Skysports.com selects 10 amazing matches from the past 12 months which kept supporters on the edge of their seats.
The 2007 football year brought the usual feast of great games, stunning goals and memorable moments, with Sky Sports able to bring you the very best of all the action. Here,
skysports.com selects 10 amazing matches from the past 12 months which kept supporters on the edge of their seats.
Liverpool 3 Arsenal 6 - 9th January
It had been over 75 years since Liverpool conceded six goals at home - against Sunderland back in the 1929/30 season - making Arsenal's Carling Cup quarter-final triumph all the more stunning. Julio Baptista scored four times as the home side were comprehensively outplayed in every department. Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger both made a number of changes, but the home side still had the likes of Steven Gerrard, Craig Bellamy and Jamie Carragher in action. Jeremie Aliadiere gave the Gunners an early lead before Robbie Fowler levelled for the Reds. But Baptista then took centre stage, grabbing a memorable hat-trick in 20 minutes either side of half-time, and also saw a penalty saved by Jerzy Dudek. Alexandre Song was also on the scoresheet before the break and it was only at 5-1 down that Liverpool stirred. Goals from Sami Hyypia and Gerrard suggested an improbable comeback, but it was not to be and Baptista grabbed his fourth six minutes from time. The few fans remaining in Anfield at the final whistle had the grace to applaud the rampant visitors from the field.
Newcastle 1 Birmingham 5 - 17th January
Having been four minutes away from the fourth round of the FA Cup before Sebastian Larsson's late leveller for the 10-man hosts at St Andrews, Newcastle were expected to have few difficulties overcoming Championship leaders Birmingham in the replay at St James' Park. But Steve Bruce's side had different ideas, as the Magpies produced one of the most abject home displays of Glenn Roeder's tenure at the helm. An early goal from Gary McSheffrey set the tone and when Nolberto Solano put through his own net just before the interval, the few fans in a half-full St James' began to make their feelings known. Toon hopes were briefly raised before being crushed in the space of four second-half minutes. James Milner pulled a goal back, but Steven Taylor was then dismissed and Bruno N'Gotty immediately extinguished any hopes of a fightback. Further late goals from Larsson and DJ Campbell saw supporters heading for the exits, with those who stayed to the bitter end imparting their thoughts in no uncertain terms to Roeder and his players.
Tottenham 3 Arsenal 5 - 24th & 31st January
Admittedly this Carling Cup semi-final was played over two matches, so the rules are being bent slightly here, but the full drama can only be appreciated by recounting the events of 210 minutes over two tense evenings in North London. Wenger again turned to his emerging stars to make up the majority of his side at White Hart Lane, while Martin Jol went with his strongest XI. And after 45 minutes, it looked as though the young Gunners were to be badly exposed by a rampant Spurs side. Dimitar Berbatov opened the scoring before a comical own goal from quarter-final hero Baptista. Wenger responded by bringing on Emmanuel Eboue and Alexander Hleb, and the game changed as Baptista struck twice at the right end with a breathless first leg ending 2-2, meaning Spurs travelled to Emirates Stadium needing to win. The deadlock was broken by Emmanuel Adebayor 13 minutes from time, but Spurs refused to lie down and hit back through Mido with just five minutes remaining to take the game into extra time. Aliadiere edged Arsenal back in front before Pascal Chimbonda's own goal finally sealed Tottenham's fate.
West Ham 3 Tottenham 4 - 4th March
The Hammers went into this game on the back of miserable defeats at the hands of Premier League relegation rivals Charlton and Watford, and exited it looking absolute certainties for the drop after an astonishing 90 minutes. When Carlos Tevez fired home a superb free-kick to open his account for West Ham at the 20th time of asking to double the advantage given to them by Mark Noble, bubbles were being blown all around Upton Park. But Alan Curbishley's men capitulated in spectacular fashion after the break with former Hammer Jermain Defoe's early penalty setting the tone and Teemu Tainio levelling for the visitors. Bobby Zamora looked to have got the Hammers out of jail as the home side edged back in front five minutes from time. But Berbatov's superb free-kick levelled matters again, and as a gung-ho West Ham poured forward in search of the winner, Paul Stalteri added a fourth for the visitors on the break. But rather than break the Hammers' spirit, the shattering defeat served as a catalyst for one of the Premier League's great escapes as they won seven of their final nine matches, thanks in no small part to six more goals from Tevez.
Everton 2 Manchester United 4 - 28th April
In terms of pivotal afternoons in the race for the Premier League title, Saturday 28th April 2007 has few equals. Manchester United travelled to Everton and Chelsea played host to Bolton with three points between the two teams at kick-off, and United still having to travel to Stamford Bridge. At one stage in the afternoon, with the Red Devils 2-0 down and Chelsea 2-1 up, the gap had been wiped out. But by full-time Sir Alex Ferguson's side were five clear with one hand on the trophy. With United chasing silverware on three fronts, it looked as though their hectic schedule was taking its toll as Alan Stubbs and Manuel Fernandes put David Moyes' men in control. But with Tim Howard ruled out following his move from Old Trafford, young Everton goalkeeper Iain Turner handed the visitors a route back into the match as he fumbled the ball for John O'Shea to reduce the deficit. Former United stalwart Phil Neville then put through his own net and Wayne Rooney bit the hand which once fed him to put the visitors in front. Chris Eagles' superb fourth made sure of the points and, as news filtered through of Chelsea's 2-2 draw, Ferguson made sure his players knew they were on course for glory.
