Classic Premiership Matches 21-40

In the past 18 seasons, football fans across the globe have been treated to some cracking Premiership matches.  On the eve of the 19th season having begun yesterday, here is a look-back at some classics down the years.

21.           Norwich City                          4-5           Southampton                          Saturday 9^th April 1994

This was a nine-goal thriller at Carrow Road, as Norwich squandered a 3-1 lead to lose the game.  The Saint messiah, Matt Le Tissier scored another hat-trick and a powerful header from centre back, Ken Monkou earned a priceless victory for the Saints, enough to end up seeing the South Coast outfit stay up.

22.           Arsenal                                    2-2           Manchester United                  Wednesday 16^th April 2003

Down the years, Arsenal and Manchester United have served up some controversial and spicy matches, none more so than this championship crunch at Highbury.  The Red Devils made the best start, with top scorer Ruud Van Nistlerooy bursting through to give his side the lead.  A quickfire double from Thierry Henry in the opening exchanges changed the outcome of the game, before a free header by Ryan Giggs made things all square again.  Sol Campbell was red-carded in a bitter and sour end to a heavily-fought game.

23.           Liverpool                                                6-2           Tottenham Hotspur                                Saturday 8^th May 1993

With nothing to fight for either side, the shackles were released in this last match of the campaign.  Both had underachieved and looked set for new managers in the forthcoming season.  There were 2 goals apiece for Liverpool legends, John Barnes and Ian Rush.

24.           Nottingham Forest                 1-8           Manchester United                  Saturday 6^th February 1999

For Manchester United, this was a stroll in the park during their treble winning season.  The deadly combination of Andy Cole & Dwight Yorke struck again with two goals apiece, either side of a tidy Alan Rodgers effort for woeful Forest.  Substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came off the bench to round things off, hitting an incredible 4 goals in 18 minutes.  The Norwegian had written himself into the Premiership record books.

25.           Arsenal                                    4-2           Liverpool                                                Friday 9^th April 2004

Having just been dumped out of the FA Cup and Champions League within four days, the Untouchables from Highbury were under pressure and it continued after the first half against a distant Liverpool side.  Sami Hyypia and Michael Owen both scored in the first half to give Gerard Houiller’s outfit the advantage.  Trailing 2-1 at the interlude, it was a major test of Wenger’s side, but the character building challenge was passed with flying colours by Thierry Henry, who scored a memorable hat-trick, including another special solo effort.  The championship and the unbeaten record were back in total command.

 

26.           West Ham United                   1-1           Manchester United                  Sunday 14^th May 1995

Manchester United visited their bogey side, West Ham needing a win to stand any chance of making it three consecutive Premier League titles.  Behind to an early Michael Hughes volley, United piled the pressure on in the second half and an unmarked header by Brian McClair brought United level.  Chance after chance came, but wasteful finishing from Andy Cole and an outstanding goalkeeping display by Ludek Mikolosko thwarted Alex Ferguson’s side of another championship.

27.           Southampton                          3-2           Arsenal                                    Saturday 19^th May 2001

It was a final farewell to The Dell, one of the oldest grounds in the English game and what a finale.  It was fitting, that the last word should come from the Southampton legend, Matt Le Tissier.  He hit a thunderous half-volley past David Seaman deep in stoppage time to send the home supporters into raptures.  They had finished up in the grand manner.

28.           Everton                                   2-4           Manchester United                  Saturday 28^th April 2007

As ever, Manchester United had not making life easy for Sir Alex Ferguson, and had been falling into the Jose Mourinho and Chelsea trap.  They made a disastrous start in a must win game at Goodison Park, trailing to an Alan Stubbs free-kick and a thunderbolt from Manuel Fernandes.  Their reply was the stuff of champions.  John O’Shea nodded in from a corner, Phil Neville kicked the ball into his own net against his former employees then a cool finish from former Blue hero Wayne Rooney turned the game around.  A super strike from Chris Eagles in the dying stages made the result look more comfortable.  Furthermore, Chelsea had been held at home by Bolton and their stranglehold as English champions had been severely loosened by the men from Manchester.

29.           Chelsea                                    4-4           Aston Villa                              Wednesday 26^th December 2007

This Boxing Day clash saw heavy punches literally thrown and a game full of talking points.  Villa held a 2-0 lead, due to an early double from the unsettled Shaun Maloney.  Back came Chelsea, with a brace for the underperforming Andrei Shevchenko and a lovely team goal, finished by Alex.  Martin Laursen pegged Martin O’Neill’s side level again, only for a Michael Ballack free-kick to put Chelsea back infront again.  Amidst all of this, Zat Knight and Ricardo Carvalho had been dismissed by the referee and Ashley Cole followed them for an early shower when he handled on the line in stoppage time.  Gareth Barry converted the spot kick to force a share of the spoils.

