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FourFourTwos best 100 Premier League matches ever: 70-61
Words: James Maw, Phil Haigh, Rik Sharma, Jake Gable, Dan Caw, Matthew Vines.
70. Man United 0-3 Chelsea, 01/12/2001
Manchester United suffered a fifth defeat of their opening 14 league game as visitors Chelsea made sure of all three points with a clinical display. Mario Melchiot opened the scoring before a mistake by Juan Seba Veron handed Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink a free shot on goal, which the Dutchman duly dispatched past Fabien Barthez.
United’s centre-back pairing of Roy Keane and Laurent Blanc looked all at sea, and with just three minutes to play Eidur Gudjohnsen completed the rout. The result led Sir Alex Ferguson to concede: “I don’t think we’ll win the title now. Not after five defeats” while a popular tabloid ran the headline ‘BLANC’, spelling out the names of each team United had lost to – Bolton, Leeds, Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea. JG
69. Bolton 0-0 Everton, 01/09/1997
At first glance, an early-season stalemate between two relegation battlers may not seem one for the scrapbook, but this proved to be one of the decisive games of the 1997/98 season. Bolton’s first competitive match in the new Reebok Stadium should have been a time for celebration, but instead the Trotters endured an evening of frustration, with dire consequences come the end of the campaign.
Both sides spurned presentable opportunities in an open first half, with the second period’s best chance falling to Bolton defender Gerry Taggart, who saw his header cleared off the line by Everton’s Terry Phelan. At least that’s what referee Steve Lodge thought, with pretty much everybody else in the stadium (and all those watching at home) noticing the ball had in fact bounced about six inches behind the Everton goal-line. The game finished goalless, but the full force of the injustice wasn’t felt until the final day of the season, when Everton stayed up on goal difference at the expense of, you guessed it, Bolton. JM
68. Man City 4-2 Arsenal, 12/09/2009
Emmanuel Adebayor infuriated the Arsenal fans with a provocative solo goal celebration in this heated clash. The Togolese striker caused chaotic scenes in the away end when he raced the length of the pitch to slide on his knees in front of his former side’s raging fans, who duly lobbed whatever they could get their hands on in his direction (including, amusingly, a steward's chair).
City took the lead after 20 minutes through Micah Richards' header, but Robin van Persie put Arsenal back in contention before a late flurry of goals from Craig Bellamy, Adebayor and then Shaun Wright-Phillips sealed the points. Thomas Rosicky nabbed a late consolation, but the game will only be remembered for Adebayor’s manic celebration. JG
67. West Ham 3-4 Tottenham, 04/03/2007
Everybody knows football can be a cruel game, but rarely has that been more evident than when Spurs broke West Ham hearts at Upton Park in this topsy-turvy thriller.
The Hammers, severely threatened by relegation, went in at half-time with an unlikely 2-0 lead. It didn’t last though, as Jermain Defoe and Teemu Tainio redressed the balance within 20 minutes of the restart. Spurs had the momentum but couldn’t find a third, and it was the Irons who grabbed the lead again through a Bobby Zamora header.
Surely that was it? Surely Alan Curbishley’s relegation fears were eased? No. Dimitar Berbatov curled in an 89th-minute free-kick before Paul Stalteri won it for Martin Jol's side in the fourth minute of injury time. Carlos Tevez eventually saw to it that the Hammers weren't relegated, but it was too close for comfort. PH
Next: Fun with Friedel
66. Charlton 3-2 Blackburn, 21/02/2004
In a simply incredible climax, Blackburn – and especially Brad Friedel – went from delight to devastation in a matter of seconds.
First-half goals from Carlton Cole and Jason Euell had the Addicks looking good for a comfortable home win, but things got nervy when Andy Cole pulled one back for Blackburn with a quarter of an hour to go. With Rovers still trailing in injury time, Friedel galloped forward in a desperate attempt to attack a corner. Charlton failed to clear their lines, and the American keeper majestically swept home from six yards to nab an unlikely point.
