Sergio Aguero's iconic title

Release time：2024-05-22 01:43:50 Source：Culture Compass news portal

The Premier League has witnessed matches so bonkers that you will struggle to forget where you were when the craziness began to unfold for our viewing pleasure.

On Thursday, it was the turn of Stamford Bridge to stage an instant classic as Manchester United snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, allowing Chelsea’s Cole Palmer to score twice in the dying seconds of stoppage time.

After witnessing the Premier League’s latest-ever comeback, Mail Sport gathered our 10 favourite maddest matches.

Cole Palmer was Chelsea's hero as he struck twice late on to help his side beat Man United

His 101st-minute strike deflected off Scott McTominay and went in to seal a stunning comeback

Man United somehow snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at Stamford Bridge

Man City 3-2 QPR - Etihad Stadium (May 2012) 

The sort of afternoon when you remember where you were, as Sergio Aguero hammered Manchester City to a first league title in 44 years on the most dramatic day in Premier League history. 

Players at City thought the hard work had been done, that relegation-threatened QPR would pose no problems to Roberto Mancini’s side lifting the title ahead of rivals Manchester United. 

Pablo Zabaleta opened the scoring and at half-time City were cruising. Even when Djibril Cisse equalised, Joey Barton saw red for elbowing Carlos Tevez. But Jamie Mackie scored again for the 10 men and City were floored when chasing the game.

United, winning at Sunderland, had the crown in their grasp. Edin Dzeko headed in a 90th-minute equaliser and all still appeared lost until Aguero etched his name into legend with seconds to spare.

Sergio Aguero scored in the 94th minute to win the title for Man City in 2012

His goal sparked pandemonium in the stands as City ended their long wait for a league title

Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle - Anfield (April 1996) 

Once widely regarded as the greatest Premier League match of all-time, it was the ultimate rollercoaster. 

Liverpool scored first after a couple of minutes, Newcastle fought back to lead 2-1, Liverpool levelled, Newcastle restored their advantage and Liverpool equalised again. 

Then, Stan Collymore’s late finish left Toon boss Kevin Keegan slumped by the railings — the title advantage handed to Manchester United.

Stan Collymore scored a dramatic late winner to settle a seven-goal thriller between Liverpool and Newcastle in 1996

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan was devastated after his side handed the initiative to Man United in the title race

Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (November 2023) 

Wild, wonderful, bonkers, brilliant, chaotic and controversial. 

Five goals were scored, five were disallowed, and Spurs had men sent off for acts of stupidity in each half. Mauricio Pochettino’s return became an after-thought.

Cristian Romero was sent off in the first half of Tottenham's clash with Chelsea in November

Destiny Udogie was also given his marching orders shortly after half time

Nicolas Jackson took full advantage of Spurs being reduced to nine men by scoring a hat-trick

Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal - St James' Park (February 2011) 

Three goals down after 10 minutes. Presumably not the game plan Alan Pardew had relayed to his Newcastle team beforehand. 

It got worse: Robin van Persie scored a fourth midway through the first half. The context for this afternoon for Newcastle was that Andy Carroll had been sold to Liverpool for £35million a week before — a move the Gallowgate didn’t approve of.

There were a lack of alternatives up front and it threatened to become ugly, only for Abou Diaby’s sending off to spark the unlikeliest of revivals. In between two Joey Barton penalties, Leon Best — who had barely featured all season — slotted in. 

And it was left to the late Cheick Tiote to volley home. Four-four and the Ivorian running around St James’ Park in delirium.

Cheick Tiote rescued a point for Newcastle after they had been four goals down to Arsenal

Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham - Stamford Bridge (May 2016) 

The Battle of the Bridge. 

It was an exercise in insanity, both for the appalling discipline from each side and also the manner in which Spurs ended their title challenge to Leicester. 

They coughed up a two-goal lead in the second half and Pochettino saw no fewer than nine of his men booked. Chelsea baited them; Spurs gobbled it up. 

Nine Tottenham players were booked in the Battle of the Bridge back in 2016

Spurs' players were unable to keep their cool as Chelsea ended their title hopes

Man United 4-3 Man City - Old Trafford (September 2009) 

City had been described by Sir Alex Ferguson as ‘noisy neighbours’ after nicking Tevez from Old Trafford so the stakes were high when Michael Owen’s last-gasp winner ensured Manchester stayed red for the time being. 

United led three times only for City to level on each occasion, the final time by Craig Bellamy in the 90th minute. Four minutes of stoppage time were announced but it was two minutes over that when Ryan Giggs fed Owen for an ice-cool finish. 

The legend of Fergie-time was cemented, leaving City boss Mark Hughes furious.

Michael Owen poked home the winning goal in the Manchester derby in 2009

Norwich 4-5 Liverpool - Carrow Road (January 2016) 

At the end of this one, Jurgen Klopp had his glasses smashed in the most frenzied of celebrations. 

Alas, he might have regretted wearing them for the previous 95 minutes. This was a glorious mess of a game — Liverpool led, fell 3-1 behind, went 4-3 up and then seemingly blew it all over again by conceding two minutes into stoppage time. 

Their defending was dire, but then Adam Lallana made a minor classic of it all by volleying the winner a few moments later.

Adam Lallana was mobbed by his team-mates and Jurgen Klopp after scoring a late winner in a nine-goal classic against Norwich

Portsmouth 7-4 Reading - Fratton Park (September 2007) 

It’s got its own Wikipedia page this one: the highest-scoring game in Premier League history. 

Nine separate scorers, two own goals. Niko Kranjcar scoring for a Harry Redknapp team, which feels poetic on a day of such significance. Nicky Shorey missed a penalty for Reading as well. 

Incredibly, it was only 2-1 at the break before the floodgates opened — Pompey striker Benjani ending up with a hattrick. 

Redknapp was enthused by the carnival, comparing it to the 1960 European Cup final when Real Madrid beat Frankfurt 7-3. Like that, but with Benjani.

Benjani (centre) scored a hat-trick as Portsmouth beat Reading 7-4 back in 2007

Man United 8-2 Arsenal - Old Trafford (August 2011) 

Once the fiercest club rivalry of them all, the growing gap between United and Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal was cruelly exposed in scarcely believable circumstances at Old Trafford. 

Arsenal’s worst defeat since 1896 was triggered by a hat-trick from Wayne Rooney as they were outclassed in every department of the pitch. 

Building a new stadium had restricted the Gunners’ ability to compete in the transfer market and it showed in their team sheet with Carl Jenkinson (sent off late on) and Francis Coquelin where Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira had once been. 

No wonder Van Persie then opted to swap clubs.

Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick as Man United thrashed Arsenal 8-2 in 2011

Robin van Persie left Arsenal to join Man United the following year after that humiliating defeat

Chelsea 4-3 Man United - Stamford Bridge (April 2024) 

The latest-ever comeback in Premier League history as we learned the chaos that can occur when two unstable forces collide. 

Manchester United thought they had completed their own turnaround after going from trailing 2-0 to leading 3-2. Then, in the 10th minute of stoppage time, Cole Palmer made it 3-3. Then, in the 11th minute, Palmer made it 4-3 to turn Stamford Bridge into a sea of limbs as Chelsea celebrated having won an instant Premier League classic. 

Even Mauricio Pochettino, a manager yet to win over his new fanbase, given his history with Tottenham, led the cheerleading of the celebrations as he soaked it all up.

Cole Palmer scored twice deep into stoppage time to complete his hat-trick and a stunning comeback win for Chelsea

Related articles