The most dramatic finale of all - 1989
Thirteen years ago, in the most dramatic finale the English league has ever witnessed, Michael Thomas's injury-time goal enabled Arsenal to snatch the title from Liverpool with a 2-0 victory at Anfield.
On Wednesday Arsenal go head to head for the title again, this time with Manchester United, at the champions' home of Old Trafford.
This time the FA Cup winners have the cushion of a game against Everton to come at Highbury should they fail to get the point they need to secure the premier league crown.
There was no such safety net in 1989.
On that occasion the destiny of the league title was decided on the last day of an extended season -- Arsenal needing to win by two goals to become champions and Liverpool requiring only to avoid such a defeat to take the honours for a record 18th time.
As if that was not exciting enough, the spine-tingling tension dragged on until injury time when Thomas carved his name into the Arsenal Hall of Fame by securing the victory that gave his team the title by the narrowest possible margin -- more goals scored.
That goal will live forever in the memory of fans of both clubs - and was immortalised in the film "Fever Pitch" - but its circumstances came about because of an event that left scars of an altogether deeper kind on nation's football community.
HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER
The game was played as late as May 26 because of the fixture backlog caused by the Hillsborough disaster, when 96 Liverpool fans died in a crush during an FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest.
Despite the impact of the disaster on the club, Liverpool somehow maintained their ability to play and went into the Arsenal game having won 13 and drawn one of their last 14 league games. They were unbeaten in 24 matches in all competitions.
The week before they beat city rivals Everton to win the FA Cup and were seeking a second League and Cup double in three years.
Arsenal, seemingly on course for their first league title since their own Double of 1971, had led Liverpool by 19 points in February.
However, with three games remaining they somehow contrived to lose to Derby County and draw with Wimbledon in successive home games, allowing the pendulum to swing firnly Liverpool's way.
Going into the final game Liverpool, thanks to a 5-1 thrashing of West Ham United in their penultimate match, had hit the top for the first time in the season, three points ahead and with a goal difference superior by four.
Arsenal would have not only to win at Anfield for the first time in 15 years but do so by two goals to take the title on goals scored.
FRIDAY TREAT
With the nation glued to its televisions for a Friday evening treat -- a live midweek game of any sort was a rarity in those pre-satellite days -- it looked as if the task might prove too much for Arsenal as the match reached halftime scoreless.
However, seven minutes after the break, their hopes were raised when Alan Smith flicked a header past Bruce Grobbelaar from a Nigel Winterburn free kick and the goal stood despite prolonged Liverpool complaints to the referee.
Liverpool's swaggering confidence, personified by midfield enforcer Steve McMahon, was replaced by cautious confusion as they seemed unsure how to approach the remaining period.
As the clock edged towards fulltime Arsenal's Kevin Richardson was given lengthy treatment for cramp, allowing McMahon to patrol the pitch, famously shouting "one minute" to each of his team mates with his index finger raised to ram home the point.
With the home fans singing "champions" the clock was still ticking into the 92nd minute when Lee Dixon, along with Tony Adams one of only two survivors from the game still at Highbury, launched a long ball forward.
Smith flicked it into the path of Thomas who bundled past a defender and bore down on goal.
STUNNED SILENCE
As veteran commentator Brian Moore screamed "it's up for grabs now", the midfielder almost nonchalantly poked the ball beyond Grobbelaar to stun Anfield into silence -- bar the few thousand Arsenal fans who could not believe what had just unfolded.
In the best-selling book "Fever Pitch" Nick Hornby described how homes throughout the red half of north London disgorged their inhabitants for a spontaneous and massive street party while fans' websites still abound with "where were you on May 26" stories.
Liverpool's John Barnes has never forgotten where he was. The former England winger, guilty of exchanging a high-five with John Aldridge a minute too early in the game, says he is still haunted by his mistake that gave away possession and enabled Arsenal to set up the second goal.
Smith, now a journalist who will be at Old Trafford, says the match remains the pinnacle of his long, trophy-laden career.
Thomas's career took a strange twist when two-and-a-half years later he joined Liverpool, spending five years at the club and scoring in their 1992 FA Cup final victory over Sunderland.
But nothing he ever did for the Merseysiders, or in his two appearances for England, would ever compare with that magical Anfield moment.