30.           Tottenham Hotspur                                4-4           Leicester City                          Sunday 22^nd February 2004

In 2004, Tottenham were in complete disarray, highlighted further by this exciting share of the spoils with fellow comical defending side, Leicester City.  David Pleat’s side were in total control at half-time, 3-1 to the good but goals from old Spurs boy Les Ferdinand, a rare goal for Ben Thatcher and Marcus Bent turned the game on its head.  The Foxes were to be denied three points though, by Jermain Defoe’s 2^nd strike of the game in the final exchanges.  This was a game for the neutrals to remember.

31.           Arsenal                                    3-2           Manchester United                  Sunday 9^th November 1997

On this day, Arsenal began to genuinely realise they were prolific championship contenders, with a thumping critical victory over their deadly rivals.  The deputy for Dennis Bergkamp, Nicholas Anelka flashed in his debut goal for the Gunners and their lead was doubled by countryman, Patrick Vieira.  Never write United at your peril, proven through a double before half-time from ex-Spurs villain, Teddy Sheringham.  With nine minutes to go, a great header from David Platt aided Arsene Wenger to a first triumph in the Premiership over Alex Ferguson.

32.           Tottenham Hotspur                                6-4           Reading                                   Saturday 29^th December 2007

Christmas may have just finished, but both sets of defenders looked like they had stuffed turkey, opening the door for the positive strikers.  Four goals from Dimitar Berbatov and two strikes from Reading’s Dave Kitson were the pick of the front men whilst Jermain Defoe scored his final goal of his first spell at White Hart Lane.

33.           Newcastle United                    4-3           Leicester City                          Sunday 2^nd February 1997

The entertainers of the Premier League in the mid nineties were undoubtedly Newcastle United and they provided more of the same in this supposed home banker.  An early goal from Robbie Elliot settled the pre-game nerves, but three goals from the Foxes in ten rip-roaring minutes by Matt Elliot, Steve Claridge and Emile Heskey stunned St. James Park into silence.  However, if one man could rescue the Magpies, it was skipper Alan Shearer.  A bullet free-kick, a low drive and a simple tap-in in added on time gave Newcastle a morale-boosting triumph.

34.           Liverpool                                                2-1           Blackburn Rovers                   Sunday 14^th May 1995

Victory at Anfield against the former kings of the English game would seal Blackburn’s first championship in 81 years.  Alan Shearer got Rovers off to the perfect start, with a goal after 20 minutes.  Though Liverpool really wanted Manchester United to not win the championship, they were determined to play their part in a dramatic final day.  John Barnes equalised on the hour mark and then a curling free-kick from Jamie Redknapp in injury time put Liverpool infront.  Seconds later, Blackburn fans were cheering as they heard the news that Manchester United had failed to beat West Ham at Upton Park and the Premiership trophy was heading to a new destination of Ewood Park.

35.           Everton                                   2-3           Aston Villa                              Sunday 7^th December 2008

The most likely sides to break into the big four domination of the Premiership played out a pre-Christmas corker.  In-form Villa scored first, through Steve Sidwell in the first minute.  Joleon Lescott replied against the club he was turned down as a trainee.  A communication mix-up between Phil Jagielka and Tim Howard allowed the feisty Ashley Young to restore Villa’s lead.  In a dramatic final minute, Lescott volleyed home a priceless equaliser, before Young cashed in on naïve defending to slot the ball past Howard and claim an unbelievable victory for Martin O’Neill’s side.  No-one will forget this end-to-end showpiece.

36.           Crystal Palace                        2-2           Southampton                          Saturday 7^th May 2005

At Selhurst Park, a dramatic penultimate weekend of the season left the tightest relegation battle in Premiership history totally undecided.  On a see-saw afternoon, the game was deadlocked at 1-1 when a clash involving Peter Crouch and Gonzalo Sorondo saw both men dismissed.  Then, when injury-prone Nicola Ventola converted his first strike for the Eagles, Southampton, were on the brink.  Then in injury time, Danny Higginbotham scored a dramatic leveller and for the first time ever, all three relegation places would only be settled on the last day.

