The Premier League at 25: Our 10 favourite moments
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In 25 years of the Premier League we’ve seen spectacular goals, incredible games and an improbable 5000/1 title win.
But what are our favourite moments in Premier League history?
Here, we guide you across 10 memorable moments as the league celebrates its 25th birthday today…
Brian Deane scores the first PL goal
We’ve seen over 25,000 goals in the Premier League since 1992, but the honour of scoring the first will forever belong to Brian Deane. A long throw from the near side was inadvertently nodded on by Manchester United’s Clayton Blackmore and into the path of Deane, who was on hand to head home for Sheffield United.
Klinsmann arrives on the scene
For one glorious year Jurgen Klinsmann lit up the top-flight. The German hit 21 goals in 30 games for Tottenham during the 1994-95 season, but it was his extravagant diving celebration after scoring against Sheffield Wednesday that the forward is best remembered for. He won the hearts of Spurs supporters and the adoration of youngsters everywhere, all of whom would go on to attempt that famous celebration on Sunday league pitches up and down the country.
Cantona’s kung-fu kick
The most X-rated moment in Premier League history goes to Eric Cantona. So often a magician and a maverick, on that fateful night at Selhurst Park King Eric fell on his sword to go down in the annuls for all of the wrong reasons.
Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle United
If you’ve had a Sky Sports subscription at some point in your life, chances are you will have watched several reruns of this classic fixture from the 1995-96 season. Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler hit a brace for Liverpool as Newcastle United capitulated from 2-1 and then 3-2 up. The sight of Kevin Keegan slumped over the Anfield advertising board makes you wonder what might have been.
“I would love it if we beat them”
Perhaps the most quoted line in Premier League post-match interview history goes to Kevin Keegan. The Newcastle manager’s astonishing rant after a victory over Leeds United remains stuff of legend and concrete proof that Sir Alex Ferguson’s mind games were enough to break any man.
Wayne Rooney announces himself
“Ladies and gentleman, say hello to 16-year-old Wayne Rooney.” Those immortal words still live long in the memory after Wazza hit a stunning 35-yarder against Arsenal back in 2002. A glittering career with Manchester United and England would soon follow.
The Battle of Old Trafford
Arsenal were on their way to a famous Invincible season, but it nearly all came crashing down just six games in at Old Trafford. The 10-man Gunners clung on for a point in a fiery encounter which saw Patrick Vieira sent off, Ruud van Nistelrooy miss a penalty and Martin Keown and Lauren lose their minds. A defining game of the early noughties London-Manchester power struggle.
Arrival of the Special One
On a breezy afternoon in 2004 the axiom of English football changes forever. On that fateful day, a suave looking man from Portugal announced to the Premier League that he was ‘The Special One.’ Jose Mourinho hasn’t looked back since.
Aguero seals dramatic title win for Manchester City
In the most dramatic final day of all Manchester City left it until the dying seconds of the 2012-13 season to clinch their maiden Premier League title. With 89 minutes gone of the game against Queens Park Rangers the game looked lost. Step forward Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero…
Leicester City win the title
The most improbable title win of modern times came during the 2015-16 season when Leicester City clinched the league title as 5,000/1 outsiders. History was secured as Chelsea fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against nearest challengers Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge to hand the Foxes a first ever top-flight crown.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
