The English Premier League is not just the most followed football league but also ranks high as one of the most intriguing and interesting in the world.
The drama, intrigue and excitement fans in the stadium and those in front of their television screens enjoy on every matchday are second to none.
On matchdays, some fans suffer from the agony of defeat, while others bask in the euphoria of a last minute winner – a recreation of the “Aguerooooooooo” moment.
As the year 2024 draws to a close, we take a look at some of the most intriguing Premier League matches that kept fans on the edge of the seat until the blast of the final whistle or those that fed fans with goals.
1. Chelsea v Manchester United 4-3
The average Manchester United fan believes the loss at Stamford Bridge was the most painful loss in the Erik Ten Hag era at the club.
It was a game the Red Devils showed resilience and sheer determination and they were coasting to victory only to lose it at the very end.
Alejandro Garnacho proved himself as arguably the best young player in the league in the match as he led Manchester United’s resurgence after going 2-0 down.
The Argentine bagged a brace and Bruno Fernandes scored as well as the Red Devils took a 3-2 lead going into the last few minutes of the match.
Unfortunately, Diogo Dalot’s foul on Noni Madueke in the box on the 97th minute led to a penalty which Cole Palmer converted.
The English midfielder dashed Manchester United’s hope of leaving Stamford Bridge with a draw as he scored the winner moments later to seal his hat trick as well as the winner.
The boyhood Manchester United fan ironically secured maximum points for the Blues on a cold night under the flood lights in London.
2. Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United 3-4
One of the Achilles heels of Manchester United under former coach Erik Ten Hag was the inability to sustain leads.
The Red Devils shipped in truck loads of goals under the Dutch manager and his team had to outscore their opponents to win some matches.
The match against Wolves was one of them and it ended in a seven-goal thriller at the Molineaux on the first day of February 2024.
Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund gave the Red Devils a 2-0 lead and they held on until Pablo Sarabia scored via a spot kick on the 71st minute.
Scott McTominay initially killed the hope of the home side getting an equalizer moments later as he scored a third – what looked like the final goal of the match.
However, the Red Devils allowed complacency to set in as they conceded on the 85th minute and on the fifth minute of added time to draw level.
Kobbie Mainoo showed exceptional composure and bravery as he went past five defenders to score the winner for the Red Devils on the last minute of added time.
3. Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool 3-6
It will be had for any team to wrestle the crown of the “Most inconsistent traditional Premier top 6 teams” from Tottenham Hotspur except Manchester United perhaps.
Spurs are a kind of team that are not afraid to concede neither are they afraid to score as well. They are a evenly “balanced” team.
Once the Lilywhites are in the mood to leave their defense open without looking back, the opposition team would probably get tired of scoring.
Mo Salah and his crew had a filled day at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium three days to Christmas.
The Reds scored with almost every shots on target.
Tottenham clearly gave up on defending after Liverpool’s third goal. Instead they threw caution to the wind and were able to score three goals as the match ended with a tennis-like score line.
4. Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool
Liverpool were in the title race as of Matchday 30 of the 2023/2024 season. In fact, they were top of the league as of that time.
However, their misery started with a 2-2 draw against rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Reds went on to lose to Crystal Palace at home and a 2-2 draw at Westham afterwards which threw them out of the race.
The game at Villa Park was important for Unai Emery’s men as set looked to lock down the fourth spot on the league table.
Despite going down 3-1 in the match, the home side showed great spirit as they scored two late goals to draw level.
Jhon Duran’s brace late in the game left a bitter taste in the mouth of Jurgen Klopp in his final moments as coach of the Reds.
5. Arsenal v Manchester City 2-2
Only four goals in this match but what made it interesting was how Arsenal defended after they went a man down in the first half.
The match showcased another side of the Gunners who most fans believed to be somewhat weak in defense.
Arsenal also showed resilience as they came from a goal down to take the lead at the Etihad.
The Gunners with a 2-1 lead, faced relentless waves of onslaught from Manchester City but didn’t crack for 45 minutes until John Stones 90+8 minutes equalizer.
Manchester City lost Rodri to injury in that match and little did the football world know that his absence would the see the champions struggle to win matches effortlessly weeks later.