37.           Blackburn Rovers                   3-4           Leeds United                           Sunday 14^th September 1997

For two defensively minded teams, the first 33 minutes were absolutely fabulous as both seem to find attacking football quite attractive on this spring afternoon.  George Graham’s outfit took a 2-0 lead against the early Premier League pacesetters through a bundled effort from Rod Wallace & a charging header by Robert Molenaar.  Ten minutes later, Blackburn levelled the contest up through a super shot by Kevin Gallacher and Chris Sutton’s penalty.  Back came the Yorkshire club, with Wallace scoring again before Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink squared David Hopkin up for what turned out to be the decisive goal.  Martin Dahlin battled hard for his goal moments afterwards and after half-time, the managers had calmed the players down and the second half petered out.  However, this match will be remembered for a stone classical first half.

 38.          Wigan Athletic                        3-2           Arsenal                                    Sunday 19^th April 2010

Arsenal was romping away with the match at the DW stadium and with ten minutes left, led 2-0, courtesy of goals from Theo Walcott and Mikael Silvestre.  Cue an astonishing turnaround from Wigan, which well and truly finished off Arsenal’s title chances.  Ben Watson scrambled in from close range, and then Titus Bramble pounced on a horrible blunder from the inconsistent Gunners goalie, Lukas Fabianski.  With Arsenal on the ropes, Charles N’Zogbia floored them in the dying stages, to complete one of the most amazing comebacks the Premiership has ever seen.  Bedlam at the DW, as Wigan confirmed another season in the top flight.

39.           Middlesbrough                        3-3           Liverpool                                                Saturday 17^th August 1996

The opening day headlines in 1996 were taken deservedly so by David Beckham’s wonder halfway line strike at Selhurst Park, but it overshadowed a Premiership classic in the Teesside sunshine.  Fabrizio Ravanelli made himself loved in the North East with a fabulous hat-trick on his Middlesbrough debut as Bryan Robson’s men battled back three times to earn a draw.  Though entertaining throughout the campaign, it turned out to be a nightmare season for Boro, both on and off the pitch, so this was a major highlight.

40.           Arsenal                                    4-4           Tottenham Hotspur                                Wednesday 29^th October 2008

Tottenham were in the doldrums and only five days earlier, had dismissed Juande Ramos after two points from just eight games.  In came Harry Redknapp and a super point in another North London derby classic was just the tonic that the white half of London needed.  A long-range special from David Bentley had Spurs infront, before shoddy defending left Redknapp’s side 4-2 down to the beautiful Arsenal outfit with one minute to go.  Jermaine Jenas reduced the deficit with a solo effort into the top corner and then seconds later; Manuel Almunia parried a Roman Pavlyuchenko effort into the grasp of Aaron Lennon, who benefited on this misjudgement to hand Tottenham a priceless draw.  The result also showed Arsenal’s frailties again of closing out matches under Arsene Wenger. 

Classic Premiership Matches 41-60

In the past 18 seasons, football fans across the globe have been treated to some cracking Premiership matches.  On the eve of the 19th season having begun yesterday, here is a look-back at some classics down the years.

41.           Everton                                   2-3           Liverpool                                                Monday 16^th April 2001

A truly unforgettable Merseyside Derby which gave Liverpool the finish push required to complete their famous Treble of cups and the 3^rd place finish to secure Champions League football.  Emile Heskey shot the Reds into the lead after Everton were denied a penalty claim.  Duncan Ferguson equalised, before Markus Babbel converted Robbie Fowler’s cross early in the 2^nd half during a classic Liverpool counter attack.  Fowler then hit the post from a debatable penalty and it was starting to unravel for Gerard Houiller when Igor Biscan was unluckily sent off and Everton then got a very fortunate penalty.  David Unsworth smacked the ball with seven minutes to go, but this game was never destined to finish in stalemate, and so it proved.  With seconds remaining, Gary McAllister scored a wonder free-kick to snatch victory for the euphoric Liverpool management and supporters.

42.           Manchester United                  3-2           Aston Villa                              Sunday 5^th April 2009            

Manchester United, yet again were under extreme pressure to deliver and were stumbling at the wrong time.  Defeats to bitter rivals, Liverpool & Fulham were followed by an abject display against European contenders, Aston Villa.  Despite an early free-kick by Cristiano Ronaldo, Villa dominated the majority of the match and strike partners, John Carew & Gabriel Agbonlahor seized their chances to hand the visitors the lead.  With Wayne Rooney suspended and Carlos Tevez feeling lethargic, Sir Alex Ferguson turned to 19-year old Italian sensation, Federico Macheda.  Ronaldo equalised with 10 minutes to go, then Macheda stole the show, turning beautifully, leaving Luke Young on his backside, then launching a rocket past Brad Friedel to shatter hearts in Liverpool & Birmingham and send United fans into raptures.  They never looked back afterwards.

