Remarkable Last Matchday Moments in the Premier League
As the 2023-24 season is rushing to its conclusion, we decided to take a look at the most noteworthy last-gasp happenings in the Premier League.
As a part of our series of historic Premier League moments, today we will cover final matchdays. These 10 moments have gotten the adrenaline pumping for many English football fans, as we have witnessed titles decided, relegations avoided (or not), and everything in between.
You can read other articles on the topic about comebacks, tactical tweaks and important transfers on our website.
Naturally, since the same game outcome can resonate differently in people, this is not meant to be a complete list. Apart from what you will be reading below in more detail, we would like to hand an honorary mention to the 2007-08 season, which saw Roy Hodgson’s Fulham make a late escape from relegation by beating Portsmouth to send Reading and Birmingham City down instead.
Also worthy of a mention here is the way Manchester United, on the final day of the 1998-99 season, fell behind to Tottenham, then came back to win the game and the title (courtesy of goals from David Beckham and Andy Cole). They went on to secure English football’s first ever treble by adding that season’s FA Cup and Champions League trophies to the Premier League one.
So what had us at the edge of our seats on final matchdays?
1992-93: Oldham Defeat Southampton to Stay Up
Having secured promotion in 1991, Oldham were one of the founding members of the EPL. In 1993, with 3 games in 7 days to play, they were 6 points short of safety.
On the final Saturday of that season, they needed 3 more points, after beating Villa (then in contention for the title) and Liverpool.
Even though Matt LeTissier scored a hat-trick for the Saints, Oldham overcame the odds and won 4-3, securing their Premier League status.
As with any ‘great escape’, there were slices of luck. The biggest one was probably Crystal Palace losing 0-3 to Arsenal and going down a division by finishing level on points (49) with Oldham, but two goals worse off.
2021-22: Liverpool’s Quadruple Dreams End
The Reds, having already won the season’s FA Cup and League Cup, and already knowing that they would be facing Real Madrid in the Champions League final, were hoping to achieve what no side had ever before: the Quadruple.
Manchester City stood in their way. The Cityzens knew that a victory against Aston Villa would clinch them the Premier League title, but were 2 goals down going into the final 15 minutes of the season.
However, City scored 3 times in 5 minutes to overcome the odds and, despite Liverpool beating Wolves 3-1, secured the title.
The Reds would lose the UCL final and resign themselves with the domestic cups wins that season.
2004-05: West Brom Albion Avoid the Drop
Being 8 points away from safety on Christmas Day, the writing was on the wall for the Baggies.
Still bottom as the final day began, they needed a win against Portsmouth, while, for the first time ever, no team was mathematically relegated as the last matchday was starting.
Bryan Robson’s side left the best for the second half, when Geoff Horsfield and Kieran Richardson scored a goal each to win the game for WBA. Norwich and Southampton lost, Palace drew, and so all 3 teams went down, with the Baggies’ fans invading the pitch once their team’s Premier League status was confirmed.
It was the first time ever that a team sitting bottom at Christmas avoided the drop.
1995-96: Information Is Power as Manchester City Drop Due to Confusion
In much different times, Manchester City went into the final day in ‘96 knowing that they needed to get a better result than either Coventry or Southampton to stay up.
Towards the end of their home game against Liverpool, with the score 2-2, City manager Alan Ball had heard that Coventry were losing to Leeds, so figured a draw is enough. City were then running down the clock by taking the ball to the corner flag.
Then Niall Quinn, having been subbed off, was keeping an eye on proceedings elsewhere. Since the results were all of a sudden not going City’s way, he was dashing back up the tunnel to inform his manager and teammates that a win against the Reds was needed.
However the Manchester outfit could not find another goal with minutes to spare, meaning that they went down due to false information.
Hard to imagine a similar scenario in today’s smartphone-centric era.
2005-06: Dodgy Lasagna (or Virus) Leaves Spurs Out of Champions League
Martin Jol’s Tottenham went into the final day of the season chasing fourth spot, neck-in-neck with North London rivals Arsenal.
Spurs knew that a win against West Ham would mean that the Gunners, playing Wigan at the old Highbury Stadium, would finish fifth, so Tottenham would play UCL football the following season.
