When Robbie Blake slammed home his ferocious right-footed volley after 18 minutes of Burnley's 1-0 triump over the Red Devils he joined such names as Kevin Nolan, Ashley Ward and Tommy Mooney who all helped their unfancied sides deliver monumental victories that shook Premier League football to its core.
But shocks do not only come in the form of the simple 1-0, as the likes of Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers and United themselves have discovered to their cost over the years.
This was not one of the Gunners' better performances of last season, but they looked to be papering over the cracks when Cesc Fabregas' shot found the net after hitting Paul McShane. However, a wonder-strike from Geovanni and a Daniel Cousin header in the space of four second-half minutes turned the match on its head. "Of course coming to the Emirates and taking three points will surprise a lot of people, but it doesn't surprise anyone in our changing-room," said manager Phil Brown after the match.
Wolves may have finished bottom in their last Premier League campaign but they turned heads with this mid-season victory over United. Kenny Miller ran clear to beat Tim Howard and score in the 66th minute at Molineux. David Bellion had a late goal ruled out for offside as Wolves held on in this top v bottom match.
Bolton finished only two points above the relegation zone and this unexpected three points early in the season was pivotal to the Trotters' campaign. David Beckham lost possession on the edge of his own area and Kevin Nolan's resulting shot deflected past Fabien Barthez and into the net. "The defending against an outstanding world class team like United was fantastic," said Trotters manager Sam Allardyce whose side kept out Ruud van Nistelrroy and co in the evening encounter.
An Arsenal side featuring the likes of Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry were brushed aside at Highbury. The Gunners created a number of chances but this was a freak Premier League encounter featuring own-goals from the Gunners' Brazilian duo Edu and Sylvinho. Hamilton Ricard's 58th minute strike put the icing on the cake for Terry Venables' side who finished the season in 14th place.
A Dwight Yorke hat-trick in 20 first-half minutes propelled United to victory against their old rivals at Old Trafford. Thierry Henry had levelled Yorke's opener after a slick move but United put their foot down and went in at the break 5-1 up as Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer built on their team-mate's treble. Teddy Sheringham rubbed salt into Arsenal wounds late on. Wenger's troops would finish ten points behind champions United in second place.
This shock result had extra significance as it took place on the final day of the season and saved Paul Jewell's team from relegation. David Wetherall was a colossus all match and rose to head in a free-kick from Gunnar Halle on 12 minutes. Bradford were battling relegation all season, while this defeat denied Liverpool a Champions League place. "That's something I will remember for the rest of my life," said Wetherall, expressing the magnitude of what he and Bradford had achieved.
Graham Taylor earned his first points at Anfield in 22 years as a manager with this magnificent result. Liverpool had their chances but Tommy Mooney found himself free in the Reds penalty area on 16 minutes and gratefully side-footed past Sander Westerveld. Watford had also not won at Anfield in seven attempts since their trip in 1967 - 22 years earlier.
Just like watching Brazil, Barnsley's fans used to sing. This was a result even the great Selecao would have been proud of as Barnsley pulled off their first ever win at Anfield. It came courtesy of Ashley Ward's winner nine minutes before the break. "We have had so many hammerings this was a great result," reflected Danny Wilson. "I can't praise them enough. They worked so hard. Frankly I believe something like this has been coming. We had some luck, but we deserved it. We made our own luck and it was good to see things go our way for a change." Unfortunately those 'hammerings' resulted in Barnsley being relegated after only one season in the top flight. Wilson's counterpart Roy Evans was exasperated. "We did no defending," he bemoaned.
A week earlier, United had lost 5-0 at Newcastle United whose manager Kevin Keegan said it would be a long time before the Red Devils let in that many goals again. Next match, they conceded six as they were torn apart by a rampant Saints side. Eyal Berkovic put Southampton in front and Roy Keane was sent off before Matthew Le Tissier lobbed Peter Schmeichel without even looking - gambling that the keeper would be in the same position as he had been the previous week when Philippe Albert caught him off his line. David Beckham pulled one back but Egil Ostenstad made it 3-1 at half-time. David May made it 3-2 and the final eight minutes produced four goals as Berkovic got his second and Ostenstad completed a hat-trick with Paul Scholes replying on an unforgettable afternoon at The Dell. Contrary to popular belief, this was not the infamous "grey shirts" match when United changed kit at half-time claiming the players could not see each other. That was a 3-1 defeat at The Dell six months previously in another major Premier League upset.
With Blackburn crowned champions just seven months earlier, this result sent shockwaves reverberating around the Premier League. David Busst, Dion Dublin, David Rennie, Peter Ndlovu and John Salako did the damage at Highfield Road for a Coventry City side who only avoided relegation on goal difference. Blackburn would finish the season seventh after some poor form in the first half of the campaign and this would certainly have been one of their more unsavoury memories.
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