43.           Arsenal                                    5-3           Middlesbrough                        Sunday 22^nd August 2004

The kings of Highbury were taking the world by storm in 2004, none more so than when they entertained Middlesbrough in early 2004/05.  The Gunners had to just avoid defeat to equal Nottingham Forest’s long-standing record of 42 unbeaten domestic matches and made the perfect start through Thierry Henry.  Middlesbrough though, forgets their lines and hit three thunderbolts either side of half-time, courtesy of Joseph-Desire Job, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink & Franck Queudrue.  All of a sudden, the record was in severe jeopardy, until the cavalry stepped up their game in clinical fashion.  Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires moved the scoreline back to 3-3 and seconds later, Jose Antonio Reyes scored a brilliant goal to regain Arsenal’s momentum.  The job was completed by a late tap-in from Henry and the record would be broken three days later.  Arsenal had been cemented into football folklore.

44.           Manchester City                     2-3           Fulham                                    Saturday 26^th April 2008

Two-nil down at half-time, Fulham looked dead, buried and out of the FA Barclays Premiership, or were they? A dismal first half performance against Sven Goran Eriksson’s stumbling Manchester City had left them needing a miracle.  Temperamental striker Diomansy Kamara stood up to be counted, by hitting two goals in the last twenty minutes, either side of a Danny Murphy penalty.  Fulham had pulled off a miraculous victory and the momentum they carried off this game was enough to keep them afloat in the big league.

45.           Sheffield Wednesday                               3-4           Tottenham Hotspur                                Saturday 20^th August 1994

Hillsborough’s headlines were made by German striking sensation Jurgen Klinsmann.  Jurgen had been signed on a free transfer in the summer from AS Monaco and quickly settled into a sizzling attacking side, produced by the charismatic Argentine, Ossie Ardelies.  Five goals had been traded between these two sides in the Yorkshire rain, when Klinsmann out jumped England defender Des Walker to give Spurs the initiative which saw them go on to win.  When he arrived, he joked about diving schools in England and his team-mates share his humour with a theatrical dive to celebrate the win. A nasty collision with Walker ended Klinsmann’s afternoon in an ambulance, but his impression on the English Premier League was immediate.

46.           Charlton Athletic                    2-5           Manchester City                     Sunday 4^th December 2005

This was the peak of Stuart Pearce’s management career at Eastlands and the start of the end for Alan Curbishley at the Addicks.  Woeful defending from the home side allowed Andy Cole in for a double, along with goals from Trevor Sinclair, Joey Barton via the penalty spot and Darius Vassell.  Efforts either side by Darren Bent and Jay Bothroyd were not enough to prevent a heavy beating.  Both team’s season went downhill after this seven goal feast.

47.           Aston Villa                              3-2           Arsenal                                    Sunday 13^th December 1998

Aston Villa showed their mettle in this encounter, storming back from 2-0 down at half-time to inflict defeat on the reigning champions.  John Gregory’s pacesetters looked out of sorts in the first half and trailed to two specials from the Dutch master, Dennis Bergkamp.  Back came Villa in the second half, with a rasping drive by Julian Joachim, then two goals from new signing Dion Dublin.  It was a famous win, keeping the Midlands side top of the table at Christmas time.  Sadly, this was as good as it got for Gregory’s outfit.

48.           Manchester United                  9-0           Ipswich Town                          Saturday 4^th March 1995

This annihilation of the Tractor Boys remains the biggest ever win in Premiership history.  United ran amok at Old Trafford with goal machine, Andy Cole helping himself to five goals, a joint record for most goals scored by one player in a single match.

49.           Blackburn Rovers                   7-1           Norwich City                          Saturday 3^rd October 1992

Before this match, Norwich City had been Premiership league leaders, but they had an afternoon to forget in the East Anglia rain, the heaviest defeat of the first two Premiership seasons.  Alan Shearer and Stuart Ripley both scored twice.

50.           Newcastle United                    5-0           Manchester United                  Sunday 20^th October 1996

For Kevin Keegan and the Geordies, this was sweet revenge against the bitter enemy, as the last Premiership unbeaten record of 96/97 went up in spectacular fashion.  A controversial header from Darren Peacock started the unexpected route, before a classic strike from David Ginola doubled the Magpies advantage.  Les Ferdinand sealed the win with a trademark header off the crossbar and strike partner Shearer soon made four, after Peter Schmeichel parried two earlier attempts.  The icing on the cake was complete when Belgian defender Philippe Albert majestically chipped Schmeichel to complete a glorious performance.  It was a day when everyone saw that Manchester United were really human.

