1986/87: Manchester United v Tottenham

Anyone associated with Manchester United must have been a little bit sick of Tottenham by the end of the 2024/25 season. Four times the clubs met, each time the north London club victorious, most memorably in the final of the Europa League. 

The final in Bilboa may have been rewarding to Tottenham supporters, their 16-year trophy drought finally ending. Yet to any neutrals who chose to watch that match, the entertainment was in short supply. Let us hope that the live Premier League match between the two clubs at Old Trafford this weekend is slightly more exciting.

A repeat of the corresponding league fixture 40 years ago would be more than acceptable. The live BBC match in December 1986 gave us goals, mistakes, moments of brilliance, comedy, bravery, and a welcome palate cleanser after the depressing EastEnders omnibus. As an armchair supporter, it was a very enjoyable way to spend a Sunday.

1983: Brighton stun Liverpool

It was perceived by many as a bye. Another step for the red machine of Liverpool on their quest for an unprecedented quadruple. When the runaway Division One leaders drew rock bottom Brighton at Anfield in the last 16 of the 1983 FA Cup, the Seagulls road to Wembley was expected to hit a dead end.

Brighton's charismatic caretaker manager Jimmy Melia was trying his best to talk up his team's hopes. "There is no way this draw means the end of the line," the former Liverpool player protested. "We were the last side to win at Anfield, in March 1982." Yet not everyone shared his optimism.