Or so he thought. Claus Jensen’s superb volley even deeper into injury time won it for Charlton, leaving the Yankee feeling less than dandy. PH
65. West Ham 3-4 Wimbledon, 09/09/1998
In what is widely recognised as one of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history, Joe Kinnear’s Wimbledon travelled across London to face West Ham in a midweek fixture under the floodlights at Upton Park.
Ian Wright's opener and a John Hartson double put Harry Redknapp’s side in cruise control, but Wimbledon quickly rallied and pulled a goal back through Jamaican striker Marcus Gayle.
Kinnear's (presumably expletive-laden) half-time team talk certainly had the desired impact, as the Dons went on the rampage in the second half. Strikes from Jason Euell and another from Gayle pulled them level, before Nigerian forward Efan Ekoku headed a dramatic late winner for Wimbledon. MV
64. Man United 2-1 Tottenham, 16/05/1999
United sealed the first leg of their historic treble in a slightly bizarre game at Old Trafford. With Arsenal playing Aston Villa at Highbury knowing a win would see them retain their title if United dropped points, many of the Spurs fans who had travelled to Old Trafford were actually cheering on United.
It looked as though Spurs might actually do the unthinkable and hand their bitter rivals the title when Les Ferdinand looped a shot over Peter Schmeichel, to send those at Highbury listening intently to their radios potty. But a wonderful David Beckham effort drew United level, and Andy Cole won it for the Red Devils much to the relief of everyone inside Old Trafford. DC
Next: Arsenal take aim at Owls
63. Arsenal 3-3 Sheff Weds, 09/05/2000
Wednesday entered Fortress Highbury knowing only a victory would be enough to see them stave off the drop. When the Gunners took the lead through Lee Dixon, it appeared the Owls’ race was run – that was, until caretaker manager Peter Shreeves made an inspired double change at half-time.
Substitutes Gerarld Sibon and Gilles De Bilde turned the game dramatically with a goal apiece, and Wednesday could hardly believe it when Alan Quinn made it 3-1 with just 12 minutes left.
Their dreams were dashed, however, when Silvinho and then Thierry Henry netted to level things up in the dying minutes, condemning the Owls to relegation. They haven't been back since. MV
62. Tottenham 1-2 Coventry, 11/05/1997
The original top-flight last-day escapologists – they'd already survived final-game scrapes nine times in 30 years – Coventry went to White Hart Lane knowing they had to win while also hoping Sunderland and Middlesbrough dropped points in order to survive.
An early twist, brought about by traffic on the M25 and M1, meant that the game kicked off 15 minutes late (but the rest of the matches started at the prescribed time). Dion Dublin headed Gordon Strachan’s side into the lead after 12 minutes before Paul Williams volleyed in another, both coming via Gary McAllister assists.
Spurs, however, got a goal back before half-time – Paul McVeigh following up a Teddy Sheringham free-kick that cannoned off the post – to ensure a nervy second half. Given the delay, Coventry knew with 14 minutes still to play that a win would keep them up, and promptly retreated deep into their own half, inviting Spurs to attack them incessantly. Thanks to veteran keeper Steve Ogrizovic, Gerry Francis's side were kept at bay, and Coventry went on to celebrate yet another last-gasp escape act. VE
61. Tottenham 9-1 Wigan, 22/11/2009
The second half of this fixture was surely the most one-sided in Premier League history, as Spurs shredded hapless Wigan and walloped in eight. Jermain Defoe, meanwhile, became the third player in Premier League history to score five goals in one game, including a breath-taking seven-minute hat-trick.
Incredibly, a Peter Crouch header was all that separated the teams at the interval – but then Defoe got going. Paul Scharner grabbed Wigan’s consolation, but with Aaron Lennon pulling the strings, Spurs romped to victory. Lennon, David Bentley and Niko Kranjcar grabbed the other goals as Wigan capitulated, with ex-Tottenham left-back Erik Edman particularly culpable for their demise.
The Latics refunded their travelling fans, with embarrassed captain Mario Melchiot admitting: “We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters.” Well, yes. RS
100-91 • 90-81 • 80-71 • 70-61 • 60-51 • 50-41 • 40-31 • 30-21 • 20-11 • 10-1
