28 August 1994 - Fowler Flies To A Fast Record

On 28 August 1994, Liverpool beat Arsenal 3-0 thanks to 19-year old striker Robbie Fowler, who delivered the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history.



A member of Liverpool's youth team, Fowler joined the senior side in 1993 and quickly established himself as a talented goalscorer with 18 goals in 34 appearances that first season. But nothing quite prepared the Liverpool faithful for his performance against Arsenal in the second match of the 1994-95 season.



Playing before a crowd of over 30,000 at Anfield, Fowler opening the day's scoring in a 26th minute when Arsenal defender Martin Keown failed to clear a cross from a free kick. The ball dropped to the feet of Fowler, who scored with a simple finish from eight yards out. He had to work a little harder for his second goal three minutes later, shooting across the goal to send the ball in off a rebound from the far post.



But his best goal of the day was his last. In the 31st minute, he beat both Keown and goalkeeper David Seaman, who collided with one another, then slotted the ball into the open net from a narrow angle. Arsenal failed to mount a serious challenege after that point as the hosts were content to sit on the lead and the match ended 3-0.



Officially, only 4 minutes, 33 seconds passed between Fowler's first and third goals. Although there have been faster hat-tricks, including Tommy Ross's 90-second tally for Ross County in 1964), Fowler's remains the fastest in the history of the Premier League.

17 May 2000 - Turkish Delight

On 17 May 2000, Galatasaray won their first European trophy, defeating Arsenal on penalties to win the UEFA Cup Final.

Despite the presence of several prolific goalscorers--including three-time Süper Lig golden boot winner Hakan Şükür and Arsenal's Thierry Henry--and gifted playmakers like Gheorghe Hagi and Dennis Bergkamp, the first half was a dour affair that saw the referee issue four yellow cards (two to each team). The second half was little better, as both sides squandered chances and the referee issued four more cautions (three to Galatasaray and one to Arsenal).

Arsenal gained an advantage in extra time as Hagi received a straight red card for punching Tony Adams. The Gunners pressed forward for the match-winner and almost got it, but Galatasaray's Brazilian keeper Taffarel denied Henry's point-blank header.

In penalties, Galatasaray's first three shooters converted, while two of Arsenal's shots were denied by the woodwork. With the Turks leading the shootout 3-1, center back Gheorghe Popescu's kick beat David Seaman for the win.

Galatasaray went on to beat Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup that summer. Arsenal, meanwhile, returned to a European cup final exactly six years later, losing to Barcelona in the Champions League.

13 October 1993 - Koeman Kicks England Out Of The World Cup

On 13 October 1993, the Netherlands defeated England 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier played before a crowd of approximately 48,000 at Rotterdam's de Kuip Stadion. The defeat meant that England no longer controlled its own destiny with regard to qualification and the side ultimately missed the 1994 World Cup.

Going into the match, England were in second place of UEFA Group 2 on 10 points, three points behind group leaders Norway and one point ahead of the third-place Netherlands. A win would have secured them in second place and automatically qualified them for the World Cup, while a draw would have kept them ahead of the Dutch side.

After a scoreless second half, England captain David Platt was clear through to the goal in the 57th minute and appeared ready to score when his shirt was grabbed by the last man, Dutch captain Ronald Koeman. Although the foul happened a yard inside the box, the referee ignored England's clamor for a penalty and awarded a free kick on the 18-yard line. The Dutch wall safely charged down the kick, taken by defender Tony Dorigo.

Koeman then added to England's misery by scoring from a free kick in the 61st minute. His first attempt was blocked, but the referee ordered it to be retaken, claiming that midfielder Paul Ince had left the wall too early. Koeman took advantage of the second chance, chipping the ball into the top of the net past keeper David Seaman.

It only got worse for England, as Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp appeared to handle the ball before shooting it past Seaman to extend the lead in the 68th minute.

After the loss, England were two points behind the Netherlands for second place and needed a win against San Marino in the last match, combined with a Dutch loss or draw against Poland. England battered San Marino to a 1-7 win, but the Dutch killed off England's World Cup hopes by defeating Poland 1-3.