's major rivalries - twice as big as Arsenal's surplus over Tottenham and City's deficit behind United.

Harry Kane scores against Arsenal

Perhaps the Northwest derby was once a dependably enthralling occasion, but in recent years particularly it has gravely disappointed, a consequence of almost unprecedentedly hyperbolic over-hyping from Sky Sports and the negative tactics of both managers, Jurgen Klopp included.

Back in 2016, the now infamous 'Red Monday' campaign resulted in the first scoreless Premier League encounter since 2005 as Jose Mourinho parked the bus at Anfield with a greater lust for the pantomime villain role than ever before, and in the same fixture earlier this season there were just six shots on target, none of which beat either goalkeeper. That game was particularly disappointing, as Klopp refused to make his team more offensive-minded despite the home advantage and clarity of United's ultra-pragmatic intentions.

Overall then, the last three Northwest derbies have produced as many goals as scoreless draws - two apiece. Compare that to Barcelona and Real Madrid's El Clasico, a derby Liverpool and Manchester United would like to feel they can compete with and a derby that actually brings in lesser viewing figures worldwide. That hasn't seen a scoreless draw since 2002; the Reds and the Red Devils have endured three since then.

Add in the fact neither Liverpool nor United lay genuine claim to being the best team in England anymore, and the Northwest derby seemingly lacks the appeal it once had. The days of it being a chance for Liverpool to disrupt their arch-rivals' title hopes, or vice versa during the 1970s and 1980s, are seemingly gone - at least for the moment.

So what exactly are Liverpool and United presently boring us half to death for? A place in the top four? Mere rankings amongst an already almost-confirmed top four is probably more accurate, for this season anyway. Suddenly, all the two-footed lunges and attritional performances don't quite seem worth it.

Which all begs the question of what the Premier League's best major derby actually is. For those in search of thrilling football and goals, the North London derby is the obvious candidate. For those interested in a genuine sense of competitiveness and unpredictability, the Tyne-Wear derby is at the top of the pile.

For anybody interested in basically a 22-man brawl on a football pitch, the Merseyside derby never lets down for shin-shattering challenges and red cards. But for those seeking a perfect balance between all aspects and the greatest significance to English football, criteria the Northwest derby once uniquely encompassed, the Manchester derby now surely reigns supreme.

So, Premier League fans, is the Northwest derby overrated? Let us know by voting below...

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