The most successful game in high-flying history

Premier League fans were given an early Christmas present on Sunday as Tottenham and Liverpool battled it out for nine goals.

The Reds won 6-3 in North London as Ange Postecoglou’s side threw caution to the wind again against the relaxed league leaders.

Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah both scored twice, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister on target while James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke netted for the hosts.

Only six times have Premier League games had more goals since the competition began in 1992. Here’s how the game went.

Portsmouth Reading 7-4 (2007-08)

The most successful Premier League game of all time was an 11-goal thriller between Portsmouth and Reading in September 2007 which ended 7-4.

The historic ‘Barclays’, perhaps best remembered as Chris Kamara’s commentary on Saturday’s Football, saw Benjani score a hat-trick.

The likes of Hermann Hreidarsson, Niko Kranjcar, Dave Kiston, Stephen Hunt, Shane Long and Sulley Muntari were also on the pitch to add to the excitement of the game.

Tottenham 6-4 Reading (2007-08)

Reading was wrong for another top scorer a few months later in a trip to Tottenham, who also has a habit of appearing in goal-filled games.

Postecoglou this season has invited most of the Spurs side of 2007-08, the game in December 2007 one of the most successful games he participated in.

This one at White Hart Lane saw Dimitar Berbatov score four goals, with Steed Malbranque and Jermain Defoe also on target.

Tottenham 9-1 Wigan (2009-10)

Tottenham’s second 10-goal haul of the year was one-sided as they hammered Wigan Athletic.

Peter Crouch scored the only goal in the first half before Defoe took center stage with five, Aaron Lennon, David Bentley and that man Kranjcar also featured.

Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal (2011-12)

Manchester United’s 8-2 thrashing of Arsenal remains one of the most impressive goals in Premier League history.

The two are two of the most successful teams in the country and have clashed in the past, but this encounter comes at a time when the Gunners have been on a downward spiral under Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal looked helpless to stop United at Old Trafford as Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick, including two free-kicks, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck, Nani and Park Ji-Sung also found the net. Arsenal also finished the game with 10 men after Carl Jenkinson’s red card.

Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle (2012-13)

Another 10-goal run followed for Arsenal but this time it was to his right thanks to a Theo Walcott masterclass in December 2012.

The former England international scored a hat-trick and set up two more in a thrilling game in North London.

Newcastle equalized three times in a thrilling 3-3 draw before the Gunners pulled away, with Alex Oxlade-Chamerlain, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud the other scorers.

West Brom 5-5 Manchester United (2012-13)

The final of Sir Alex’s 1,491 games in charge of Man Utd was perhaps the most surprising as United drew 5-5 at West Brom.

Having already finished the title, the Red Devils – and of course West Brom – decided to show off.

United raced into a 3-0 lead before the Baggies made it 3-2 through James Morrison and Romelu Lukaku, only for Robin van Persie to boost his hosts to 5-2.

But just when it looked like Sir Alex would be celebrating one of his many victories, Lukaku twice and Youssouf Mulumbu denied the Scottish winner a farewell.