Premier League's best comebacks after Bournemouth beat Luton from 3-0 down
Wednesday night's heroics at the Vitality Stadium left Bournemouth fans celebrating wildly while those in the Luton Town end were left licking their wounds.
Rob Edwards' Luton side raced into a 3-0 half-time lead on the south coast, with Tahith Chong, Chiedozie Ogbene and Ross Barkley on target. The Cherries didn't give up, though, with Dominic Solanke's effort five minutes into the second period giving them something to build on.
Illya Zabarnyi reduced the deficit further just after the hour mark, with Antoine Semenyo equalising moments later. The comeback was complete seven minutes from time when Semenyo got his second of the night, deepening Luton's relegation worries in the process.
But how does Bournemouth's win compare to some of the other great comebacks in Premier League history? Mirror Football takes a look back at some of the best from years gone by.
West Ham 3-4 Wimbledon (1998)
One of only a handful of teams to previously come back from three down in the Premier League, Wimbledon's achievement is notable for the strength of their opponents going into the game. Not only were West Ham unbeaten ahead of the September 1998 meeting, but Harry Redknapp's team hadn't even conceded a goal in the league.
Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush
When West Ham raced into a 3-0 lead inside half an hour, through one goal from John Hartson and two from Ian Wright, it looked like their flying start would continue. Marcus Gayle pulled one back, but it was still 3-1 after an hour's play.
What is your favourite Premier League comeback? Let us know in the comments section
West Ham threw away a three-goal lead against Wimbledon in 1998 (Graham Chadwick /Allsport)It was at this point that the visitors woke up, with Jason Euell making it 3-2. Joe Kinnear threw on striker Efan Ekoku in search of a result and - after Gayle's second of the day made it 3-3, Ekoku gave the Dons a famous win.
Tottenham 3-5 Manchester United (2001)
Manchester United's start to the 2001-02 season was chaotic to say the least. Their first six games had produced 27 goals, 17 of those for United themselves, so they clearly had no trouble finding the net... even when things looked tough.
They looked very tough against Spurs, who led 3-0 at the break at White Hart Lane through Dean Richards, Les Ferdinand and Christian Ziege. Then came Sir Alex Ferguson's famed "Lads, it's Tottenham" advice at half-time.
David Beckham scored United's fifth against Spurs (Ben Radford /Allsport)United proceeded to score five unanswered goals in the second period. Andy Cole, Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and David Beckham were all on target, with the fifth goal arguably the best of the bunch.
Norwich 4-4 Middlesbrough (2005)
It's not a win from three goals down, but it might have felt like one. With just over 10 minutes left against Middlesbrough, Norwich needed three goals just to earn a point, and they did just that.
Nigel Worthington's Canaries were battling against the drop throughout the 2004-05 season, and went ahead through Damien Francis but Boro - thanks to braces from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Franck Queudrue - looked to deal a blow to their survival hopes. Then Darren Huckerby took over.
Norwich scored three in the final 11 minutes against Middlesbrough (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)Huckerby laid on a goal for Dean Ashton 10 minutes from time, and then set up Leon McKenzie to provide hope heading into the final minute. Sure enough, Adam Drury converted another Huckerby delivery to make it 4-4, but sadly Norwich still found themselves dropping down to the Championship come May.
Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal (2011)
Another draw, sure, but this one is unlike the others. Newcastle weren't just three goals down - they were four adrift and seemingly all at sea, only to stun Arsenal with their comeback.
Everton chiefs face transfer backlash from fans after deadline day disaster
Arsenal led 4-0 after 26 minutes at Newcastle but couldn't hold on (PA)Newcastle were winless in three before the game, and went 3-0 down inside 10 minutes against Arsenal thanks to Theo Walcott, Johan Djourou and Robin van Persie. A second from Van Persie made it four after 26 minutes, but the game turned on a red card for Abou Diaby early in the second period.
Remarkably, it was still 0-4 until Joey Barton scored a 68th minute penalty, but that gave Alan Pardew's side enough to believe a comeback was possible. Leon Best scored the Magpies' second and another Barton penalty reduced the deficit to just one, with Cheick Tiote firing home a stunning equaliser with what would prove his only ever Premier League goal.
Honourable mention - Tottenham 3-4 Manchester City (2004)
Manchester City's cup comeback came despite them being a man down (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)It wasn't in the Premier League, sure, but this FA Cup game did involve two Premier League teams. It was also another high-drama game including Joey Barton, albeit in a less decisive manner than that Newcastle comeback.
Spurs led 3-0 in their cup replay, but perhaps they should have taken it as an omen when Ziege - who scored their third in the aforementioned Man Utd loss - followed suit here. They can't have been too worried, though, after City striker Nicolas Anelka limped off early and midfielder Barton was sent off during the half-time break after Ledley King, Robbie Keane and ZIege had put Spurs in charge.
City captain Sylvain Distin started the comeback with a goal early in the second half, and Paul Bosvelt's first goal for the club gave the 10 men hope. As Spurs crumbled, Shaun Wright-Phillips equalised, and Jon Macken - who had replaced Anelka in the first half - completed a famous away win.
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
