The four most nailbiting final days at the bottom of the Premier League

While it is undoubtedly true that the most dramatic moment in Premier League history was Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp winner to earn Manchester City the 2011/12, most of the final-day drama in England’s top flight is concentrated at the foot of the table as teams desperately battle for survival.

This season is no exception to that rule, with Leicester, Leeds and Everton all hoping that home advantage can help them to safety against West Ham, Tottenham and Bournemouth respectively on Sunday afternoon, with Spurs’ trip to Elland Road exclusively live on BT Sport 1 from 3.30pm. 

In this article, we’ll take at the most nerve-jangling, heart-stopping final days in Premier League in a trip down memory lane (depending on whether your team stayed up or not). 

1993/94

Going into the final day of the 1993/94 seasons, an incredible six teams faced the threat of relegation in a league comprising 22 teams. 

Swindon Town had already gone down and would definitely finish bottom, meaning that two of Oldham (39 points), Everton (41 points), Ipswich (42 points), Sheffield United (42 points), Southampton (42 points) and Manchester City (44 points) would join them, although City’s goal difference meant that their chances of falling through the trap door were extremely remote. 

At half-time, it was as you were in terms of 20th and 21st, with Oldham and Everton swapping places but remaining in the bottom three as the Toffees trailed 2-1 at home to Wimbledon having been 2-0 behind inside 20 minutes, while the Latics led 1-0 at Norwich but remained adrift of safety as Ipswich were drawing 0-0 at Blackburn, Southampton found themselves level at West Ham and Sheffield United were 1-0 up at Chelsea. 

However, the real drama was reserved for the second period. Everton equalised on 67 minutes through Barry Horne, pulling them to within a point of Ipswich, before Horne incredibly netted his second 14 minutes later to complete the most timely of comebacks as the Merseysiders leapfrogged both Ipswich and Sheff Utd, who were now locked at 2-2 in west London but were 19th as it stood. 

However, the Blades were blunted on 90 minutes as Mark Stein broke South Yorkshire hearts, pushing Dave Bassett’s men into the bottom three for the first time all day.

They were unable to mount a comeback as Oldham joined them in the First Division following a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road. 

It took Sheff Utd 12 years to return to the big time – Oldham and Swindon haven’t returned since. 

1995/96

In the first Premier League season featuring 20 teams rather than 22, five teams went into the final day sweating over their status, with Bolton and QPR already down. 

The remaining relegation spot was held by Manchester City (on 37 points), with Coventry and Southampton just above them on goal difference, Sheffield Wednesday on 39 points and Wimbledon on 40 points. 

At half-time, things looked pretty cut and dried. City were 2-0 down against Liverpool at Maine Road and dropping into the First Division as it stood – thanks to a Steve Lomas own goal and Steve McManaman – while Coventry vs Leeds, Southampton vs Wimbledon and West Ham vs Sheffield Wednesday were all goalless. 

However, things completely turned in the north-west as Uwe Rosler’s penalty and a Kit Symons leveller set up a thrilling final 15 minutes.

Then, an infamous case of miscommunication proved City’s downfall. 

Told to waste time as they’d been mistakenly told by the bench that Wimbledon were now leading Southampton, the hosts dropped their intensity.

On finding out that the game on the South Coast was actually 0-0, the substituted Niall Quinn rushed to tell his City team-mates that they needed another goal – but the information was relayed too late for the team to do anything about the situation. 

2004/05

The only season to date in Premier League history that no team has been relegated before the final day. 

West Brom, who had admirably gained 21 points in 18 points after picking up 10 in the first half of the campaign, were still bottom as they prepared to host Portsmouth, while Crystal Palace and Southampton (on 32 points) and Norwich (safe for now on 33) were left needing something against Charlton, Manchester United and Fulham respectively. 

The Saints can’t have been looking forward to the visit of the Red Devils, but they took the lead at St Mary’s courtesy of a John O’Shea own goal, which saw them leapfrog Norwich as Brian McBride opened the scoring for the hosts at Craven Cottage. 

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men quickly fought back however, equalising on 19 minutes through Darren Fletcher, but Norwich remained in trouble with West Brom and Palace, who trailed 1-0 at The Valley on half an hour. 

By the break, Norwich’s task looked much tougher, 2-0 behind and with their inferior goal difference counting against them. 

Then, huge drama. Dougie Freedman equalised for Palace, but the far more important news came at The Hawthorns as Geoff Horsfield gave the Baggies a priceless lead, sending them shooting up to 17th. 

With Southampton falling behind against United and Norwich now 3-0 now, Bryan Robson’s side looked in a commanding position. 

However, Andy Johnson’s penalty completed the turnaround in Palace’s favour, shunting West Brom temporarily down to 18th. 

Kieran Richardson’s strike in the West Midlands to make it 2-0 against Portsmouth didn’t change the situation – West Brom needed a Charlton goal. 

And that’s what they got thanks to Jonathan Fortune on 82 minutes, with the West Brom players waiting anxiously for news of full-time in south-east London before a mass pitch invasion ensued. Nerve-shredding. 

2010/11

The most recent Premier League final-day classic at the wrong end of the table. 

With West Ham already down, just one point separated the five teams immediately above the Irons as Blackpool, Wigan and Birmingham languished on 39 points, with Wolves and Blackburn just above them. 

Blackpool and Wigan were the two sides in the bottom three as things stood – and the Tangerines’ task became tougher at Old Trafford as Park Ji-sung put Manchester United ahead, while Blackburn strengthened their position against Wolves thanks to Jason Roberts and Brett Emerton.

Blackpool then stunned the champions through Charlie Adam’s equaliser to force Ian Holloway’s men out of the danger zone on goals scored at the expense of Wolves, who then conceded a third on the stroke of half-time. 

Birmingham, Carabao Cup winners over Arsenal in February, had up until this point acquitted themselves well against Tottenham, but Roman Pavlyuchenko broke the deadlock at White Hart Lane as Alex McLeish’s charges joined Wigan below the dotted line. 

Sensationally, the comeback was complete at The Theatre of Dreams thanks to Garry Taylor-Fletcher, before Anderson and an Ian Evatt own goal swung the contest back United’s way as Blackpool and Birmingham became the new bottom-three pairing. 

Hugo Rodallega’s nerve-settling header sparked ecstasy at the Britannia for the travelling faithful and players, and while Craig Gardner’s 79th-minute leveller in north London temporarily pushed Birmingham into 17th and rivals Wolves down to 18th.

But Molineux was bouncing when Stephen Hunt got the hosts’ second to cut the deficit to one against Blackburn, and Birmingham’s fate was sealed as Pavlyuchenko struck at the death to condemn the visitors to Championship football along with Blackpool.