Ranking the Top 20 Best Matches of the Premier League Season
Another remarkable Premier League season has drawn to a close, and here at B/R, we've collated the 20 best games of the 2014-15 campaign.
We've largely valued entertainment and quantity of goals over anything specifically tactical, reminiscing about the most end-to-end, shocking or edge-of-the-seat matches that took place.
What are you waiting for? Get stuck in and relive another fantastic season.
20. Manchester United 4-0 Queens Park Rangers
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At the beginning of Louis van Gaal's reign there weren't many things to smile about, as the results were poor and the performances were questionable, but Manchester United 4-0 Queens Park Rangers was just a remarkable day for the home side at Old Trafford.
It was one of those games where everything just clicked; Angel Di Maria and Ander Herrera scored their first goals for the club, captain Wayne Rooney bagged one and Radamel Falcao made his debut off the bench.
They played exhilarating football out of a midfield diamond, prompting many to believe the club had turned a corner.
19. Manchester City 2-2 Burnley
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At Christmas, it genuinely looked like Burnley were going to stay up, and that was largely due to a nice run involving two wins, three draws and just two losses in a seven-game stretch.
The most eye-popping result of the lot was a dramatic 2-2 draw at Manchester City, as despite going two down at the Etihad Stadium, the Clarets recovered and snagged a late equaliser through Ashley Barnes—and what a goal it was.
18. Liverpool 1-3 Crystal Palace
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For Liverpool supporters this was a special day, but given that it all went oh-so-terribly wrong, it was a special day for the club's detractors too. Double-whammy.
It was Steven Gerrard's Anfield farewell. It was his big goodbye. There was a procession, a media circus and the red carpet was practically laid down for him. Emotional stuff. Fans waved farewell to a club legend, with many fighting back tears and some opting to let them flow.
But on the pitch, horror ensued: Despite Adam Lallana giving the Reds the lead, Crystal Palace fought back, scored three goals, could have scored three more, and Jason Puncheon stole the highlights package with a wonderful free-kick.
Palace continue to haunt Gerrard's dreams.
17. Swansea City 2-1 Arsenal
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Arsenal have come a long way since losing 2-1 to Swansea City in November 2014, and it's a match that perfectly exemplified their defensive ineptitude pre-Francis Coquelin.
Jefferson Montero, a summer signing following a good FIFA World Cup 2014, tore poor Calum Chambers to shreds on the left wing, dancing around him and racing past him with ease.
Alexis Sanchez had given the Gunners the lead with a tap-in, but the Swans countered at will and eventually scored the two required to complete the comeback. Bafetimbi Gomis grabbed the winner.
16. Newcastle United 3-3 Burnley
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New Year's Day 2015 is famous for a certain London-based game (which we shall come to later), but Newcastle United 3-3 Burnley deservedly makes the list and really spoilt us for entertaining football that day.
It was John Carver's first game in charge due to Alan Pardew's exit to Crystal Palace, and six goals were shared between two teams who would later fight relegation full in the face.
George Boyd scored the third and final equaliser late on for the Clarets, and it was a feat made even more impressive by the fact that his side had to use all three substitutions due to injuries sustained during the contest.
15. Swansea City 2-4 Manchester City
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On the penultimate weekend of the season, Swansea City and Manchester City went head-to-head, no holds barred, at the Liberty Stadium. Neither side had anything but pride to play for, and it produced an enthralling contest.
David Silva, Sergio Aguero and James Milner's link-up was sublime, Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a world-class strike, Joe Hart made arguably the save of the season by tipping Federico Fernandez's header over, and Wilfried Bony managed to score on his former stomping ground after coming off the bench.
That's a lot to sink your teeth into.
14. Stoke City 6-1 Liverpool
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Brendan Rodgers entered the final weekend of the Premier League season under serious pressure from the Liverpool owners. He conspired to increase the load on his shoulders as his Reds side were swept away 6-1 by Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
It was the first time in 62 years that the Merseyside club had conceded six, with Mame Diouf, Peter Crouch and Jonathan Walters all getting in on the act. A solitary Steven Gerrard strike—courtesy, arguably, of the fact Marc Muniesa pulled his hamstring while chasing him one vs. one—was the sole bright spot on the day for the visitors.
13. Manchester United 4-2 Manchester City
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Part of Manchester United's wicked run between March and April was a stunning 4-2 derby win over Manchester City. Two Sergio Aguero strikes bookended four goals and a great performance from the Red Devils.
Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata and Chris Smalling all netted in a strong performance, with Fellaini in particular dominating in midfield. It was a game Yaya Toure could have initiated a titanic tussle with the Belgian, but he apparently chose not to.
12. Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur
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Mario Balotelli's sole Premier League goal of the 2014-15 season secured a vital victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in February; at the time it had major implications for the race for the top four.
Spurs had been on one hell of a run, Harry Kane-inspired of course, and pegged Liverpool back twice in this key midweek fixture before Balotelli swept a cross home seven minutes from time.
The victory hauled Brendan Rodgers' men within a point of Spurs and within three of fourth-placed Arsenal.
11. Queens Park Rangers 2-3 Liverpool
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An absolutely remarkable game was aptly summed up by BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko:
- Four goals in the final eight minutes
- Raheem Sterling's return from England row
- Richard Dunne scores Premier League-record 10th own goal
- Three of the five scored registered as own goals
It was Steven Caulker who netted the final own goal, handing Liverpool a win they perhaps did not deserve on the balance of play, and it was Eduardo Vargas' finest game in the Premier League having recently arrived on loan from Napoli.
