33. Portsmouth 4-1 Southampton, 24/04/2005

Five months after leaving Pompey for bitter rivals Southampton, Harry Redknapp returned to Fratton Park, only to see his new team shredded within the first half-hour. After only four minutes Antti Niemi crashed into Lomano LuaLua, with Yakubu converting the spot-kick in his usual cool fashion.

Arjan de Zeeuw then doubled Pompey’s lead by nodding home a Patrik Berger cross at the back post, and although Henri Camara pulled one back for the Saints, LuaLua got the better of keeper Niemi once again, challenging him after he ran out of the box and tucking the ball into an empty net. He also grabbed Portsmouth’s fourth, bending home from 20 yards to give his side an unassailable lead.

This victory all but guaranteed Portsmouth’s Premier League survival, while Southampton's 27-year stay in the top flight was ended the following month. Six months later, Redknapp resigned and returned to Fratton Park with his tail between his legs. RS

 

 

 

 

 

32. Man City 6-3 Arsenal, 14/12/2013

In a season of bonkers matches between the Premier League’s top seven (Liverpool walloped Spurs 5-0 on the same weekend), this ranks as the craziest.

Arsenal started the game top of the Premier League with the best defensive record in the division, having shipped just 11 goals in their first 15 matches. While they still ended the weekend at the summit of the standings, their defensive record was severely dented.

Sergio Aguero volleyed City into an early lead, before Theo Walcott tucked home an equaliser; City then retook the lead through Alvaro Negredo, with Gunners defender Laurent Koscielny picking up a knee injury in the process. The visitors suddenly looked far less stable at the back, and Fernandinho swept home a third shortly after half-time. Walcott pulled one back, but David Silva made it 4-2 minutes later.

A frantic end saw Fernandinho slot in a fifth for City, Mertesacker head in Arsenal’s third and Yaya Toure tuck in an injury-time penalty. Utter madness. JM

 

 

31. Everton 3-2 Wimbledon, 09/05/1994

The last day of the 1993/94 season was a complex affair, with six teams fighting to avoid the remaining two relegation spots. Everton and Oldham filled those places at the start of the day, but the Toffees avoided the drop with a win so incredible it was later linked to allegations of match-fixing – strongly denied and wholly unproven, of course.

Never the most welcome guests – and buoyed by the offer of a trip to Las Vegas if they could improve on their sixth-place standing – Wimbledon stormed into a two-goal lead through Dean Holdsworth's third-minute penalty and a Gary Ablett own goal, but the Everton fightback started with Graham Stuart's penalty and continued after half-time with a 30-yard Barry Horne leveller – his first of the season. Stuart's second of the game clinched it, with Sheffield United's 3-2 loss to Chelsea sending them down with Oldham instead. PH