9. Arsene Who?

In 1996, Alex Ferguson was in desperate need of a worthy adversary. Nobody realised the answer would come from Japan

The whiff of danger

England went to the Caribbean in 1986 fancying their chances of an historic victory. A terrifying festival of chin music in Jamaica disabused them of the notion

The fast show

Before his injuries, the original Ronaldo was the most exciting young player we've ever seen

This is a low

46 all out and all that

Let me be your fantasy

In five seasons as Kent’s overseas player, Carl Hooper produced high art in industrial quantities. Shame he couldn't do it more often

Football, bloody hell

Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich, 26 May 1999

To the death

At Italia 90, Diego Maradona picked a fight with the entire world – and came this close to winning it

The worst of times, the best of Best

A goal so good it turned Barry Davies into Bernard Matthews

Hot hot heat

A year before he laid waste to South Africa at the Oval, Devon Malcolm bowled an even faster spell to beat Australia

6: Anyone But United

In 1993-94, Manchester United stole Arsenal’s title as the most hated team in England

Ramba-Zamba will never die, but you will

Gunter Netzer x Frank Beckenbauer x Gerd Muller = Germany's greatest team

How did Gascoigne play?

The night English football’s heart was broken into a thousand tiny pieces

The Real Quiz

The Sydney files

Since 1975, England have picked 13 Test debutants for the last match of an Ashes series. Name them or GTFO.

The Ashes

The longest day

Dead-rubber wins can taste just as sweet as the real thing - sometimes even sweeter

2001-02

Let's push things forward

In December 2001, ten-man Arsenal ignored xenophobia, injustice and Europe’s deadliest snake to win at Anfield. It was the symbolic start of the Invincible era

The Real Quiz

Name the 24 players England used in the 1993 Ashes

And you wonder why Australia won 4-1

The Real Quiz

Name the 1998 Ballon d'or longlist

Name the nominees, bathe in pride

I'll See You Out There

3. Hit the North Bank

The Arsenal-Man Utd rivalry intensified during a ferocious FA Cup tie in 1988

Joe Root

Forever young

Ten of Joe Root's best innings

West Indies

Form is permanent

During their 1992-93 tour of Australia, West Indies were on the brink of losing their long unbeaten run. Curtly Ambrose wasn't having that

The Ashes

There goes the fear

The genesis of England’s glorious 2005 Ashes victory was a 47-minute cameo three years earlier

I'll See You Out There

2. Wild nutter

Arsenal’s young team were top of the league and full of the joys when they arrived at Old Trafford in 1987. One man soon changed that

Nuggets

Mind the wind, Tugga

The 28th man goes too far

I'll See You Out There

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

The Premier League’s greatest rivalry can be traced back to four barnstorming, spiteful games in 1983