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Rob Spereall (@rob_spereall)
Jun 9, 20206 min read

The best NUFC matches since August 1992 (10-6)


In April 2020, myself and my brother, David created our individual lists of ranking our top 100 NUFC matches since August 1992.

This series of articles goes through the top 30 from our combined list. The criteria for the rankings in our lists were subjectively about drama, significance, excitement, result and occasion.

10) Newcastle United 4 - 3 Leicester City - Premier League (02/02/1997)

Rob: 5th

Dave: 20th

Alan Shearer scored a dramatic late hat-trick to give Newcastle the win after being two goals down in the closing stages.

The Magpies got off to the perfect start after Robbie Elliott scored his second goal in as many games to put his side ahead after just three minutes before Leicester's Matt Elliott equalised for the Foxes just 10 minutes into the second half.

Minutes later, Steve Claridge put Leicester ahead and then striker, Emile Heskey added a third after 68 minutes to give the away side some breathing space. The response from Newcastle came in the 77th minute when their no.9 striker, Alan Shearer crashed home a free kick from just outside the box. The power and placement gave Kasey Keller no chance of saving it.

Newcastle still had work to do but on 83 minutes, Shearer, once again received the ball on the edge of the box, this time in open play, and he finished clinically and looked to have rescued a point late on. In the dying minutes of the game, Rob Lee managed to take the ball into the Leicester box up to the by-line and pulled it back across goal where Shearer was waiting to receive it, giving the striker the easiest of his three goals of the day but arguably his most important as the Magpies stole all three points under the very nose of Leicester.

9) Newcastle United 4 - 4 Arsenal - Premier League (05/02/2011)

Rob: 19th

Dave: 2nd

Chieck Tiote scored a late wonder goal, which turned out to be his final career goal before his tragic early passing, to complete the greatest Premier League comeback of all time.

This match was the first home game after top scorer of the season, Andy Carroll was sold on deadline day in the January transfer window and the club failed to replace him before the closure of the window. Alan Pardew's side needed something big to show that there was life after Carroll and things could not have started any worse as Arsenal scored with their first two chances of the game. Goals from Theo Walcott and Johan Djourou gave the Gunners a 2-0 lead after three minutes.

It got worse still for Newcastle as Robin van Persie scored a double to give Arsenal an unassailable 4-0 lead after 26 minutes. I, for one, remember thinking that we were so bad that Arsenal could get into double figures later that day. Thousands of the Toon Army began to leave early, they had seen enough.

At half time, it seemed to be a case of damage limitation. Just five minutes into the second half, Arsenal's Abou Diaby was shown a straight red card after an off the ball incident with Joey Barton. After 68 minutes, Barton himself, began comeback after scoring penalty after Leon Best was brought down.

Best then controversially had a goal disallowed for offside before scoring a similar goal minutes later to bring the deficit to within two goals. Barton added a third for Newcastle after 83 minutes, once again from the penalty spot to give the Magpies real hope going in the final few minutes.

Just four minutes later, another Barton free kick was causing a lot of trouble for the Arsenal defence. The free kick was headed away, only as far as Tiote who struck a venomous volley into the bottom corner from 25 yards to send St. James' Park into a sense of euphoria. Robin van Persie did put the ball in the back of the net but was disallowed due to the offside flag being raised. Kevin Nolan came agonisingly close to scoring a winner but the teams ended up coming away with a share of the spoils.

8) Feyenoord 2 - 3 Newcastle United - Champions League First Group Stage (13/11/2002)

Rob: 14th

Dave: 5th

Craig Bellamy scored a dramatic late winner to send Newcastle through to the next group stage of the Champions League after losing their first three games of Group E.

Newcastle travelled to Rotterdam knowing that they had to win in order to progress and took the lead on the stroke of half time through Bellamy who was back from his injury and suspension. At the start of the second half, new signing, Hugo Viana doubled Newcastle's lead to give Feyenoord a mountain to climb.

However, the team from Rotterdam responded with two goals in the space of six minutes from Mario Bombarda and Anthony Lurling to give themselves the advantage of finishing second in the group behind Juventus. At kitchen sink time, Newcastle needed something special and it came in the form Bellamy. Kieron Dyer's shot was blocked and the Welsh striker got to the rebound first and his shot went in via the goalkeeper to give Newcastle their best finish in the Champions League.

7) Arsenal 1 - 3 Newcastle United - Premier League (18/12/2001)

Rob: 8th

Dave: 8th

An excellent second half comeback gave Newcastle all three points away from Highbury to set themselves up for topping the Premier League table at Christmas.

Robert Pires broke the deadlock for the Gunners after 20 minutes following a bit of Thierry Henry trickery. However, Ray Parlour was sent off just before half time to give Newcastle a one-man advantage which they made the most of after Andy O'Brien headed home to equalise on the hour mark.

With the game firmly in the balance, Craig Bellamy was given a red card as well for two bookable offences to level out the playing field going into the final 20 minutes of the game. With five minutes left, Newcastle hit Arsenal on the counter attack led by Laurent Robert who was consequently brought down in the box by future magpie, Sol Campbell. Shearer, reliable as ever, converted the spot kick to give Newcastle a late lead.

In stoppage time, Robert wrapped up the proceedings after another break on the counter attack which ended the Toon's London jinx.

6) Newcastle United 2 - 0 West Ham United - Premier League (24/05/2015)

Rob: 7th

Dave: 9th

Jonas Gutierrez, soon after returning to action following his cancer treatment, scored the crucial goal to secure Premier League football on Tyneside for one more season.

Newcastle went into the day knowing that a win, something they had not done for the previous 10 games, would guarantee them survival as it was between the Magpies and Hull City that would fill the final relegation place.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, St. James' Park was alive and roaring. Emmanuel Riviere came close in the opening minutes as West Ham, playing their final game under Sam Allardyce, were looking rather slow off the pace - they had nothing to play for.

The game's first goal came after 54 minutes when Moussa Sissoko headed in a cross from Gutierrez to send St. James' Park into delirium. Late on in the game, Vurnon Anita had a moment of brilliance as he broke away through on goal. The Dutch international however, went for the unselfish option by trying to play in Papiss Cisse which goalkeeper, Adrian read to extinguish the attack.

Just minutes later, Gutierrez picked up the ball from just outside the area and his shot deflected in to double Newcastle's all important advantage and stay up.

Honourable mentions

50) Newcastle United 2 - 1 Everton - Premier League (01/12/2002)

49) Newcastle United 3 - 2 Chelsea - Premier League (02/02/2013)

48) Inter Milan 2 - 2 Newcastle United - Champions League Second Group Stage (11/03/2002)

47) Newcastle United 2 - 1 Sheffield United - Championship (05/04/2010)

46) Newcastle United 3 - 2 Sunderland - Premier League (23/10/2005)

45) Newcastle United 3 - 2 Everton - Premier League (09/04/2019)

44) Newcastle United 2 - 0 Fulham - Premier League (22/03/2008)

43) Newcastle United 5 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League (15/05/2016)

42) Ipswich Town 0 - 4 Newcastle United - Championship (26/09/2009)

41) Newcastle United 1 - 0 Manchester United - Premier League (06/10/2019)

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