Could bottom beat top at Molineux for the third time?

In Matchweek 26 table-toppers Arsenal travel to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers. It’s not often a side bottom of the league win against the leaders, but Wolves have form here, writes Matt Furniss of Opta Analyst.

Out of the 13,046 matches played in Premier League history, only 42 have been between teams who started that day in first and last places.

Less surprising are the results. The bottom team have beaten the leaders on only FOUR occasions, and it last happened 15 years ago. None of the last 17 top-versus-bottom clashes have seen the team propping up the league win.

However, as Wolverhampton Wanderers prepare to host an Arsenal side who are 18 places and 48 points ahead of them, there is reason for Rob Edwards’ side to believe.

After all, on two of those four occasions, Wolves won at Molineux.

Back in January 2004, they enjoyed a 1-0 home victory over Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, before doing it against the same team and manager in February 2011.

It is also worth noting when Wolves faced Arsenal only a couple of months ago – also sitting in first and last place respectively - they very nearly got a result. But for a Yerson Mosquera own goal in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, Wolves would have come away from Emirates Stadium with a point.

Watch: Arsenal edge past Wolves in dramatic finish

To give Wolves fans hope of their side producing one of the biggest Premier League shocks in recent memory on Wednesday, below are the four times a bottom-placed team have come out on top against the league leaders.

Top v bottom in PL history

9 March 1993 - Oldham 1-0 Man Utd

When Man Utd travelled to Boundary Park in a midweek Premier League clash in March 1993, the Red Devils were a point above Aston Villa with 11 matches to play.

Neil Adams’ 26th-minute header past Peter Schmeichel from a corner was the difference and started a revival that led to Oldham staying up on the final day, despite being six points from safety on the morning of this match. Across their final 12 matches, Oldham picked up 21 points – the fourth-most in the Premier League. 

Watch: Oldham stun Man Utd in first ever PL season

After this defeat Man Utd drew three consecutive matches. However, a run of seven wins saw United lift the inaugural Premier League title and their first league crown in 26 years.

17 January 2004 - Wolves 1-0 Man Utd

Heading to Molineux, Man Utd were 35 points better off than Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ferguson's men had the meanest defence (14 goals conceded), while Wolves had the leakiest (43 goals conceded) and Man Utd had dropped just two points in their previous seven league matches (W6 D1 L0). 

But Kenny Miller scored the only goal in the 66th minute for one of just seven league victories for Wolves in 2003/04, all of which came at home.

Watch: Miller seals shock win for Wolves against Man Utd

United’s form plummeted following this loss. Including this encounter, they won just 25 points from their final 17 matches of 2003/04, 16 fewer than eventual league-winners Arsenal.

1 November 2008 - Spurs 2-1 Liverpool

A worst-ever start to a league season in 2008/09 under manager Juande Ramos meant Tottenham Hotspur were bottom with a mere two points from their first eight matches before the Spaniard was dismissed. 

Harry Redknapp had been given the task of rescuing the club a week before the Liverpool match and had started to turn their fortunes around, guiding Spurs to a 2-0 home win over Bolton Wanderers before a sensational late comeback in a midweek 4-4 draw at Arsenal.

Under Rafael Benitez, Liverpool had made their best start to a league season since 1990/91, with 28 points from 10 matches, but their unbeaten run came to an end at White Hart Lane.

Despite a Dirk Kuyt strike after only three minutes, an own goal from Jamie Carragher on 70 minutes followed by a stoppage-time winner from Roman Pavlyuchenko lifted Spurs off the bottom of the table.

Watch: Pavlyuchenko's last-gasp winner sinks leaders Liverpool

5 February 2011 - Wolves 2-1 Man Utd

This match ended a Premier League day that lives long in the memory. Not only were 41 goals scored, it was the day that witnessed the only four-goal comeback in the history of the competition, when Newcastle United drew 4-4 at home to Arsenal despite being 4-0 down with 22 minutes remaining.

United travelled to Molineux with a five-point lead and hadn’t lost in eight months. Victory here would see them go 30 league matches without defeat for the first time in their top-flight history.

An injury to Rio Ferdinand in the warm-up didn’t help but following Nani’s third-minute goal it seemed as if a routine United victory would follow. However, Mick McCarthy’s Wolves had other ideas.

Wolves scored two goals from set-pieces – via George Elokobi and Kevin Doyle – before half-time before holding on to their lead to secure a memorable win.

Watch: Wolves end Man Utd's 29-match unbeaten league run

It helped Wolves avoid relegation by a point, while United quickly got over this defeat and went on to win the Premier League title by a margin of nine points.

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