51.           Tottenham Hotspur                                4-4           Chelsea                                    Wednesday 19^th March 2008

Tottenham had just overcome Chelsea in the Carling Cup final, and played their part in an 8-goal thriller which ultimately would cost Chelsea dearly in their bid to regain the Premiership trophy.  Seven different Goalscorers amazed this London derby, Joe Cole bagging two for the visitors.  Only a stunning effort from Robbie Keane in the dying stages prevented Avram Grant’s side from winning and it needed one of the saves of the decade by Carlo Cudicini to dent Dimitar Berbatov seconds afterwards.  Who said London derbies are always boring….

52.           Manchester City                     2-3           Manchester United                  Sunday 7^th November 1993

City were unbeaten in the Premiership since dismissing Peter Reid in August and the new man at the helm, Brian Horton guided his brave troops into a 2-0 interval lead, due to two powerful headers by that nuisance in the box, Niall Quinn.  Yet again, United came back to pip their local rivals hearts.  Eric Cantona scored twice soon into the second half and from then on, only one side looked like they were going to win.  Sure enough, Roy Keane tapped home in a goalmouth scramble with just 4 minutes to spare.  Once again, the Red half of Manchester ruled.

53.           Middlesbrough                        3-3           Tottenham Hotspur                                Sunday 18^th December 2005  

A game packed full of drama between two attacking units.  Robbie Keane broke the deadlock following a misjudgement by Mark Schwarzer, before two Yakubu efforts put the North Londoners behind.  On the hour mark, Jermaine Jenas hit a beautiful curling free-kick to tie the game up, then Franck Queudrue’s bullet header just crossed the line to hand Steve McLaren’s side the lead again.  Back came Spurs though and a plucky header by Mido with 10 minutes to go forced a deserving share of the spoils.

54.           Everton                                   3-2           Wimbledon                              Saturday 7^th May 1994

Everton looked doomed and heading out of the top-flight at half-time of this match.  Goals from John Fashanu and Dena Holdsworth put the Crazy Gang back in control of this encounter.  For much of the season, team spirit had been severely lacking in the Toffees dressing room, but they produced plenty of character after the interlude.  Barry Horne struck a beauty and two goals from ex-Chelsea ranger, Graham Stuart, the last in the final stages were enough for Everton to beat the drop in a tense and nail-biting finale.

55.           Leeds United                           3-4           Newcastle United                    Saturday 22^nd December 2001

Newcastle United briefly took the role of the entertainers again under the stewardship of Sir Bobby Robson and went top of the table with this breathless comeback against fellow title challengers Leeds.  A trademark free-kick from Ian Harte put Newcastle 3-1 down with 30 minutes to go and out of the game.  Led on by Alan Shearer though, they fought back with Craig Bellamy and a Shearer penalty levelling up things, before a counter-attack in stoppage time led to Nolberto Solano coolly slotting home the winner. 

56.           Tottenham Hotspur                                4-3           Everton                                   Sunday 12^th January 2003

On paper, this looked like being one of those tight, tense affairs.  This so turned not out to be the case.  Once Brian McBride raced clear on his debut to put the visitors infront after 11 minutes, it was gung-ho all the way.  Gus Poyet equalised, then in-form Robbie Keane netted twice, once from the penalty spot to put Tottenham in full command.  Sloppy defending allowed Everton back into the game via a David Unsworth penalty and Tomasz Radzinski.  However, with 8 minutes to go, Keane sped away from the ageing blue back four, lofted an effort past the helpless Richard Wright to complete a marvellous victory for Spurs, his first hat-trick for the club since his summer move from Leeds.

57.           Manchester United                  3-3           Middlesbrough                        Monday 5^th May 1997

Fighting for their lives, Middlesbrough caught Manchester United’s defending on a shocking day.  A neat, creative finish from star-studded Juninho broke the deadlock, though it was responded quickly by Roy Keane.  No-one told Bryan Robson’s men to lay down and die and they certainly didn’t do that and with strikes in quick succession by Emerson and Craig Hignett, they were 3-1 up in dreamland.  Unfortunately, Middlesbrough’s defending returned to its usual style of failing to deal with opposition crosses and long passes, resulting in a first United goal for Gary Neville and a textbook header from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.  Relief was the best word that could sum up Old Trafford after this belter of a game.

