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Top 10 Arsenal - Chelsea battles
Topic Started: Sep 28 2012, 04:38 PM (772 Views)
Homer
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I am the King
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10. Kanu's 15-minute hat-trick

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Date: October 23, 1999

In one of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history, Arsenal were trailing 2-0 with 15 minutes left to play.

Arsene Wenger, in a risky attacking substituion, threw on Thierry Henry in place of the ineffective Emmanuel Petit to create a front four of the striker, Kanu, David Suker and Marc Overmars.

Within 10 minutes, the Gunners were back in the game when Overmars' wild shot was turned in by Kanu.

The two combined again eight minutes later when the striker fed the Netherlands international out wide. When the return ball came in, Henry made a darting run to distract Marcel Desailly to allow Kanu to stroke the ball home through the legs of the centre-back.

And then, with Chelsea sensing danger, Albert Ferrer's attempted clearance was charged down by Kanu. Both the striker and Ed de Goey chased after the loose ball. Kanu got there first and shuffled around the goalkeeper to the touchline, looked up to see two Chelsea defenders on the line, and curled a glorious effort into the far top corner from a near-impossible angle.


9. The eight-goal thriller

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Date: October 29, 2011

In the most recent game of our Top 10 we have one of the best, and the most surprising, results.

Chelsea were enjoying a strong start to the season under new manager Andre Villas-Boas, while Arsenal were still suffering from the losses of key personnel Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. A Chelsea win was on the cards then, right?

Wrong.

Frank Lampard gave Chelsea the perfect start after 14 minutes, heading in a Juan Mata cross. Man-of-the-moment Robin van Persie levelled matters 20 minutes later after capitalising on sloppy defending, only to see John Terry restore his side's lead on the stroke of half-time.

After the break, though, the tide turned. Theo Walcott set-up Andre Santos to let Arsenal pull level four minutes after the break, before turning scorer six minutes later to give his side the lead for the first time.

Juan Mata equalised for Chelsea with 10 minutes remaining through a spectacular strike, but Van Persie still had time to complete a stunning hat-trick within the final five minutes to bring his tally to 28 goals in his previous 27 games.

8. 'Invincibles' crash out of the Champions League

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Date: April 6, 2004

Both teams came into the game knowing that victory would create history for the club - a first appearance in the Champions League semi-finals.

The first leg finished 1-1 in a cagey game at Stamford Bridge, and the first half played out in similar fashion before Jose Antonio Reyes fired Arsenal in front in injury time before the break after latching onto Thierry Henry's header back across goal to slot between Marco Ambrosio's legs.

Frank Lampard drew Arsenal level six minutes into the second half - pouncing on Claude Makelele's long-range strike after Jens Lehmann has spilled the shot.

However, Chelsea's battling spirit immediately subsided once level and the remainder of the half played out almost without incident.

That was, though, only until the 87th minute. Just two minutes after Ashley Cole had made a goal-line clearance to keep Arsenal in the game, his opposite number Wayne Bridge exhanged a clever one-two with Eidur Gudjohnsen to blast an unstoppable left-foot finish past Lehmann to snatch the win.

Chelsea ended up being roundly beaten 5-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals, while Arsenal remained unbeaten in the Premier League to wrap up their third Premier League title.


7. Three see red in 2007 League Cup final

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Date: February 25, 2007

This game had it all: train delays, first-ever goals, someone knocked unconscious and a brawl between players and managers alike.

Just a shame the football on show was not great.

Theo Walcott gave Arsenal the lead after just 12 minutes with his first-ever goal for the club. But the lead did not last long as Didier Drogba, who was borderline offside, equalised with a powerful header.

The first half drew to a close and everyone was happy. But that is where that ended.

Chelsea soon lost their captain to injury when John Terry's attempted diving header was met by the boot of Abou Diaby, knocking the centre-back unconscious who then had to be stretchered from the field.

Then Arsenal had Emmanuel Adebayor sent off after he allegedly punched Wayne Bridge - the left-back later claimed it was in fact Emmanuel Eboue - and the striker's reaction sparked a fracas that led to Jon Obi Mikel and Kolo Toure's dismissals and Frank Lampard and Cesc Fabregas receiving bookings.

Terry discharged himself from hospital in time to celebrate with his team-mates.

6. Vialli's first game as player-manager

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Date: February 18, 1998

Chelsea had a tumultuous build-up to the game as boss Ruud Gullit had been sacked as a result of the first-leg 2-1 defeat three weeks previously.

Gianluca Vialli was appointed as the new player-manager and duly made history by beating Arsenal in a cup match for the first time in 85 years.

Mark Hughes got the ball rolling by adding to his first-leg goal by levelling the scores on aggregate after just 10 minutes.

A nervy final 35 minutes of the first half were played out with little chances as referee Graham Poll dished out nine yellow cards in total.

However, with just eight minutes of the second half played, two goals in three minutes put Chelsea firmly in the driving seat. First Roberto Di Matteo hit a stunning strike from 30 yards before Dan Petrescu latched onto a Gianfranco Zola corner.

Arsenal netted a consolation penalty, after a Michael Duberry hand-ball, through Dennis Bergkamp to set up a nervy final 10 minutes but Chelsea held on to secure a place in the final.

