Today, I shall like to present you a cocktail of top 10 Premier League games from 90 onwards, which happened to be the most unbelievable comebacks as well. After all, we can all agree that there's still nothing like looking back at your teams and gazing nostalgically into the distance as you remember their glory days. Perhaps those days were marked by one of football history's most dramatic games so, let’s take a brief look at the unforgettable match-ups that could make the cut.
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(10) Liverpool 3-3 Manchester United (1993-94)
This is one of the oldest classic Premier League comebacks. Bruce's header to get Man United's first goal on the board was just the start of this thrilling encounter. Heavy celebrations from Bruce were criticized, but were soon forgotten about when Giggs' fine footwork allowed him to hammer in a shot top-right goal from outside the box; Irwin's free-kick then made it 3-0.
We all know that's not the end of the story, however. Clough's pinpoint accuracy allowed the beginning of Liverpool's comeback to make it 3-1, not to mention another goal from him to make it 3-2. Grobbelaar's save kept Liverpool's dreams alive, but my, oh, my if it wasn't Ruddock's cross in the 70th minute that allowed Liverpool to finish 3-3.
- Match Highlights
(9) Newcastle United 4-3 Leicester City (1996-97)
This was around the time that Alan Shearer's talent as a striker was still world-class, and there's no better reminder of this than Newcastle's 4-3 victory over Leicester City. In an unforgettable display of his talents, Shearer managed to pull off a hat trick in order to bring his side to the point of victory at the desperate moments of the match (77', 83' and 90'). His first two were absolute screamer's, yet the fact that his final goal was the result of a scrappy bit of footwork really didn't matter: Newcastle still emerged the winners.
- Match Highlights
(8) Leeds United 4-3 Derby County (1997-98)
Leeds' glory days feel much further in the past than 1997, but this was the year they made an astonishing rebound in order to finish 4-3 against Derby. In the match, Derby initially gained an easy 3-0 lead with help from Sturridge and Asanovic, but Leeds had already replied with two goals before halftime even began. A penalty in the second half allowed Leeds to equalize, and everyone still remembers the zinger from Bowyer during injury time that gave Leeds their deserved glory.
- Match Highlights
(7) Tottenham Spurs 3-5 Manchester United (2001-02)
Alex Ferguson's (that's right, the boss was in) consistent ability to guide his side through the other end of some heroic comebacks again proved invaluable in 2001. Till the halftime United had to walk on burning coals and Tottenham was ahead with 3-0, but there was an underlying feeling of hope that only Fergie could install in his players and their fans. To everyone's amaze, the Man United presented a strong comeback in the 2nd half, as goals from Cole, Blanc, Van Nistelrooy, Scholes, and Veron brought the team to one of the greatest victories ever seen in the Premier League history.
- Match Highlights
(6) Norwich 4-4 Middlesbrough (2004-5)
A spectacular match, only this time with Norwich coming back (as they had a habit of doing) to quite literally level the playing field. Norwich City took an early 1-0 lead with a goal from Francis, giving a positive outlook to the fans. Middlesbrough soon seemed to crush their spirits with a devastating 4 goals in a row, leaving Norwich 4-1 down until the final 10 minutes. Then, in one of the most ridiculously eventful closing 10-minute periods of a match ever, Norwich managed to pull it back to 4-4. The first comeback goal looked certain to be a consolation, but Norwich's sublime performance resulted in one of the greatest Premier League comeback draws of all time. Well, imagine if you catch a crazy high odd on draws like this, I am sure you would celebrate like him.
- Match Highlights
(5) Bolton 2-3 Arsenal (2007-08)
Yet another classic comeback in Premier League history, Bolton managed to get themselves 2 goals clear of Wenger's Arsenal in March 2008. Though Arsenal were also a man down, they still managed to construct a comeback that took just 30 minutes, with an own goal deflected off Fabregas sealing the deal in the 93rd minute.
- Match Highlights
(4) Tottenham 4-4 Aston Villa (2007-8)
It wasn't just league position on the line in this match: Spurs manager Martin Jol's job was also on the line. Jol's position looked pretty shaky when Villa managed to end up 4-1 in the lead, however, as is always the case with the unbelievable matches and teams though, things didn't remain comfortable for long. Tottenham managed an incredible comeback, with goals being hammered in by Chimbonda, Kaboul, and Keane - 3 goals in 30 minutes and shocked the whole world with their willpower.
- Match Highlights
(3) Newcastle United 4-4 Arsenal (2010-11)
Newcastle's 2011 comeback against Arsenal is another that deserves all of the recognition it still gets today. Newcastle looked certain to be down and out before the second half even began, trailing 4-0 at that point. However, in a comeback marking the only time a Premier League team came back from a 4-goal deficit to draw a match, Newcastle managed their astonishing comeback, with Cheick Tiote's left-foot volley (and equalizer) taking Arsenals shambles of defense by complete surprise.
- Match Highlights
(2) Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool (2013-14)
If you listen carefully, you can still hear the last whispers of the once-deafening echoes of joy coming from Crystal Palace fans at Selhurst Park. Their ear-splitting cries came as a result of their team clawing their way back out of the jaws of what seemed like certain defeat. It was bad enough for Liverpool that they drew with Palace, but to make matters worse, it was Palace's resolve that dashed Liverpool's chances at winning the title that year. This was the second most impactful comeback of all times that is hard to forget and could not be excluded from the top games list.
- Match Highlights
(1) Leicester City 5-3 Manchester United (2014-15)
Another recent Premier-level turnaround, Leicester's ridiculous victory over Man United is still felt by fans across the globe. In true United Form, the team were comfortably ahead at 3-1, but what happened next shocked the world. Leicester scored 4 times in the space of 20 minutes to not only allow them a victory but also to move them to 6th place in the league. To my knowledge, the downfall of Manchester United had already begun by then, years have passed but we are still hoping for a recovery, the light of which is fading away.
- Match Highlights
It was really challenging to select the games for this list with respect to their difficulty/sensation levels so, the descending order may not fully justify the intensity of the matches. Therefore, it was more appropriate to align them in accordance with the occurrence of those events. Nonetheless, they all have a special place in history and it would be nearly impossible to erase their profound imprints. Thank you for reading.
Which of these could possibly be in your top 10 list?
Originally posted on my "Scorum Blog" Top 10 Most Sensational Games of the Premier League
