It’s not uncommon for a club to need a helping hand from a bitter rival.
This scenario has played out multiple times over the years, and while it has occasionally worked in their favour, it’s not something fans should bank on.
The situation has arisen once more as Arsenal, currently leading the Premier League, require Tottenham Hotspur to secure a result against Manchester City on Tuesday (May 14) to gain an edge in the title race, reports the Mirror.
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Arsenal has previously needed a last-minute favour from Spurs during Arsene Wenger’s tenure. Although this didn’t pan out well in 1999, they’re hoping for a different outcome this time, with Ange Postecoglou vowing his team will give their all against the reigning champions, despite the joy it may bring their adversaries.
Daily Star Sport takes a look at six instances where clubs were entirely dependent on a rival achieving a result to boost their success, ahead of the mouth-watering clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Liverpool 2-1 Blackburn, 1995
(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)
In their quest for a third consecutive Premier League title, Manchester United desperately needed a final day favour from arch-rivals Liverpool.
The Red Devils were battling Kenny Dalglish’s Blackburn Rovers for the title, who were two points ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side on the season’s final day. They travelled to Anfield while United headed to Upton Park to face West Ham.
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United supporters were initially heartbroken when Alan Shearer netted the first goal for the visiting team, but a second-half equaliser from John Barnes provided a ray of hope that was significantly amplified by Jamie Redknapp’s last-minute free-kick, securing all three points at Anfield.
Regrettably, United failed to seize the unexpected advantage they received from the Reds. They ended up drawing 1-1 with the Hammers, missing out on the title by a single, gut-wrenching point.
Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham, 1999
(Image: PA)
The need for Arsenal to rely on an act of kindness from their north London rivals is not a new phenomenon. In 1999, Arsene Wenger’s team needed Spurs to secure an improbable final day victory at Old Trafford to keep their title aspirations alive.
United, who were on the brink of achieving the first part of their Treble trifecta, shockingly fell behind at The Theatre of Dreams due to Les Ferdinand’s first half opener. He may not have noticed the banner in the away end that read ‘Let Them Win’, with Spurs fans eager to take credit for ending Arsenal’s hopes of back-to-back Premier League titles.
However, the Gunners’ celebrations were short-lived as goals from David Beckham and Andy Cole ensured a 2-1 victory for United, who finished one point ahead of Arsenal to claim their second title win in three years.
Arsenal 2-3 Leeds, 2003
(Image: Daily Mirror)
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A match between a title contender and a team threatened with relegation always promises to be full of exciting action. In the 2002/03 season, Arsenal was hot on the heels of Man United as they hosted Leeds United in early May.
A loss at home would not only crown Sir Alex Ferguson’s team as champions, but it would also secure the Whites’ status as a top-flight club. Highbury witnessed a rollercoaster match where the visitors were twice caught up due to goals from Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
With just minutes left and a draw seeming likely, Leeds’ Aussie hero Mark Viduka scored a late winner, securing United their eighth Premier League title win.
West Brom 2-0 Portsmouth, 2005
(Image: Getty Images)
A nail-biting four-way relegation battle took place on the final day of the 2004-05 campaign with West Brom and Southampton leading the race for survival, which also included Norwich and Crystal Palace.
The south coast strugglers needed a Pompey win for a chance at survival, who themselves were mathematically safe from relegation. Sadly, their 27-year run in the top-flight ended after they lost 2-0 to the Baggies, drawing huge cheers from both sets of supporters after the full-time whistle blew.
Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea, 2010
(Image: PA)
With Liverpool hosting Chelsea at Anfield, United needed a stellar performance from their bitter rivals to regain control of the Premier League title race against Carlo Ancelotti’s Blues.
Rafa Benitez might have missed the memo from his Old Trafford rival, as Chelsea snatched the lead thanks to Didier Drogba capitalising on a nightmare backpass from Steven Gerrard.
Chelsea then twisted the knife in Liverpool’s (and Manchester United’s) side when Frank Lampard doubled their advantage, setting up the Blues for a title-clinching showdown against Wigan. They didn’t disappoint, romping to an 8-0 victory at Stamford Bridge to be crowned champions.
Lazio 0-2 Inter, 2010
(Image: Getty Images)
Lazio fans were in a peculiar predicament back in 2010, preferring to see their team lose to Inter Milan rather than witness AS Roma lift the Serie A trophy.
Despite being embroiled in a relegation scrap, Lazio supporters prioritised the misery of Roma fans over their own survival, with ultras threatening the players with violence if they won, chanting: “If you win we’ll beat you up”.
The intimidation seemed to work as Inter secured a 2-0 victory and went on to pip Roma to the title by two points, capping off what would become their most successful season ever with a treble under Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, Lazio managed to stay afloat in Serie A.