Could bottom beat top at Molineux for the third time?
Opta analyst Matt Furniss highlights the chances a bottom-of-the-table team had against the Premier League leaders
In matchweek 26, Arsenal’s finest will travel to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers. It’s not often a bottom-of-the-league side wins against the leaders, but Wolves are in good form here, writes Matt Furniss of Opta Analyst.
Of the 13,046 matches played in the history of the Premier League, only 42 have been between teams who started that day in first and last place.
The results are less surprising. The bottom team only beat the leaders on FOUR occasions, and it happened for the last time 15 years ago. None of the last 17 high-low clashes have seen the team sustain a championship victory.
However, as Wolverhampton Wanderers prepare to host an Arsenal side who are 18 places and 48 points ahead of them, Rob Edwards’ side have reason to believe.
After all, on two of those four occasions Wolves won at Molineux.
In January 2004, they recorded a 1–0 home victory against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, before doing so against the same team and manager in February 2011.
It’s also worth noting that when Wolves faced Arsenal only a few months ago – also occupying first and last place respectively – they almost got a result. Without an own goal from Yerson Mosquera in the fourth minute of second-half injury time, Wolves would have left the Emirates Stadium with a point.
Watch: Arsenal edge Wolves in dramatic final
To give Wolves fans hope that their side will produce one of the biggest Premier League shocks in recent memory on Wednesday, below are the four times a lower-ranked team prevailed against the league leaders.
Up and down in PL history
| Total | |
| Victories for the best team | 31 |
| Prints | 7 |
| Victories for the bottom team | 4 |
| Objectives for the best team | 107 |
| Objectives for the lower team | 33 |
March 9, 1993 – Oldham 1-0 Man Utd
When Man Utd visited Boundary Park in a midweek Premier League clash in March 1993, the Red Devils were a point above Aston Villa with 11 matches remaining.
Neil Adams’ 26th-minute header past Peter Schmeichel from a corner made the difference and sparked a revival that saw Oldham stay up on the final day, despite being six points from safety on the morning of this game. In their last 12 matches, Oldham have collected 21 points – the fourth most in the Premier League.
Watch: Oldham stuns Man Utd in first ever PL season
After this defeat, Man Utd drew three consecutive matches. However, a run of seven victories saw United win the inaugural Premier League title and their first league crown in 26 years.
January 17, 2004 – Wolves 1-0 Man Utd
Heading into Molineux, Man Utd were 35 points better than Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Ferguson’s men had the meanest defense (14 goals conceded), while Wolves had the leakiest (43 goals conceded) and Man Utd had dropped just two points from their previous seven league matches (W6 D1 L0).
But Kenny Miller scored the only goal in the 66th minute for one of Wolves’ seven league victories in 2003/04, all won at home.
Watch: Miller seals shock Wolves win over Man Utd
United’s form collapsed after this defeat. Including this encounter, they have won just 25 points from their last 17 matches of 2003/04, 16 fewer than eventual championship winners Arsenal.
November 1, 2008 – Spurs 2-1 Liverpool
The worst start to a league season in 2008/09 under Juande Ramos meant Tottenham Hotspur were bottom with just two points from their opening eight matches before the Spaniard was sent off.
Harry Redknapp had been tasked with saving the club a week before the Liverpool game and began to turn things around, guiding Spurs to a 2-0 home win over Bolton Wanderers before a sensational late comeback in a 4-4 midweek draw at Arsenal.
Under Rafael Benitez, Liverpool made their best start to a league season since 1990/91, with 28 points from 10 matches, but their unbeaten run ended at White Hart Lane.
Despite a Dirk Kuyt goal after just three minutes, a Jamie Carragher own goal in the 70th minute, followed by a stoppage-time winner from Roman Pavlyuchenko, took Spurs off the bottom of the table.
Watch: Pavlyuchenko winner sinks leaders Liverpool
February 5, 2011 – Wolves 2-1 Man Utd
This match closed a Premier League day which will remain etched in memories for a long time. Not only were 41 goals scored, but it was also the day that saw the only four-goal comeback in the history of the competition, when Newcastle United drew 4-4 at home to Arsenal while trailing 4-0 with 22 minutes remaining.
United went to Molineux with a five-point lead and had not lost for eight months. A victory here would take them 30 league matches without defeat for the first time in their history in the top flight.
Rio Ferdinand’s injury in the warm-up didn’t help, but after Nani’s third-minute goal it looked like a routine United victory would follow. However, Mick McCarthy’s Wolves had other ideas.
Wolves scored two goals from set pieces – via George Elokobi and Kevin Doyle – before half-time before maintaining their lead to secure a memorable victory.
Watch: Wolves end Man Utd’s 29-match unbeaten league run
This helped Wolves avoid relegation by one point, while United quickly overcame this defeat and won the Premier League title by a margin of nine points.
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