7 Greatest Strike Partnerships in Football History as Son Heung Min and Maddison Impress

• Teams lining up with two strikers is a rare sight in football nowadays
• Son Heung-Min and James Maddison are striking a good partnership, helping Tottenham make a superb start to the season
• This has prompted us to look at some of the greatest partnerships in football

It only seems like yesterday when a two-man strike force was wreaking havoc in football, scoring loads of goals and leading their teams to success. Now, football has undergone a transformation that it is so rare to see two strikers up front.

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min and James Maddison have been slowly making their mark in the Premier League, with the South Korean sometimes playing as a striker with the Englishman playing just behind him.

Football underwent an evolution with the new generation of coaches deciding to implement a one-striker system to avoid getting overrun in the middle of the park. Now, strikers are required to be the first defenders from the front, hold the ball up and create chances.

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Before the drastic transformation, the sport saw some legendary partnerships. Son Heung-min has bagged seven goals so far this season, while Maddison has scored three and assisted five.

These two are slowly creating a great partnership, but which other duos were great? Sports Brief looks at some of them.

Greatest strike partnerships in football

7. Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton - Blackburn Rovers

In the 1990s, English football was dominated by Manchester United. Blackburn Rovers, helped with their potent strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, challenged the Red Devils and won the 1994/96 Premier League title. The duo combined for 23 Premier League goals and delivered Blackburn's crowning achievement.

Shearer went on to become the league's record goal scorer.

6. Romario & Hristo Stoichkov - Barcelona

Before Lionel Messi came along to Barcelona, the Spanish giants had some big hitters who stole headlines many times for their performances.

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In the 1993/94 season, the late great Johan Cruyff played Romario and Stoichkov up front, and the result was impeccable. They scored 56 goals, a tally that saw them win the title on goal difference, edging Deportivo La Coruna.

5. Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp - Arsenal

Henry was lucky to play with the likes of Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho, but he has always said Dennis Bergkamp is the best partner he's ever had. They both wore the Arsenal colours and were responsible along with Arsene Wenger, for helping transform English football.

Henry scored 17 goals in his first season with Arsenal and went on to win the Premier League Golden Boot four times. By the time he left Arsenal, Bergkamp had scored 120 goals for Arsenal and registered nearly 100 assists for the Gunners, most of them to Henry. They won two Premier League titles together.

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4. Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet - Juventus

Del Piero and Trezeguet formed one of the greatest partnerships in Juventus history. They scored nearly 500 goals together in their careers. They scored important goals for the club in the 10 years they played together, per These Football Times.

In the 2007/2008 season, Del Piero narrowly edged Trezeguet in the race for the Serie A Golden Boot with two goals in their final league game of the season against Sampdoria, with Trezeguet scoring one. Del Piero won his first Capocannoniere with 21 goals in 37 games.

3. Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke - Manchester United

Manchester United became the first English team to win the treble when they did so in the 1998/99 season. They had quality all over the pitch but all those trophies wouldn't be possible without Cole and Yorke. That season, they scored a combined 35 Premier League goals and 53 that season.

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They were simply sensational that season.

2. Alfredo Di Stefano & Ferenc Puskas - Real Madrid

These two played together for a total of six seasons at Madrid, and they were magical.

The European Cup final of 1960 perfectly exemplified their genius. They thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3, a result which has stood the test of time. Di Stefano scored a hat-trick while his strike partner Puskas bagged four, per Stats Bomb.

This performance alone makes them one of the greatest duos ever.

1. Pele & Garrincha - Brazil

Brazil has produced many iconic footballers, but Pele and Garrincha are up there. According to ESPN, Brazil never lost a match with these two stars. They won two of Brazil's five World Cups and played together for the last time at the 1966 World Cup in England.

Many publications have described them as the greatest duo in football history.

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Other iconic partnerships: Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, Emilio Butragueno and Hugo Sanchez, Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas, Lionel Messi & Luis Suarez, Raul & Fernando Morientes

Pele's daughter pays him tribute

Sports Brief had earlier reported that Kely Nascimento had paid a heartwarming tribute to her legendary father, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, following his death.

Many tout Pele as the greatest footballer to have ever graced the sport. He passed on aged 82 after a long battle with cancer.

The Brazilian icon's condition failed to improve after he was re-admitted to the hospital in Sao Paulo.