FA Premiership

Arsenal

3-2

Man Utd

 

Anelka 7
Viera 27
Platt 83

Sheringham 33
Sheringham 41

  
 

Highbury

 

 

16 November 1997

 

 

Arsenal started at the speed of light, taking a two-goal lead against the then Champions thanks to a fierce Nicolas Anelka drive that surprised Peter Schmeichel at his near post.

The young Frenchman was at that time an unknown but this, his first strike in English football, announced his talent in some style. Anelka's compatriot Patrick Vieira then drove home an unstoppable, curling effort from just outside the penalty area, high over the stranded Dane following a corner.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson had just added former Tottenham Hotspur striker Teddy Sheringham to his squad the previous summer and the script was all set up for the ex-Spurs man to silence the North Bank with two brilliantly-taken goals before the break.

First he cushioned in a neat header before equalising with an exquisite volley on the turn from 20 yards out. But, with the scores locked at 2-2 and just minutes remaining, the home team won a right-wing corner from which former England captain David Platt rose majestically to head home a dramatic late winner that would prove decisive.