Sheffield United 1 Wigan 2 - 13th May
The stakes have rarely been higher than at Bramall Lane with Sheffield United needing a point to stay up and Wigan knowing only a win would keep them out of the Premier League's one remaining relegation place. One team would end the day celebrating the financial rewards of renewed membership of the top-flight with the other left contemplating the bleak prospect of a return to the Football League. The fact that it was former Blade David Unsworth who scored the penalty which sent his ex-team-mates to their fate only added to the bitter irony of the afternoon. Paul Scharner gave Wigan an early lead before Jon Stead equalised bravely, with Latics defender Ryan Taylor injured in the process and Unsworth stepping off the bench to replace him. Moments later, Phil Jagielka was penalised for handball in the box and the veteran centre-back stepped up to drill into the corner beyond a despairing Paddy Kenny. The margins between success and failure were demonstrated as Blades substitute Danny Webber hit the inside of the post after being put through and Wigan held out in a frantic finale despite the dismissal of Lee McCulloch 16 minutes from time.
France 0 Scotland 1 - 12th September
Drawn in a Euro 2008 qualification group that featured World Cup holders Italy and beaten finalists France, few people gave Scotland a hope of realistically challenging for a place in the finals. But Alex McLeish's men battled against the odds with this victory in Paris the undoubted highlight of an impressive campaign. Having already defeated Raymond Domenech's men at Hampden Park, the Tartan Army were out in force for the Parc des Princes clash. The victory owed as much to the heroic goalkeeping of Craig Gordon as the breathtaking long-range effort from James McFadden which swerved viciously beyond France number one Mickael Landreau and into the top corner. Gordon saved superbly from Franck Ribery and Nicolas Anelka as McLeish's men recorded a famous victory which put them on top of the group. But Scotland eventually fell agonisingly short of qualification as defeats away to Georgia and at home to Italy on another dramatic Hampden night left them in a creditable third place.
Portsmouth 7 Reading 4 - 29th September
Pompey went goal-crazy at Fratton Park, smashing a magnificent seven past shell-shocked Reading, with the two teams setting a new Premier League record for the number of goals scored in a match in the process. Benjani Mwaruwari proved just too hot to handle for the visitors as he helped himself to a hat-trick. The Zimbabwean forward put Pompey two up before Liam Rosenior's close-range effort pulled one back on the stroke of half-time. Dave Kitson capitalised on a moment of madness by David James to level matters within minutes of the restart. Hermann Hreidarsson's header restored Pompey's lead, although Reading should have equalised again when Nicky Shorey saw his penalty saved by James. The miss proved costly as Benjani added his third and Pompey's fourth with Niko Kranjcar making it 5-2 shortly after. Shane Long pulled one back although Pompey scored again through Sean Davis and Sulley Muntari with Shorey's injury-time strike finally ending the madness. Pompey fans flooding to Fratton Park in the following weeks hoping for more of the same have been sorely disappointed as Harry Redknapp's men failed to find the target even once in their next four home fixtures.
Liverpool 8 Besiktas 0 - 6th November
Three games in to their UEFA Champions League group phase, Liverpool had just one point and two goals to their name and were on course for a humiliating early exit from the competition they won in 2005 and reached the final of again in May. Cue a record-breaking Anfield night against Besiktas - 2-1 victors over the Reds in Turkey just two weeks earlier - as Benitez's men exacted revenge in the most brutal and comprehensive fashion. They were helped by some questionable goalkeeping and comical defending, but to score eight times at the highest level of European football deserves nothing but fulsome praise. Yossi Benayoun hit a hat-trick, Peter Crouch opened and completed the scoring, substitute Ryan Babel's brace contained both the sublime and the ridiculous and Steven Gerrard got in on the act for good measure. It was just the kick-start the Reds needed and they went on to put four past Porto and Marseille to book their place in the knockout stages against all the odds.
Wigan 5 Blackburn 3 - 15th December
The game that had almost everything. Two hat-tricks, a missed penalty, a sending off and a stirring - if ultimately futile - comeback. Marcus Bent and Roque Santa Cruz were then men left to fight over the match ball, with the Wigan forward later insisting he had bagged it before the Blackburn man. After taking just one point from their previous nine matches, the Latics finally awoke to hand new boss Steve Bruce his first three points at the third time of asking. Goals from Denny Landzaat, Bent and Paul Scharner helped the home side roar into a 3-0 lead, with Rovers forward Benni McCarthy missing from the spot. But, with Christmas on the horizon, the Latics should have been watching for Santa. Blackburn's Paraguayan international gave his side a glimmer of hope before the interval with a stunning volley. Santa Cruz's second soon after the break looked to be in vain as Brett Emerton saw red for a petulant kick on Taylor. But the Rovers striker had other ideas and sealed his treble after some slack marking from the home side. Blackburn's celebrations were short-lived as Bent pounced again to make it 4-3 before staking his claim for the match ball nine minutes from time - the first occasion players from opposing sides have scored hat-tricks in Premier League history.
