On This Day in Football History – April 21: Suárez Gets Peckish, Man Utd Stun Juventus & More

April 21 has been a busy day in the past, with some of football’s most iconic moments coming on that date in history.

There’s nothing to keep us entertained these days, but the memory bank certainly does not disappoint. We’ve got goals, iconic comebacks and even an appearance from Luis Suárez’s gnashers.

Here’s some of the best action from this day in history.


1930 – Leicester 6-6 Arsenal

Yes, you read that right. In 1930, ?Leicester City and ?Arsenal played out a 6-6 draw. SIX-SIX.? The second half was particularly mad as Arsenal were actually 3-1 down at the break.

It’s the highest-scoring draw in the history of top-flight football in English, and the score has only been matched once at any level of professional English football – a Second Division clash between Charlton Athletic and Middlesbrough in 1960.


1986 – Alvin Martin Makes Hat-Trick History

?West Ham United beat ?Newcastle United 8-1 on this day in 1986, with defender Alvin Martin (father of current Hammers keeper David Martin) bagging a hat-trick. The strangest thing about it all was that each of Martin’s goals came against a different goalkeeper.

Toon goalkeeper Martin Thomas was forced off injured, and with no substitute goalkeeper on the bench, outfield players Chris Hedworth and Peter Beardsley took turns in goal, but neither could keep Martin out.


1999 – Juventus 2-3 Manchester United


?Manchester United came from two goals down to beat ?Juventus 3-2 and seal a place in the ?Champions League final in 1999, in what is often described as one of the greatest-ever performances by an English team.

Two early goals from Filippo Inzaghi had United trailing, but they roared back with strikes from Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole to produce a stunning comeback. 

They went on to beat ?Bayern Munich in the final (also featuring quite the comeback), completing an unprecedented treble.


2003 – Gianfranco Zola Scores Final Chelsea Goal

Gianfranco Zola of Chelsea celebrates scoring the equalising goal

One of the grea?test players in ?Chelsea history, Gianfranco Zola bagged his final goal for the Blues in a 4-1 win over ?Everton in 2003.

In the dying embers of the game, the Italian chased a long ball and unleashed a beautiful first-time volley from the edge of the penalty area which looped over goalkeeper Richard Wright and into the back of the net.


2007 – Alex Scott Bags Late UEFA Cup Winner


Arsenal Women (then known as Arsenal Ladies) looked to have played out a 0-0 draw with Swedish side Umeå in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Cup final, only for defender Alex Scott to bag an outstanding late winner.

In the 91st minute, Scott unleashed a stunning effort which rose up in the air over the head of goalkeeper Carola Söberg to win the game. The second leg finished goalless, so Scott’s effort was enough to lead Arsenal to the trophy.


2009 – Andrey Arshavin Erupts Against Liverpool


Four goals Andrey? Four? That’s insane.

This day in 2009 was the finest of Andrey Arshavin’s career as the Russian winger bagged all four of Arsenal’s goals in a memorable 4-4 draw with ?Liverpool at Anfield.

He thought he had won it when he netted his fourth in the 90th minute, only for Yossi Benayoun to pop up with 93rd-minute equaliser to earn the Reds a share of the spoils.?


2012 – Cristiano Ronaldo Silences Camp Nou


?Cristiano Ronaldo established himself as a cult hero at ?Real Madrid when he told Camp Nou to calm down back in 2012.

Ronaldo fired home the winning goal and ran to the corner to tell ?Barcelona fans to calm down and remember? he was the greatest player around, and his Real side cantered to ?La Liga title with a nine-point cushion.


2013 – Luis Suárez Bites Branislav Ivanovi?

FBL-ENG-PR-LIVERPOOL-CHELSEA-SUAREZ

In one of the most infamous days in recent football history, then-Liverpool forward ?Luis Suárez was caught biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovi? as the pair wrestled in the penalty area. ?

The Uruguayan, who had previously bitten an opponent during his time with Ajax and would go on to bite Giorgio Chiellini one year later, was hit with a ten-game suspension as punishment for the incident.


2017 – David Stockdale Has a Shocker

David Stockdale

David Stockdale became the first goalkeeper in league history to score two own goals in the same game as his ?Brighton and Hove Albion side fell 2-0 to ?Norwich City.

The goals were nearly identical – two long-range strikes which crashed off the woodwork and ricocheted against Stockdale and into the back of the net.? 

He was powerless to prevent either, but that didn’t make it any less painful to watch.


2018 – Barcelona Thump Sevilla in Copa del Rey Final

Jordi Alba

Barcelona lifted their fourth consecutive Copa del Rey trophy in emphatic fashion as they thumped Sevilla 5-0 in the final on this day in 2018.

?Lionel Messi and a Luis Suárez double had Barça 3-0 up at half-time, before Andrés Iniesta and Philippe Coutinho got in on the fun after the break to finish off what was an overwhelmingly dominant performance from La Blaugrana.?


2018 – Jadon Sancho Gets Off the Mark in the Bundesliga


Jadon Sancho netted his first Bundesliga goal and added two more assists in ?Borussia Dortmund’s 4-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen? in 2018, in a game which can be highlighted as the start of Sancho’s meteoric rise.

He broke through to the senior side on a permanent basis as a result of that performance and has been in that kind of form ever since, earning himself a spot in the conversation for the world’s best winger.


?2019 – Everton Crush Manchester United

Romelu Lukaku,James McCarthy - Soccer Player

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United Express fell off the rails towards the end of the 2018/29 campaign, and Everton took full advantage as they cruised to a 4-0 win.?

Richarlison, Gylfi Sigurðsson, Lucas Digne and Theo Walcott all got on the score sheet that day, and Everton could have even had a few more, as United were handed their worst defeat of the season.


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