There is nothing better in football than seeing your side come back from being behind to pull off the impossible, with limbs flying everywhere as the winning goal goes in.
This article is a testament to that often-unfounded resolve we see in this sport we love. So, here at Football FanCast we have gathered a list of what we believe are the greatest Premier League comebacks.
10 Everton 3-2 Wimbledon – 1993/94 Toffees stick it out in the top-flight
Everton were top-flight champions back in 1986/87, yet a few years down the line, they found themselves looking down the barrel at the prospect of playing in the old First Division (now Championship).
On the final day, visitors Wimbledon were 0-2 up before Everton clawed back even with Graham Stuart’s penalty before Barry Horne whipped up an absolute wonderstrike and easy goal of the season contender. Stuart got a bobbling second goal of the game nine minutes from time to send Goodison into relieved jubilation. Ecstatic Everton survived, Sheffield United were condemned to the drop instead.
9 Manchester United 3-2 Newcastle United – 2017/18 Mourinho mastery spares blushes late on against Magpies
Our second featured game isn’t quite ‘Fergie Time’ territory, yet José Mourinho’s Red Devils battled back after two early wake-up calls against travelling Magpies. Kenedy and Yoshinori Muto scored inside ten minutes and had the home fans booing at the break.
However, this game proved as one of a few brief, brilliant Mourinho displays in what was an often-tumultuous spell at Old Trafford. The Portuguese, who brought Alexis Sanchez, Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini off the bench in pursuit of victory, saw his side re-energised after the break, when two of his three substitutes found the net.
It was a quick double from Mata (70’) and Martial (76’) before 90 minutes excel further. Alexis Sanchez truly saved the blushes and put a calamitous start to the back of the collective mind.
8 Manchester City 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur Man. City's machine march through Spurs
In the face of Tottenham’s near-whimsical scoring approach to this game at the Etihad – machine-like City employed their robots to destroy the hopeful Hotspur last season.
In one of a number of games that depict City’s true title winning ability under Pep, this one was another example of watching the score change with a single tear running down your face. Even though the Citizens saw two strikes separated by just two minutes at the end of the first half, with scorers Julian Alvarez (x1), Erling Haaland (x1), and Riyad Mahrez (x2) – Guardiola’s side projected an ever-present air of inevitability.
Their 116th charge should be that they’re too good at football.
7 Newcastle 4-3 Leicester – 1996/97 Shearer's Tyneside trifecta finishes Foxes
Matt Elliott, Steve Claridge and Emile Heskey put Leicester in a commanding 1-3 lead and what looked like cruise control. However, a Geordie deity intervened in pretty divine fashion.
In the match’s second half, Alan Shearer racked up a performance for the history books. 13 minutes was all it took for the arm-raising front man to notch a superb hat-trick to put the newly employed Kenny Dalglish’s side back in title contention.
Although they’d fall short to old foes Manchester United at the end of the term, it was a blistering scoring sequence and perhaps a benchmark to aim for once more as the latest instalment of inspired Magpies find themselves with Champions League and look to continue at the right end of the table.
6 Manchester City 2-3 Fulham – 2007-08 Lights, Kamara, action – City falter as Fulham beat the drop
To me, Diomansy Kamara was magic. Perhaps it was because back in 2007-08 I had his Match Attax card. Maybe it was the fact that I liked his un-arsed flicking hand-on-ear celebration. He could score a most spectacular strike, yet it’d be added to a catalogue of hand-shaking mastery – uniform in celebration.
Admittedly, I’d perhaps built on his legacy of 12 league goals in 59 games for Fulham too much in my head. However, he was responsible for sealing three key points against Manchester City.
At the Etihad, Fulham came back from two-down to practically cement their Premier League status that term. In a particularly unforgiving season where Derby County went down with a record lowest points tally of 11, 2007-08 saw the West-London side stay up after cancelling out both Stephen Ireland and Benjani’s strikes. Kamara pulled one back, before ‘ol faithful Danny Murphy levelled.
Even better, a fine ball then picked out the Senegal international in the inside left channel. He blasted powerfully into the roof of the net to leave Joe Hart helpless and manager Roy Hodgson boundless in survival joy.
5 West Brom 5-5 Manchester United – 2012/13 Lukaku sacks off Fergie's retirement party and bags Baggies' hat-trick to nick a point
Amazingly, pipping Premier League relegation drama – West Brom came back from 2-5 in just five minutes to get a point against Manchester United in May of 2013.
