PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES

IN A NEW SERIES, NICK METCALFE IS CASTING HIS EYE ACROSS THE SPORTING WORLD AND GIVING HIS VERDICT ON WHO AND WHAT REALLY RATES AS THE GREATEST. IN TODAY’S TOP FIVE, HE RANKS THE BEST GAMES IN PREMIER LEAGUE HISTORY

1. LIVERPOOL 4 NEWCASTLE 3 APRIL 1996

My chart topper is the wonderful rollercoaster of a match between Liverpool and Newcastle that stirred the senses like only the beautiful game can. It was a match that seemed to perfectly illustrate the fanatical new interest in football in this country in the nineties. Newcastle were 12 points clear of Manchester United in the title race in the early weeks of 1996, but

United had overtaken them by the start of April, and

Kevin Keegan’s men badly needed a positive result against a Liverpool team who themselves had an outside chance of pinching the title. What a game it was at Anfield. Robbie Fowler put Liverpool in front early on, but Newcastle fought back to lead 2-1 and 3-2. Stan Collymore then made it 3-3, and with both teams chasing the winner in a frantic finale, John Barnes set up Collymore to fire home in stoppage-time and seal a 4-3 victory for Liverpool. Home fans were delirious but a devastated Keegan slumped over the advertising hoardings – it was the perfect image for a title race he had lost control of. Alex Ferguson’s United made it to the finish line first. Newcastle, the great entertainers, fell just short of a fairytale triumph.

2. MAN CITY 3 QPR 2 MAY 2012

It feels impossible to leave this match off my list. It was, after all, the most dramatic day in Premier League history. Manchester City had to defeat struggling Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011/12 season to beat neighbours Manchester United to the title. But Djibril Cisse and Jamie Mackie both struck to put QPR 2-1 ahead. With United on their way to a 1-0 win at Sunderland, City fans had heads in hands, distraught. Ninety minutes were up. But Edin Dzeko then equalised and, with the final whistle approaching, Sergio Aguero sensationally fired home for a 3-2 win to seal the title. Martin Tyler’s commentary from the television gantry was epic: ‘Balotelli... Agueroooo... I swear you’ll never see anything like this ever again, so watch it, drink it in.’ An ecstatic City were in football heaven, champions of England for the first time in 44 years.

3. TOTTENHAM 3 MAN UNITED 5 SEPTEMBER 2001

This match goes in because it gave us a remarkable Manchester United comeback – a trademark feature from the modern era’s most successful team. United were not at the races in the first half, as Tottenham rushed into a 3-0 lead. But a blast of the Ferguson hairdryer at the interval did the trick. Within a minute of the restart, Andy Cole headed a goal back. Laurent Blanc soon added a second and, with United rampant, Ruud van Nistelrooy headed the visitors level.

There was only one winner after that, and Juan Sebastian Veron put the Reds in front, before David Beckham blasted home their fifth goal in a famous 5-3 win. This was reportedly Ferguson’s favourite game of his incredible 27 years at Old Trafford – and that’s good enough for me.

4. ARSENAL 4 TOTTENHAM 4 OCTOBER 2008

This was just glorious chaos – an underrated quality of the Premier League – as Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham fought back to claim an extraordinary draw at bitter rivals Arsenal. David Bentley’s stunning early strike put Spurs in front but Arsenal took control after that and seemed set for victory when Robin van Persie put them 4-2 ahead midway through the second half. However, Jermaine Jenas curled home a superb 89th-minute goal and then, in stoppage-time, a deflected shot from Luka Modric bounced off the post and a gleeful Aaron Lennon diverted the ball in for 4-4. Spurs fans, those left in the ground anyway, went wild. The Gunners were dumbstruck.

5. EVERTON 3 WIMBLEDON 2 MAY 1994

This game just makes my list for reasons of both drama and importance – the Premier League so nearly lost one of its marquee clubs. Mike Walker’s Everton needed to beat Wimbledon to have a chance of surviving at the end of the 1993/94 season, but they fell 2-0 behind after Dean Holdsworth’s early penalty and Gary Ablett’s own goal. A Graham Stuart spotkick gave Everton hope just before half-time but Goodison Park grew ever more frantic in the second half. A brilliant Barry Horne strike gave the hosts renewed optimism, before a shot from Stuart nine minutes from time bobbled beyond Hans Segers and into the net for a 3-2 victory. Other results went their way too and Everton, to the immense relief of their joyous fans, stayed up.