Chelsea were victorious in the final a month later after beating Middlesbrough 2-0 after extra-time.


5. Wise snatches an injury-time equaliser in 3-3 draw

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Date: September 4, 1996

A stereotypical game of two halves.

Chelsea more-or-less completely outplayed Arsenal in the opening 45 minutes, and were two goals to the good after just 30 minutes thanks to a Franck Leboeuf penalty and Gianluca Vialli taking full advantage of a John Lukic howler - the goalkeeper deputising for David Seaman who was injured on international duty.

Paul Merson pulled a goal back for Arsenal in first-half injury time when Arsenal went route one (remember, this was three weeks before Arsene Wenger joined) as Steve Bould lofted a free-kick from his own half to the edge of the Chelsea area where John Hartson and Dennis Bergkamp combined to allow the England international to direct the ball past Dmitri Kharine.

Roused by Merson's goal, Arsenal were an utterly different outfit in the second half. Martin Keown rose highest to meet David Platt's delivery from near the corner flag just past the hour mark, before substitute Ian Wright chased onto another long ball from Bould to round Kharine and send Arsenal into the lead for the first time with 13 minutes left to play.

Chelsea were to have the last laugh and punish Arsenal as they did in the first half. In the fourth minute of injury time John Spencer dinked the ball over a prone Gunners defence to find Dennis Wise in space inside the area and quickly slotted the ball past Lukic before the goalkeeper could set himself.

4. Parlour & Ljungberg's long-range strikes win the 2002 FA Cup final

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Date: May 4, 2002

Arsenal came into the game needing just one point from their final two games to win the Premier League. A record-equalling third League and Cup double was in sight.

Chelsea were led onto the Wembley turf by Roberto Di Matteo, who was forced into early retirement by a triple leg break.

Both Dennis Bergkamp and Lauren squandered good chances in a tense first half, meaning the two sides went into the break all-square.

A tense game could only be broken by a moment of brilliance, and Ray Parlour came to the rescue for Arsenal and viewers alike.

The midfielder burst forward with 20 minutes remaining and hammered a 25-yard strike into Carlo Cudicini's top corner.

Chelsea were stunned after being, for the majority, on top in the second half and desperately went in search of an equaliser - allowing Arsenal and Freddie Ljungberg to hit them on the break with a fine curling effort from the edge of the area.

Arsenal went on to beat Manchester United in their next game to claim a third League and Cup double, and their second in four years.


3. Henry's quick free-kick

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Date: December 12, 2004

This 2-2 will be most remembered for Thierry Henry's quickly taken, and pretty cheeky, free-kick.

The striker got a gripping game underway when he headed Cesc Fabregas' long-range pass into the path of Jose Antonio Reyes, before the Spaniard returned the gesture to allow Henry to turn quickly and finish with aplomb.

A lacklustre Chelsea finally kicked into gear when John Terry latched onto a Frank Lampard corner to head home past Jens Lehmann.

Then the controversy happened. Robert Pires won a dubious free-kick some 25 yards out. Despite complaints from the away side and Petr Cech desperately trying to organise his wall, Henry was given the go-ahead to curl the ball into the unguarded half of the goalkeeper's net to restore the Gunners' lead.

The lead did not last long as Eidur Gudjohnsen got the better of ex-Blues man William Gallas to nod home and share the spoils.


2. Chelsea score five at Highbury

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Date: November 11, 1998

Franck Leboeuf got the ball rolling from the penalty spot before a Gianluca Vialla double, a Nelson Vivas own goal and Gus Poyet rounded off a thumping 5-0 win at Highbury to send Chelsea through to the League Cup quarter-finals.

Admittedly, Arsene Wenger typically fielded a reserve side in the cup competition but the skill and guile of a deadly Chelsea was to be admired as they registered their biggest ever win over Arsenal.


1. Essien's screamer & Ashley Cole faces Arsenal for the first time

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Date: December 10, 2006

In a game of highs and lows, Michael Essien snatched a point for Chelsea six minutes from time as the Blues slipped eight points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United.

Ashley Cole, making his first appearance against Arsenal since moving to Stamford Bridge in the summer, toyed with the Arsenal fans before being handed a booking in a tame return in front of his old fans.

The main talking point post-match, though, was Michael Essien's wonder-strike from 30 yards that curled across Jens Lehmann inside the far post to cancel out Mathieu Flamini goal six minutes earlier.
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AntMcfc
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Invincibles going out of the CL should be higher.
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Scholes
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This used to be such a class fixture, not so much anymore.

Bridge's injury time goal has to be the most iconic moment tbh, that 2-2 draw at no.3 was such an amazing night game though, just as Chelea started to become powerhouses in world football.
Scholes
 

Seriously, Frank Lampard is an absolute legend of the game. He needs to be recognised in some way eg. Frank Lampard OBE, Sir Frank Lampard or some kind of lifetime achievement award.

AntMcfc
 
Greatest ownage machine: Scholes. Absolute animal when he was a regular poster, I always knew I was in the right when he was backing me up, and I couldn't wait to read a topic that he was posting in because I knew he'd be tearing someone apart
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