The final few minutes were breathtaking and end to end.
10. Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Arsenal
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Almost every north London derby is one to savour, even for the neutral, but Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Arsenal back in February was next-level entertainment.
The Gunners came into the game in strong form, having recently beaten Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, and took the lead at White Hart Lane through Mesut Ozil early on.
What followed was Spurs throwing everything at Arsenal, including the kitchen sink, and completing a stunning two-goal comeback that will forever be remembered by a leaping, looping header from Harry Kane.
9. Southampton 6-1 Aston Villa
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Tim Sherwood's wondrous, magical touch at Aston Villa eventually saw them saved from relegation, but it all came crashing down in one 90-minute spell on the south coast on the penultimate weekend of the season.
Sadio Mane recorded the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history, with just two minutes and 56 seconds between his first and third goals, and Shane Long scored a 40-yard stunner that left Shay Given swatting at thin air.
Graziano Pelle, magnificent on the day, netted at the death for a well-deserved goal.
8. Manchester City 4-1 Tottenham Hotspur
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Sergio Aguero ran riot early in the season against Tottenham Hotspur, putting in one of the most impressive individual performances the Premier League has seen in recent seasons.
The game itself was end to end too, involving three penalty incidents (one saved by Hugo Lloris), rampant running through midfield and a clinical edge shown by Manchester City's Argentinian hotshot.
Joe Hart, too, was in sparkling form, limiting Spurs to just one goal in a game that could have finished 9-6.
7. Aston Villa 3-3 Queens Park Rangers
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Aston Villa 3-3 Queens Park Rangers was a midweek fixture crammed into the schedule due to the former's presence in the FA Cup; it felt as though, in turn, the players opted to cram as much excitement as they could into one 90-minute game.
The implications were clear: Villa could not lose, and QPR couldn't afford not to win. The latter needed three points to draw level with the Birmingham club as the relegation race hotted up.
QPR took the lead twice as Villa fought back each time, but then a Charlie Austin strike 10 minutes from time looked to be the final nail in a 3-2 victory. Step forward Christian Benteke, taking the first free-kick of his Aston Villa career, who bent a delicious 23-yard effort over the wall, off the post and in...for a hat-trick.
Madness.
6. Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United
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The feeling, and the murmurs, surrounding Manchester United's trip to Anfield in March was that the visitors were going to get creamed. They were out of form bar a victory over Tottenham Hotspur the previous weekend, and the Reds were positively purring, playing some great football.
But it was United who showed up to play, dominating the early exchanges and scoring two beautiful goals. Both were netted by Juan Mata, the first a wonderful team goal and the second a delicate volley that found the far corner.
Steven Gerrard was brought on at half-time to fix the deficit, but he lasted just 38 seconds on the pitch before being sent off for a stamp. Remarkable scenes.
5. Stoke City 3-2 Arsenal
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Arsenal's Britannia Stadium hoodoo continued this season as they lost 3-2 to Stoke City in remarkable circumstances back in December.
Peter Crouch headed the Potters in front inside the opening minute, and his side scored twice more before the half-time whistle to establish a shocking 3-0 lead.
The Gunners responded with a Santi Cazorla penalty and a stunning Aaron Ramsey strike, but Calum Chambers' sending off halted the comeback and allowed Stoke to grind out the victory.
4. Southampton 8-0 Sunderland
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Perhaps it was this result that made the rest of the Premier League truly sit up and take notice of Southampton, and it would not be the last this season that they absolutely tore someone to shreds on their home patch.
A woeful Sunderland, anchored by the hapless Vito Mannone, John O'Shea and Gus Poyet, watched in vain as Saints powered eight into the net without reply. Dusan Tadic reached his zenith on the day, and Graziano Pelle netted two.
Even Victor Wanyama scored.
3. Everton 3-6 Chelsea
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An absolutely bizarre game took place at Goodison Park early in the season, with Chelsea beating Everton 6-3 on a wild Saturday night.
By the fourth minute the Toffees were already 2-0 down, courtesy of Diego Costa and Branislav Ivanovic goals, but pegged one back by half-time. A ridiculous six second-half goals were scored as the Blues hammered home a big win, and we saw a rare goal from Nemanja Matic—a real collector's item.
2. Leicester City 5-3 Manchester United
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The game in which Manchester United's true defensive frailties were exposed was the 5-3 loss to Leicester City. It confirmed that while the attack looked sparkling on paper, the back line were helpless, a shadow of their former selves.
A two-goal lead was awarded to the Red Devils after Robin van Persie's header and Angel Di Maria's delightful chip had beaten Kasper Schmeichel, but the Foxes roared back.
Jamie Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa led a second-half comeback, scoring five in reply to United's further one, and winning 5-3. A scintillating 90 minutes of football.
1. Tottenham 5-3 Chelsea
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New Year's Day presented an absolute corker for the neutrals, as Tottenham Hotspur took Chelsea apart 5-3 in an enthralling encounter.
It was the day on which Harry Kane truly graduated to the level of feared Premier League striker in the eyes of many, grabbing two goals—of which one was a wonderful curling, rolled strike—between Danny Rose, Andros Townsend and Nacer Chadli hits.
It was a rare performance in which Spurs played with genuine width, and Christian Eriksen was on fire, slicing the Blues' defence apart with dizzying through balls.
Comfortably the most entertaining fixture of the 2014-15 season.