58.           Wimbledon                              2-3           Aston Villa                              Saturday 3^rd October 1992

An end-to-end contest in the inaugural Premier League season was settled by a goal of the decade contender from Dallian Atkinson and kept Villa in the hunt for the championship.

59.           West Ham United                   4-3           Sheffield Wednesday                               Sunday 21^st November 1999

Danny Wilson probably realised that the Owls were going down at the end of the season after a see-saw game they led twice saw them beaten again.  3-2 up at Upton Park, Danny Sonner was unnecessarily dismissed for two soft bookings and West Ham was galvanized with the extra man.  Marc-Vivien Foe equalised and Frank Lampard hit a typical late winner which left Wednesday gobsmacked and pondering how this game slipped through their fingers.

60.           Arsenal                                    3-2           Aston Villa                              Sunday 9^th December 2001

On the weekend Arsenal were celebrating their planning permission grant to their ultimate stadium, they produced an improbable and ultimate comeback infront of the Sky cameras.  Trailing 2-0 to a well-drilled Villa outfit at the interval, Arsene Wenger brought on Sylvain Wiltord, who smashed home within of a minute of a restart.  Mistakes in the back line by George Boateng and Alan Wright was seized upon by Thierry Henry, the last goal with the last kick of the game to bring the curtain down on a classic and send Highbury into raptures.

Classic Premiership Matches 61-80

In the past 18 seasons, football fans across the globe have been treated to some cracking Premiership matches.  On the eve of the 19th season having begun yesterday, here is a look-back at some classics down the years.

61.           Chelsea                                    5-0           Manchester United                  Sunday 3^rd October 1999

This was an afternoon that no person will forget, unless you supported Manchester United that was.  Gus Poyet cashed in on another horrendous piece of goalkeeping by Massimo Taibi to hand the home side a lead within of 30 seconds.  Just past the 20 minute mark, Chris Sutton headed home his first and only Premiership goal for Chelsea and soon they were a man up, following a disgraceful kick-out by Nicky Butt on Dennis Wise.  In the second half, United unravelled as Poyet pounced on a third, Henning Berg sliced into his own net then Jody Morris rammed the ball in with ten minutes to go to complete the rout.  Chelsea’s season wouldn’t hit any higher spots again in this campaign.

62.           Manchester City                     3-3           Newcastle United                    Saturday 24^th February 1996

Newcastle’s all-out attack play was being exposed to great effect and it happened again at Maine Road.  An unsavoury pair of incidents involving City captain, Keith Curle and Faustino Asprilla overshadowed an extraordinary game which saw Philippe Albert rescue the Geordies twice from a losing position.  Nigel Clough, Niall Quinn and Uwe Rosler had put the relegation-threatened club ahead three times, but they couldn’t hold on and it was really a result that neither team required.

63.           Arsenal                                    4-0           Everton                                   Sunday 3^rd May 1998

Arsenal had gone on an awesome run and this home rout sealed their maiden Premiership title, under the brilliant guidance of Arsene Wenger.  Never looking in danger, an own goal from Slaven Billic started the party, which got louder when Marc Overmars beat the Everton defence for pace twice in clinical fashion.  The round-off was completed when skipper Tony Adams lashed home from Steve Bould’s pass to create an iconic memory in Premiership history.  In this season, Arsenal had been truly the cream of the crop. 

64.           Oldham Athletic                     2-3           Norwich City                          Monday 9^th November 1992

Norwich was turning into the surprise package of the 1992/93 campaign and this victory put them on top of the table.  For Mark Robins, it was even more bittersweet as the ex-Manchester United reject hit a wonderful hat-trick at Boundary Park.  Twice, Oldham came from behind to draw level but they ended up with nothing in a game that highlighted both of these teams seasons, thrilling attacking and kamikaze defending.

65.           Arsenal                                    2-3           Leeds United                           Sunday 4^th May 2003

Going into this match, Arsenal knew they had to stay in the Premiership title race, but were behind in the Highbury sunshine to a scorcher from Harry Kewell inside of five minutes.  Thierry Henry equalized, but Leeds showed some fight required to get out of a dodgy relegation position.  Ian Harte hit another free-kick at Highbury, but once more Arsenal responded with Dennis Bergkamp’s first home goal in the Premiership for the 02/03 season.  Henry then struck the post as both sides pushed for the winner.  A breakout by the Yorkshire unit saw Marc Viduka power an unstoppable shot past David Seaman to bury Arsenal as far as the Premiership was concerned and hand Leeds an improbable lifeline of another season in the top flight.

