Words: James Maw, Gary Parkinson, Rik Sharma, Jake Gable.
60. Man United 6-1 Arsenal, 25/02/2001
Their 8-2 horror show of August 2011 wasn’t the first time Arsene Wenger’s side suffered an afternoon of utter embarrassment at Old Trafford. A decade earlier, his injury-ravaged team suffered this nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams.
A makeshift Gunners centre-back pairing of Igor Stepanovs and Gilles Grimandi unsurprisingly struggled to cope with a rejuvenated Dwight Yorke, who almost effortlessly bagged a hat-trick. And though Thierry Henry pulled one back, further first-half goals from Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ended the game as a contest before the break.
Former (and future) Spurs striker Teddy Sheringham rubbed salt into the Gunners’ wounds with the sixth, as United effectively ended their rivals’ title hopes a full three months before the end of the season. JG
59. Man City 3-1 Man United, 09/11/2002
Gary Neville was rarely a man to give pleasure to opposition fans, but perhaps the biggest exception was the last top-flight derby at Maine Road. Under pressure from City's Shaun Goater, the United captain scuffed a pass which was snaffled up by the cult Bermudian to put Kevin Keegan's side back in front.
Ironic home cheers greeted every Red Nev touch thereafter until his substitution on the hour – by which time Goater had made it 3-1 in a boisterous match which had started with Nicolas Anelka and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer swapping goals in the opening eight minutes. But, with respect to Goater, the match will forever be remembered for the visiting captain, whose name was sung loud and long by the joyous City fans. GP
58. Stoke 2-1 Arsenal, 01/11/2008
Tony Pulis's Stoke arrived in the Premier League with a reputation for being physical, pragmatic and well-drilled – and this stirring win over Arsenal did little to disprove that notion.
The Potters' storm-armed approach had already done for Aston Villa and Tottenham, and sensing it may be a day for brawn rather than brain, Arsene Wenger left Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott on the bench.
But the Gunners just could not cope with Stoke's directness, Rory Delap's trademark long-throws proving particularly problematic. Ricardo Fuller and Seyi Olofinjana both scored as a result of the midfielder's lengthy hurls into the box, and Arsenal became frustrated to the point of substitute Van Persie being dismissed for barging into Thomas Sorensen. Gael Clichy's late deflected strike was mere consolation, as the Gunners became the first elite club to lose a Premier League match to the Potters – but certainly not the last. JM
57. Tottenham 4-4 Aston Villa, 01/10/2007
In a game which marked Tottenham’s 125th anniversary it took an outrageous comeback to send their fans home happy, as they came back from 4-1 down to pinch a point against Aston Villa.
Dimitar Berbatov delighted the White Hart Lane crowd by opening the scoring, but an unlikely double from Villa defender Martin Laursen turned the game on its head, with Spurs keeper Paul Robinson more than a little culpable for his side losing their lead. Gabriel Agbonlahor and Craig Gardner punished Martin Jol’s Tottenham further still. With a magnificent away victory seemingly on the cards, the visiting Villa fans tauntingly serenaded the locals with a few blasts of 'Happy Birthday Tottenham Hotspur'.
But when Pascal Chimbonda popped up with a rare goal, it sparked a Tottenham comeback. Robbie Keane halved the deficit from the penalty spot after Darren Bent had been felled in the area and, as the game drew to a breathless and desperate finale, Younes Kaboul slammed home the last-gasp equaliser. Amazingly, both clubs would go on to draw 4-4 with Chelsea later in the same season too. RS
Next: Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole...
56. Man United 0-3 Liverpool, 16/03/2014
Liverpool challenged for the title in Brendan Rodgers' second season on Merseyside, with the 'SAS' strike partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge proving a real handful.
United, on the other hand, were struggling under David Moyes's new stewardship. With the Merseyside outfit pushing for the title and the Red Devils struggling to even make the top four, derailing their rivals was as good as it was likely to get for the Mancunians.
