Best ever Arsenal-Chelsea games

Tomorrow we play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in what is going to be one of the most important games we'll play this season. Not only is it Arsène Wenger's 1000th match as Arsenal manager but it is an opportunity to close the gap against Chelsea to 1 point with a game in hand, throwing the title race wide open and putting Arsenal in with a superb shout.

Add to that it is against a Mourinho-led Chelsea and it becomes all the more relishing. For good measure you can add it being a 2nd straight loss for Chelsea in the league, the end of Mourinho's incredible home record and the breaking of the strangle-hold Mourinho sides seem to have over us. In short, it's a bloody big game.

So in celebration of our great rivalry with Chelsea and the 1000th game under Wenger's tutelage we are looking back at some of the greatest ever Arsenal-Chelsea matches in the Wenger era.

Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal, Sep 1997

Long before Ashley Cole broke Arsenal hearts with his money-grabbing traitorous switch to Stamford Bridge, another Arsenal left-back broke Chelsea hearts to keep Arsenal on track for the title (and FA Cup for Arsène Wenger's first double). Nigel Winterburn wasn't exactly known for swashbuckling exploits and dangerous forward runs like the modern fullback is generally required to do but, for some reason, he decided to let rip from 30 yards in the 88th minute of this classic match. The game was delicately poised at 2-2 after goals from Gus Poyet and Gianfranco Zola either side of a Dennis Bergkamp brace to keep Chelsea in the game at 2-2 when Nigel put a screamer into the far top corner and won the game for Arsenal.

Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal, Oct 1999

Nwankwo Kanu is a bit of a cult icon at Arsenal for many reasons, and you would suspect he would remain so even if this glorious day had never happened, but none more so than his exquisite 15-minute hat-trick at Stamford Bridge to inspire a famous Gunners comeback from 2-0 down.

Chelsea thought they had the game won shortly after half time when Dan Petrescu added to Tore Andre Flo's goal on the 39th minute. But Kanu had other ideas. His first two goals came from incredible control, delicate touch and his trademark guile but his last gasp winner has been etched into the memory of all those who witnessed it.

Chasing down a stray clearance, Kanu looked to have run out of options and seemed well contained by Chelsea. Not content with his brace this recalcitrant Nigerian superstar intergalactic space hero dribbling past a stranded Ed de Goey and lifted the ball over the Chelsea defenders into the far top corner from an impossible angle. The goal was such a delight to witness the commentator, Martin Tyler, exploded in orgasmic bliss as he moaned the immortal line: "Can you believe it?!" or was it "Kanu believe it?" 

Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea, May 2002

The star of the show, Freddie Ljungberg, dribbled from inside the Arsenal half, left John Terry sprawled on the floor and in his wake before bending a splendiferous shot into the far corner to secure the FA Cup trophy and Arsenal's second double under Wenger.

However, for most Gooners, this game will forever be remember as the game TV "personality" Tim Lovejoy uttered in complete disregard "It's only Ray Parlour." before Ray smashed in a trail-blazing effort from outside of the box to give Arsenal the lead and reduce Bradley Walsh into a babbling pool of jism.

Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal, Oct 2011

In this game the Gunners twice came from behind, with Andre Santos levelling things up at 2-2, after goals from Frank Lampard and John Terry for Chelsea. Arsenal took the lead through a fantastic Theo Walcott effort - a wonderful display of balance, desire and skill - before conceding a Mata freekick to see the score level again at 3-3. Chelsea chased a winning goal, and most would have backed them for it, but fate intervened, Terry slipped and a now forgotten Dutch fellow finished coolly to put Arsenal ahead before rubbing Chelsea's noses in it and scoring his hattrick goal in injury time.

It's customary to have such lists in 5s or 10s but we're leaving this list at 4 games and hope the 5th will be an Arsenal victory in Arsène Wenger's 1000th game.

What are your favourite Arsenal vs Chelsea moments?

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