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Steven Gerrard believes his ferocious duels with Patrick Vieira may not be allowed in Saturday's game as stricter refereeing has clipped the wings of midfield ‘warriors’.
The new Aston Villa boss takes his team to face Vieira’s Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, reviving memories of the pair’s battles when they captained Liverpool and Arsenal respectively.
Gerrard rates Saturday's top midfielders as highly as his own generation, namechecking Manchester City pair Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, Liverpool’s Fabinho and Conor Gallagher of Palace. Yet he admits the ultra-physical style of players like himself, Vieira and Roy Keane risks falling foul of tougher officiating standards.
Steven Gerrard believes his duels with Patrick Vieira may not be allowed in Saturday's game
‘The game has evolved in a way where maybe you can’t be as aggressive or you don’t get away with what you could 10 or 15 years ago when we played,’ said Gerrard, who helped Villa beat Brighton 2-0 in his first game in charge.