66.           Sheffield United                      1-2           Wigan Athletic                        Sunday 13^th May 2007

Wigan had to win to avoid the dreaded drop and made the perfect start on a rain-soaked afternoon in Sheffield.  Paul Scharner’s low-drilled attempt squirmed into the back of the net.  Sheffield United knew they needed a draw to ensure survival and battled back through a brave header from Jon Stead.  Now, Wigan was back in the red, but right on the stroke of half-time, handball by Michael Tonge gave former Blades man, David Unsworth the chance to convert for the Lactics.  He duly delivered and despite United hitting the post in the second half and missing a catalogue of chances, it was Wigan who won the day.  The relief on Paul Jewell’s face was clear to see and with Carlos Tevez steering West Ham to an unlikely win at Old Trafford, Sheffield United had been cruelly relegated.

67,           Fulham                                    2-4           Liverpool                                                Saturday 16^th October 2004

Rafa Beintez had initially struggled to adapt to the English game and his side looked out-of-touch on the road, but in this game, they produced one of the comebacks for the season.  Trailing 2-0 at half-time to Fulham, they stormed back to win 4-2 with an own goal, a tap-in from Milan Baros, a wonderful free-kick by Spanish ace, Xabi Alonso and a spectacular finish from Igor Biscan.  A flash had been provided for the future by the soon-to-be European champions.

68.           Newcastle United                    4-3           Manchester United                  Saturday 15^th September 2001

Following the recent terrorist attacks on September 11^th, football paid its respects in typically, fond fashion and these two teams served up a real treat.  Laurent Robert powered the home side infront with a typical free-kick, pegged by Ruud Van Nistlerooy.  A horror moment from Fabien Barthez allowed Rob Lee to celebrate a rare goal and when Nicolas Dabizas smashed home from close range early in the second half, the game looked done and dusted.  However, never write Until off at your peril and efforts from Ryan Giggs and Juan Sebastian Veron tied the game all-square again.  With less then ten minutes remaining, Alan Shearer’s strike took a wicked deflection off Wes Brown to earn three famous points for Sir Bobby Robson’s side.  Once again, Roy Keane made the headlines for the wrong reasons, sent off following a tedious clash with Shearer.

69.           Wigan Athletic                        5-3           Blackburn Rovers                   Saturday 15^th December 2007

It is a rarity for two different players to score hat-tricks in the same game, but it happened in this local derby.  Wigan had been cruising at 3-0 up until Roque Santa Cruz dragged his Blackburn side back into the contest with three goals either side of half-time.  Back came the home side through Emile Heskey and a 3^rd goal from Marcus Bent to round off a stunning match managed by former Manchester United legends, Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes.

 

70.           Arsenal                                    7-0           Everton                                   Wednesday 11^th May 2005

Three days earlier, Champions League finalists Liverpool had been played off the park at Highbury, losing 3-1.  Now, their Merseyside rivals faired even worse when taking on the Highbury medicine.  7-0 was the final score, including a virtuoso performance from Dennis Bergkamp, a double by Robin Van Persie and a final Gunner goal from talismanic midfielder, Edu.  This was an absolute masterclass.

71.           Manchester United                  5-2           Tottenham Hotspur                                Saturday 25^th April 2009

At 2-0 up at half-time through goals by Darren Bent and Luka Modric, Tottenham looked on the cards for a shock win at the Theatre of Dreams, but it turned into the Theatre of Nightmares in the second half, as the fabulous four from United, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez & Berbatov showed their stuff in the second half.  A scandalous penalty decision from Howard Webb started the comeback, but Tottenham’s pitiful second half collapse was almost unthinkable and would have had Harry Redknapp tearing his hair out.  This was the result that effectively sealed Manchester United’s grip on a record-equalling 18^th league championship.

72.           Blackburn Rovers                   2-3           Chelsea                                    Sunday 1^st February 2004

Despite the guile of Manchester United and Arsenal, Chelsea were hanging onto the coat-tails of the top two and their true spirit was underlined in a physical encounter at Ewood Park.  Down after three minutes through Garry Flitcroft, Chelsea came back with a neat, tidy double by Frank Lampard.  In the second half, super sub Paul Gallagher netted twice.  One was ruled offside, the other stood, whilst at the other end, Brad Friedel was repelling the attack of Lampard, Emmanuel Petit and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.  With three minutes to go, Adrian Mutu over hit a corner, but it found Glen Johnson, who produced a breathtaking piece of individual skill that would make him an England regular.  It was a goal worthy of winning any game and kept Claudio Ranieri’s side onto the back of the top two.