Arsenal won their game 4-2 thanks to a Thierry Henry hat-trick, so it was up to Spurs to win as well.
Tottenham made requests for the West Ham game to be delayed, as many Lilywhites players were severely ill the night before. While the team hotel’s lasagna was initially blamed, an official investigation cleared the hotel and placed the blame at the door of a virus.
Spurs went on to lose 2-1 and finish fifth in the table that season, missing out on Champions League football.
2010-11: Relegation Battle Thrills During Season Finale
The only major unknown going into the final day of the season was the identity of all the teams in the drop zone. Manchester United had secured the title, the Champions League spots were taken, so everyone was focused on the bottom 3.
While bottom side West Ham was confirmed to be playing Championship football next season, there was only one point separating 19th (Wigan) and 15th (Blackburn) place. So aside from these two, Blackpool, Birmingham and Wolves were also deeply embroiled in the battle to avoid the drop.
While Wigan and Blackpool started their games under the line, the Latics managed a scrappy 1-0 win away to Stoke, thus saving themselves for another season.
Blackpool looked like they might still play Premier League football come August 2011, but ended up on the losing side of a 4-2 result against Manchester United.
It was Birmingham City who joined them and the Hammers into the second division, because of a Roman Pavlyuchenko 93rd minute goal handing them a 2-1 defeat against Tottenham.
This was a bitter pill to swallow for the Birmingham fans, who had witnessed their team win the League Cup that season with a shock 2-1 win over Arsenal in the final.
1999-2000: Bradford Condemn Wimbledon With Win Over Liverpool
Bradford City made the best of their slim chances of avoiding relegation that season by beating UCL-chasing Liverpool at home on the final day.
A 1-0 win, courtesy of a David Wetherall header, ensured that Bradford stayed up for another season, sparking wild celebrations with fans on the pitch after the final whistle.
Wimbledon, who went down because of this result, had been in the top division for 14 consecutive seasons. They never managed to come back up.
1993-94: Everton Stay Up
Back when the Premier League had 22 teams, the Toffees were sitting in 20th place, one point away from safety.
Swindon had been mathematically relegated, Oldham were very likely to join them, while Ipswich, Sheffield United and Southampton were also battling each other and Everton to avoid the dreaded drop.
Goodison Park welcomed 6th place Wimbledon on the final day. The blue side of Liverpool were fearing the worst as the visitors rushed into a 2-0 lead after only 20 minutes. It was looking like a long afternoon, with bitter disappointment at the end of it.
But Everton had other ideas. Only 4 minutes later, Graham Stuart halved the deficit with a penalty goal, and Barry Horne made it 2-2 with a little over 20 minutes left to play.
In the 81st minute Stuart scored the winning goal for Everton, ensuring that they did their best. Now all they could do was wait for news.
As it turned out, the Toffees finished safely in 17th place. Ipswich and Southampton managed draws in their games, securing their own Premier League statuses.
The team first under the relegation line ended up being Sheffield United, who suffered heartbreak at the hands of a last minute Chelsea goal.
Will we see a similar situation this season?
1994-95: Blackburn Rovers Win Premier League Title
Blackburn headed to Anfield on the final day of the season while sitting at the top of the table, 2 points ahead of Manchester United.
The Red Devils had the superior goal difference, so they were aware that a win against West Ham United would hand them the title in the event of a Rovers slip up.
Blackburn lost 2-1 at Anfield despite going into the lead, as Manchester United could only muster a 1-1 draw at Upton Park. Kenny Dalglish’s Rovers thus managed to win their first title in over 80 years.
2011-12: Agueroooooooo!
This moment can not be left out of any list involving final matchday drama.
Manchester City went into the final day at home against Queens Park Rangers knowing that they had to match local rivals United’s result in their away game against Sunderland.
In the 66th minute, QPR were 2-1 up and it all seemed lost for the Cityzens. United did their job, won 1-0 and waited for the finale.
And what a finale it was! After Edin Dzeko’s injury time equaliser, the drama reached its highest point with 93 minutes and 20 seconds on the clock, when Sergio Aguero ensured his place in City and Premier League history.
This was Manchester City’s first title in 44 years, but also put them on a path of near-absolute dominance of the division, as they have won another 6 titles since then, including the last 3 seasons in a row.