The ‘cricket score’ cliche has never sat well with football. Even the greatest collapses in Test match history yield scores in double figures. Piling on a ‘tennis tie-break’ of a score may not be as catchy but it was more accurate across Europe this weekend.
Champions League newcomers Slavia Prague destroyed Zlin 7-1 in the Czech championship, Estonia’s Vaprus Pärnu beat Ajax Lasnamäe by the same score and in Georgia, Dinamo Tbilisi won their ‘tie break’ to love against Dinamo Batumi. Hugo Almeida’s 88th minute goal in Werder Bremen’s 8-1 humiliation of Armenia Bielefeld spoiled the sequence ever so slightly.
On Monday night we were treated to a remarkable Tottenham fightback in their 4-4 draw with Aston Villa but even that could not match Saturday’s 7-4 victory for Portsmouth against Reading. Setting a new Premier League record for goals scored in one match, it also began a debate on our football site in a poll to decide on the most memorable highest scoring game of the past fifteen seasons.
Manchester United 9 Ipswich Town 0, March 4 1995
Liverpool had eight different scorers when they beat Crystal Palace by the same margin in their championship winning season five years earlier but United needed just four. Led by five Andy Cole goals, the margin would have swung the title had it gone to goal difference. Instead Blackburn nicked it by a point.
Blackburn Rovers 7 Sheffield Wednesday 2, Aug 25 1997
A season later they would be relegated, but Blackburn led the league briefly in August 1997 after their 7-2 win over a Wednesday side who were top at a similar stage a season before. Despite the margin of victory, the game was best remembered for two spectacular Benito Carbone goals.
Nottingham Forest 1 Manchester United 8, Feb 6 1999
Only three goalscorers were needed this time as a brace each for Cole and Dwight Yorke and four in the last ten minutes from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave United the biggest victory of their treble winning season. Three months later Solskjaer would be called upon for an altogether more important last-minute strike.
Tottenham Hotspur 7 Southampton 2, March 11 2000
Seven years ago Glenn Hoddle endured a horrific return to White Hart Lane as Southampton boss. His side took the lead twice, mind. It was just that they gave it up rather spectacularly the second time around.
How Martin Jol would love a 7-2 victory over the next week or two. We know now they can score a lot of goals…
Padraic Halpin, London
Photo: Tottenham Hotspur’s Robbie Keane celebrates after scoring against Aston Villa during their 4-4 draw, October 1, 2007. REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico
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[...] wrote an interesting post today on Just like old times as the goal fly inHere’s a quick [...]
- Posted by Itsrev.Com » Just like old times as the goal fly inSome of those games you mention were just walkovers. What about the Liverpool Newcastle 4-3 (at least the first one). Thanks largely to David James that was an absolute classic. I’d take a 4-3 over a 9-0 any day.
- Posted by RafaYeah Rafa has a point.
With scores like 9-0 and 8-1, goals become less significant, and one’s general emotions towards the game are pity and humour.
Whereas with games like Newcastle v Liverpool, the last minute winners and fight backs will have even the most neutral supporters on the edge of their seats.
My personal 3 favourites of recent times would be:
Arsenal 5-4 Spurs
Man Utd 5-3 Spurs
Man City 4-3 Spurs
I have nothing against Spurs, it just seems to be that they’re always on the wrong end of some spectacular game.
- Posted by Andy GloverAndy - are you sure you’re not a Gooner given those suggestions??
But fair points made by yourself and Rafa, the list wasn’t so much one of classic matches but just the most goals and each one of those games was a bit messy really.
Maybe it’s time for a high scoring classics list? May I add the Liverpool 3 Manchester United 3 early nineties classic to the list?
Any other suggestions?
- Posted by Padraic Halpin