Top 5: Greatest Comebacks in English Football

There are plenty of cliches and sayings in the beautiful game but none are more apt for this article than ‘keep going until the final whistle’ or ‘it’s not over until the fat lady sings’.

This, in theory, is easy to contemplate but when any team is cruising to a victory or on course for a crushing defeat it can sometimes be difficult to put into practice.

However, it only takes a second to score a goal and, as we all know, goals change games. There is always hope when it comes to football – even when a team is staring down the barrel of defeat, fortunes can soon be turned on their head.

No game is won until the final whistle and, with that, here are five of the greatest ever football comebacks.

Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal – February 5, 2011

After just 45 seconds, Theo Walcott had given Arsenal the lead at St. James Park and within 10 minutes, the North London side were 3-0 up. Wenger’s men had made it four before the break, taking a comfortable lead as they strengthened their title chances. In cruise control, they could do no wrong – they looked like Champions in the making.

However, just after the break Abou Diaby saw red and it all went downhill. Two penalties and a strike from Leon Best turned this into a Premier League classic, with Cheick Tiote levelling the scores in the dying minutes with a wonder strike. Alan Pardew’s side had completed one of the most remarkable second-half performances in the history of the Premier League and Arsenal’s title dreams were left in shatters.

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