Three Steven Gerrard penalties (one missed) and a Suarez goal later, Liverpool had seemingly re-taken the throne as Kings of the North-West. "It's a nightmare," said Liverpool-born Wayne Rooney after the game, "one of the worst days I've ever had in football." JM
55. Man City 2-2 Liverpool, 05/05/1996
Facing final-day relegation, Alan Ball's City went 2-0 down through an unfortunate Steve Lomas own goal and Ian Rush's final Liverpool strike. However, a late rally saw the home side draw level thanks to goals from Uwe Rosler and Kit Symons.
Wrongly believing a draw would keep City up, boss Alan Ball told his players to keep the ball in the corners, but rivals Coventry and Ball's previous club Southampton had better goal difference. By the time Ball realised his dreadful blunder, it was too late and City were relegated. RS
54. Nott'm Forest 1-8 Man United, 06/02/1999
Manchester United broke a couple of records with this seismic win over Nottingham Forest. They laid claim to the biggest away win in Premier League history, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picked up the accolade of most goals scored by a substitute in one match. Fitting really, as the Norwegian is famed for his exploits from the bench.
Astonishingly there were only 10 shots on target in the entire game – the nine goals and a 10th that was parried by Forest keeper Dave Beasant, only to be banged in by Solskjaer. Dwight Yorke scored after two minutes before Forest equalised through Alan Rogers, but it was one-way traffic from there. Yorke scored another, with strike partner Andy Cole grabbing two for his troubles.
But it was Solskjaer who really put Forest to the sword after coming on with 20 minutes to go. United famously went on to complete the Treble, Forest were unsurprisingly relegated. RS
Next: Derby 'ell for Enckelman
53. Leeds 4-3 Liverpool, 04/11/2000
Welcome to the Mark Viduka show. The Australian hitman scored all four of Leeds’ goals as they stunned Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool. Sami Hyypia and Christian Ziege put Liverpool 2-0 up, but they wasted a whole host of chances to extend their lead – and Viduka made them pay.
He lofted the ball over Sander Westerveld after a Ziege error to put Leeds back in the game. Lee Bowyer was lucky not to be sent off after a hideous foul on Emile Heskey, before Viduka equalised.
Chances were spurned at both ends, with Jamie Carragher clearing off the line for Liverpool and Ian Harte hitting the post with a free-kick. Vladimir Smicer put the Reds ahead for the final time, before Viduka grabbed two more, the fourth another fine chip over the poor Liverpool goalkeeper. RS
52. Man United 0-1 Arsenal, 14/03/1998
This pivotal clash was perhaps the moment United realised that the Gunners would be more than just a thorn in their side in the coming years. Arsenal, chasing the Premier League and FA Cup double in Arsene Wenger’s first full season, arrived in Manchester without a string of big names, yet left Old Trafford having closed the gap between themselves and leaders United to just six points.
More crucially, with three games in hand, their title destiny was in their own hands for the first time. Marc Overmars’ goal in the 79th minute not only won the game, it seemed to dent United’s confidence on their own patch, with Fergie’s side dropping points at home to Liverpool and Newcastle and allowing Arsenal to win the title with two games to spare. JG
51. Birmingham 3-0 Aston Villa, 16/09/2002
It had been 15 years since the second city's two foremost football clubs had done battle in a league match, so Villa’s trip to St Andrew’s during Birmingham’s debut Premier League season was, to say the least, eagerly anticipated. Curiously, West Midlands Police had no issue with the match being shifted to a Monday night rather than a less pub-friendly Sunday noon kick-off, and this perhaps added to a particularly rowdy atmosphere.
Both sides had made a slow start to the season, but Blues flew out of the traps, and found the opener through Clinton Morrison. But Villa’s greater top-level experience began to tell, and by the second half they had taken control of the game, but couldn’t find a goal. So instead they gifted one to Birmingham, with keeper Peter Enckelman allowing Olof Mellburg’s throw to roll under his foot and into the net.
Ignoring the fact that the goal shouldn’t have stood, as nobody touched the ball betwixt throw and net-bulge, Brum fans went doolally, one baseball cap-wearing oik taking to the pitch to get in the Finn’s face with a gesture popular among angry motorists. Geoff Horsfield scored a third, but with minimal comedic value. JM
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