There are many major rivalries in football, including the Old Firm derby, El Clásico, and the Superclásico. For West Ham United, their rivalry with Millwall is up there as one of the fiercest in the world. Many believe that Tottenham Hotspur are West Ham's biggest rivals, but that is due to Millwall being in a lower division for most of the modern era. The Hammers also have other London derbies, as well as rivals from elsewhere in England.
West Ham United's biggest rivalries
5. Manchester United
The two clubs are not close, but many Londoners do support Man United, which angers West Ham fans who support their local team. The rivalry between West Ham and the Red Devils has grown from classic matches between the two sides.
This includes the final game at Upton Park, where West Ham won 3-2. Carlos Tevez also scored the winning goal to keep West Ham in the Premier League against United on the final day of the 2006/07 season. Also, Ludo Miklosko produced a fine performance in a 1-1 draw with the Red Devils to deny them the Premier League title in 1995.
4. Arsenal
West Ham against Arsenal is a London derby, but it is not as fierce as others. In fact, many Arsenal legends such as Freddie Ljungberg, Ian Wright, and Nigel Winterburn went directly from the Gunners to the Hammers. However, with Declan Rice moving from West Ham to Arsenal, this has added an edge to the fixture.
3. Chelsea
This London derby is fierce due to the contrasting images of East and West London. West Ham are a working-class club, whereas Chelsea is from a more affluent area. The rivalry grew in the early 2000s after Frank Lampard joined the Blues from West Ham. Lampard was already unpopular with Hammers fans, as many saw it as nepotism that he was in the West Ham team. However, he became one of the best goalscoring midfielders with Chelsea.
2. Tottenham
As West Ham were in the Premier League from 2012 to 2026, the rivalry with Tottenham grew. This was because the Hammers were not facing Millwall regularly. Spurs' biggest rivals are Arsenal in the North London Derby. However, the rivalry with West Ham has intensified with players such as Jermain Defoe and Scott Parker moving to Spurs. Also, Harry Redknapp went on to manage Tottenham after playing and coaching West Ham.
1. Millwall
We finally got to see this rivalry for the first time since the 2011/12 season, just before the international break. The match did not disappoint, with West Ham coming back from two goals down to draw 2-2. They managed to hang on despite the red card for Mohamadou Kante. The Frenchman became a hero despite his dismissal as he scored the Hammers' first goal. Dinos Mavropanos got the equaliser.
The rivalry between West Ham and Millwall goes back to the clubs originally being rival shipbuilding firms. That is why it is known as the Dockers Derby. There is a history of hooliganism in the fixture. This has resulted in films such as Green Street being made about the rivalry.
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