The league champions strode to a comfortable 0-3 lead through Shinji Kagawa, a Jonas Olsson own goal and then an Alexander Buttner strike. James Morrison reduced the deficit and a formative, exciting Romelu Lukaku made it 3-2 off the bench before Robin van Persie and Chicharito put the hosts in front, a menacing 2-5.
Lukaku, simply oozing quality in a term where he’d eventually notch 17 in 37 games on loan from Chelsea – got a late double and then Youssouf Mulumbu denied United three points. This stunning fight back not only boosted West Brom’s term as they eventually finished eighth, but it also stopped Sir Alex Ferguson from getting a 1,500th (and final) Manchester United win. Retirement party ruined just a smidge, cheers Baggies.
4 Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool – 2013/14 'Crystanbul'
The media and fan dubbing of ‘Crystanbul’ tells you all you need to know about this one. Liverpool effectively threw their first title in 24 years away by dropping points against Palace at a rocking Selhurst Park.
Luis Suarez was in tears, Brendan Rodgers was bereft, and Stevie G was stumped. Initially carving out a consummate 3-0 lead with Joe Allen, a Damien Delaney own goal and then Suarez strike – pressure on Manchester City looked set to continue into the very last knockings of the season.
However, Crystal Palace didn’t care for Liverpool’s near-quarter-of-a-decade wait for the title. Three goals flummoxed the Reds in the final 11 minutes. Delaney amended his prior blunder and then Dwight Gayle shook the stands in South London and Manchester alike as the Citizens went on to triumph.
3 Norwich 4-5 Liverpool – 2015/16 Lateshow Lallana seals comeback in Norwich nine-goal thriller
Where the last game spelled tragedy for Liverpool, in the same vein it comes as a pleasant precursor for 2015/16’s dramatic victory against Norwich.
Where signs of that killer instinct that settles matches and seasons had been missing, this win at Carrow Road reflected a changing landscape under the eccentric Jurgen Klopp as he forged a team of ‘mentality giants’ as the club rebounded from trophy turmoil to a new era where winning would be a characterising feature.
Dieumerci Mbokani, Steven Naismith and Wes Hoolahan had put Norwich 3-1 up, but Liverpool hit back to lead 4-3 via Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino's second of the game and James Milner. Alex Neil thought his side had salvaged a point when Sebastien Bassong equalised in the 92nd minute of the contest, but Adam Lallana had other ideas as he pounced onto a delicious half volley into Declan Rudd’s top left corner. It's a shirt off run for a bundle from Lallana.
Klopp sacrificed a pair of glasses in the commotion. It was definitely worth it in this formative, era-defining moment.
2 Newcastle United 4-4 Arsenal – 2010/11 Late magic from a late Newcastle icon
Our second placed comeback comes again via Newcastle United. Back in February 2011, Alan Pardew’s side came back from four goals down and snatched a point – all while deep into the second half of play.
The fans that decided to stay at St. James were treated to the sublime as four goals were scored in the final 22 minutes. The hosts were blown away in the first period with Theo Walcott, Johan Djourou, and two from Robin van Persie caused the damage.
However, the dismissal of Abou Diaby five minutes into the second spell signalled a change in momentum and Joey Barton got the first of two successful penalties on 68 minutes. Leon Best’s strike was sandwiched between those before the late-Cheick Tiote finished the scoring in the 87th minute with a long-range piledriver volley that found the bottom left corner with expert quality.
It was a serious comeback, and a truly serious style of goal to be synonymous with – especially given Tiote’s tragic death just six years later.
1 Manchester City 3-2 Queens Park Rangers – 2011/12
Aguerooooooooooooo
What can I write here? It’s one of the most iconic Premier League moments. I think any English football fan would have it up there in the last 15 years especially. Regardless of where loyalties may lie, that goal and its subsequent Martin Tyler-explosion commentary sent ripples around the football world as the giant of Manchester City had touched down into Barclays history.
The red half of Manchester sighed as the gap between them and their rivals slimmed considerably. Their side bumbled to a mere 0-1 win away at Sunderland – City with it still all to play for – were yet to exhale as their game crept steadily into the very depths of additional time.
Pablo Zabaleta had netted the opener for Roberto Mancini's side, yet Djibril Cisse levelled for QPR. Even worse, they then went ahead through Jamie Mackie, despite Joey Barton's dismissal. That said, Edin Dzeko gave City a lifeline with his head before Sergio Aguero snatched his club’s first top-flight title in 44 years and bound himself deep within the pages of the Premier League’s history book.