73.           Newcastle United                    4-3           Aston Villa                              Monday 30^th September 1996

Once again, Newcastle were part of another breathtaking, free-flowing game, this time against an in-form Aston Villa side.  Brian Little’s side grabbed an early lead thanks to Dwight Yorke, his first goal of the season.  The visitors then had a nightmare 15 minutes before half-time which saw them 3-1 down to goals from Les Ferdinand (2) & Alan Shearer, before Mark Draper was given his marching orders for two yellow cards.  What Little had installed into his side was belief and they kept attacking, which paid off with a brilliant solo effort from Yorke.  Quickly, Steve Howey’s flying header re-installed the two goal advantage, before Yorke helped himself to another, completing his hat-trick.  In the end, Newcastle grimly hung on during an entertaining match at St. James Park.

74.           Southampton                          4-3           Norwich City                          Saturday 30^th April 2005

In the relegation scrap, there were some stunning games between the bottom four clubs, none more so than this affair at St. Mary’s.  On a day for defenders to forget, Henri Camara struck a 90^th minute winner for Southampton after the score were pegged at 3-3 in the interlude.  It kept Southampton out of the bottom three and halted Norwich’s recent momentum.  Both would suffer the similar fate though just a fortnight later.

75.           Tottenham Hotspur                                4-4           Aston Villa                              Monday 1^st October 2007

Martin Jol was fighting to hang to his Spurs job following a dismal start to this season and going 4-1 down with half an hour to play against Aston Villa was not the tonic required.  To give them credit, the home side dug in deep with all their possible reserves and claimed an unlikely draw, due to a do-or-die header by under-fire centre-back Younes Kaboul in the last minute.

76.           Coventry City                         3-2           Manchester United                  Sunday 28^th December 1997

December 28^th 1997 turned out to be a pivotal day in the 97/98 title battle, as it seriously highlighted Manchester United’s defensive vulnerabilities.  An ever improving Coventry was infront through Noel Whelan but goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looked to have got United out of jail again.  Not on this occasion however, due to old lad Dion Dublin via the penalty spot, then a sensational solo strike by Darren Huckerby.  It was a richly deserved result for Gordon Strachan’s side, who comfortably avoided relegation in this campaign.

77.           Newcastle United                    8-0           Sheffield Wednesday                               Sunday 19^th September 1999

A meeting of the Premiership bottom two turned into a one-horse race.  Sheffield Wednesday totally ripped apart in Sir Bobby Robson’s first home match in charge of Newcastle.  Alan Shearer equalled another Premiership scoring record with 5 goals in the same match as the Magpies started their climb up the Premiership leaderboard.  Meanwhile, the writing was already on the wall for the Owls.

78.           Charlton Athletic                    3-3           Manchester United                  Saturday 9^th December 2000

Despite conceding to South African Shaun Bartlett after only ten minutes, Manchester United was totally in control of this scrap in East London.  Just before half-time, their dominance was rewarded with two goals in a minute, courtesy of Ryan Giggs and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.  When Roy Keane added a 3^rd, halfway through the 2^nd half, there looked like no way back for Charlton.  Despite the odds being against them, they showed great character and rescued a point in the last ten minutes, through another Bartlett goal and a close-range shave from John Robinson.  This was a minor slip in an almost imperious season for the champions.

79.           Bolton Wanderers                   5-2           Crystal Palace                        Saturday 2^nd May 1998

It rained goals in the first twenty minutes at the Reebok at Bolton were playing for their lives as far as Premiership football was concerned.  Having grabbed an early lead, two thunderbolts by Dean Gordon and Marcus Bent stunned the home supporters.  The lead for already relegated Palace didn’t last long, due to Mark Fish’s header and another bullet, this time through Jimmy Phillips.  Nathan Blake added a 4^th and Dean Holdsworth scored his first in Bolton colours in the closing stages.  This result gave Colin Todd’s side a great chance to stay in the Premiership, but as it transpired, it wasn’t to be…..

80.           Manchester United                  5-3           Newcastle United                    Saturday 23^rd November 2002

The first of two goal-fests between these two sides ended up rocketing Manchester United’s stuttering season back into life.  Although Alan Shearer’s free-kick saw him become the first player to score 100 Premier League goals for two different clubs (Blackburn & Newcastle), it was a classy Ruud Van Nistlerooy hat-trick that was the difference in this one.