Chelsea and Manchester City played out a thrilling 4-4 draw earlier this season which seemed to almost represent a homage to classic Premier League games of seasons gone by.
Indeed, it was one of only two 4-4 scorelines in the competition in the last 11 years. This fact perhaps lends some credence to the idea that football isn't quite as exciting as it once was and that the Pep Guardiolas and Mikel Artetas of this world have stifled out any raw, imperfect football in exchange for systematic, risk-averse but effective football.
There were no fewer than four matches that ended four each between October 2007 and 2008, a period of the Premier League that some people affectionately refer to as the 'golden era of the Premier League' or else 'prime Barclays.' Whether they're right or wrong, that 12-month period does account for a quarter of all 16 4-4 scorelines that have occurred throughout the Premier League era.
At GIVEMESPORT, we thought we'd take a look at each one of the matches that ended in that score and satisfy an itch for football fans who claim the Premier League isn't the same as it once was.
Aston Villa 4-4 Leicester City - 1994/95 season
Aston Villa's Dwight Yorke celebrates scoring with his arms aloft.
The first ever 4-4 draw in the Premier League took place in February 1995 as a struggling Leicester City launched an unlikely comeback and left Villa Park with a point. Sadly for the Foxes, David Lowe's two strikes in the final ten minutes weren't enough to prevent them from being relegated, as they finished second-bottom on just 29 points from 42 matches.
Aston Villa 4-4 Leicester City
Date
22 February 1995
Ground
Villa Park
Attendance
30,925
Aston Villa scorers
Dean Saunders (8'), Steve Staunton (37'), Dwight Yorke (60'), Tommy Johnson (66')
Leicester scorers
Mark Robins (61'), Iwan Roberts (70'), David Lowe (80', 90')Bradford City 4-4 Derby CountyEverton 4-4 Leeds United - 1999/00 season
Everton's Kevin Campbell takes a shot against Leeds United.
A thrilling encounter between Everton and Leeds United in October 1999 went backwards and forwards between both sides. Kevin Campbell and Michael Bridges each grabbed braces for their sides and the Lilywhites looked to be coming away from Goodison Park with all three points before David Weir equalised for the hosts in the 90th minute.
Everton 4-4 Leeds United
Date
24 October 1999
Ground
Goodison Park
Attendance
27,670
Everton scorers
Kevin Campbell (4', 28'), Don Hutchison (37'), David Weir (90')
Leeds United scorers
Michael Bridges (15', 67'), Harry Kewell (35'), Jonathan Woodgate (72')
Bradford City 4-4 Derby County - 1999/00 season
Derby County's Branko Strupar curls a free-kick around the Bradford City wall.
Both struggling near the foot of the table, Bradford and Derby played out a pure humdinger on Good Friday in 2000. Dean Windass bagged a hat-trick as the Bantams bounced back from the Rams' two goals in the opening six minutes to end an extraordinary first half 4-3 up. Craig Burley restored parity early in the second period to keep his Derby side six points clear of the dropzone, while Bradford remained in the relegation places.
Bradford City 4-4 Derby County
Date
21 April 2000
Ground
Valley Parade
Attendance
18,276
Bradford City scorers
Dean Windass (11', 18', 44'), Peter Beagrie (27')
Derby County scorers
Rory Delap (1'), Branko Strupar (6'), Craig Burley (36', 52')
Charlton Athletic 4-4 West Ham United - 2001/02 seasonTottenham Hotspur 4-4 Leicester City - 2003/04 season
Tottenham's Dean Richards and Leicester City's Les Ferdinand get into a scuffle.
This 4-4 draw between Tottenham and Leicester in February 2004 was a cruel one for the Foxes. Having been 3-1 down at half-time, Leicester looked to have completed the most extraordinary of turnarounds, which would have done wonders for their survival bid, but Jermain Defoe snatched a draw for Spurs with two minutes to go.
Tottenham Hotspur 4-4 Leicester City
Date
22 February 2004
Ground
White Hart Lane
Attendance
35,218
Tottenham scorers
Michael Brown (6'), Jermain Defoe (13', 88'), Robbie Keane (27')
Leicester scorers
Gary Doherty (9' og), Les Ferdinand (51'), Ben Thatcher (72'), Marcus Bent (77')
Norwich City 4-4 Middlesbrough - 2004/05 season
Norwich City players celebrate a crucial equaliser against Middlesbrough.
This was another comeback from a team fighting relegation, only this one was successful. Braces for both Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Franck Queudrue had put Middlesbrough 4-1 up at Carrow Road with 12 minutes to go, but a late rally from the Canaries saw them recuse a point courtesy of strikes from Dean Ashton, Leon McKenzie and Adam Drury.
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