EPL Unique Scorelines

As we know, football is a low-scoring game. 1-1, 1-0, 0-0, 2-0 and 2-1 are the most common scores, accounting for around 70% of results. But there are also rare occasions when we witness unique events. EPL matches with a final scoreline which stands alone in the record books. As of now, there are six games in the history of the EPL with a scoreline which has only happened once.

August 2011 Manchester United 8 – Arsenal 2

A game with its own viral meme (I’d 8-2 be an Arsenal fan today). More importantly, it signalled that Arsene Wenger’s time at Arsenal was on the wane and the days of competing at the top were over. He staggered on for another six years winning three FA Cups but no longer threatened to be a force in the league or Europe.

United themselves suffered last day heartbreak this season (Aguerooooooo) but would bounce back to win the title the following year.

Wayne Rooney’s hat-trick was the highlight of the day with Ashley Young adding a rare brace. United fans, currently being served a diet of rubbish under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, must yearn for days like these.

December 2012 Arsenal 7 – Newcastle United 3

A happier game for Arsenal fans. This was a strange affair though, with the Toon equalising three times and the score stood at 4-3 in the 84th minute.

Theo Walcott was the star of the show, back when he had a career full of promise. His three goals and two assists remain one of our fondest days in Fantasy Football.

May 2013 West Bromwich Albion 5 – Manchester United 5

Notable both for the unique scoreline and for being the last game as manager for Sir Alex Ferguson. At another time he wouldn’t have been happy conceding those three sloppy late goals. But on this day, it was all smiles as he walked off into the sunset with another EPL title.

It’s interesting to see Romelu Lukaku scoring a hat-trick for WBA. The Belgian would eventually become United’s no.9.

September 2007 Portsmouth 7 – Reading 4

The highest-scoring game in EPL history. Portsmouth were riding high at the time under wheeler-dealer boss Harry Redknapp. They finished in the top half of the table this season and won the FA Cup. It was all built on sand though with debts of £135M being accumulated in the background. It wasn’t good for Reading either as they were relegated, finishing 18th in the 2007/08 season.

December 2007 Tottenham 6 – Reading 4

Another game from Reading’s relegation season. Defensive fragility was clearly an issue for the Royals, and they actually led this game 4-3 before a late capitulation.

Spurs have often been the great entertainers of English football, and this was a game to remember for Dimitar Berbatov.

November 2009 Tottenham 9 – Wigan 1

More magic from the Spurs. Leading 1-0 at half-time this looked like a normal game. However, the second half was a rout, headlined by five goals from Jermaine Defoe. Spurs continued to have a stellar season under Harry Redknapp, finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time.

Six unique scores in 27 seasons shows how rare these games are. And the list could get reduced any week if a score gets repeated. Or maybe we’ll get a new entrant to our list someday. Perhaps Manchester City can beat some relegation candidate 10-0 or Liverpool can have a defensive meltdown in a 6-5 win.