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| Tammy Abraham scored four goals for Aston Villa in their 5-5 draw with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night |
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest drew 5-5 on Wednesday night to join the ranks of English football’s highest-scoring games.
Their combined 10-goal outburst was far from unprecedented, though, and here Press Association Sport looks back over the highest-scoring league games since 2010.
Aston Villa 5 Nottingham Forest 5, Championship, November 28, 2018
Tammy Abraham scored four for Villa but it was not enough to secure three points as Lewis Grabban pounced for an 82nd-minute equaliser.
Bristol City 5 Hull 5, Championship, April 21, 2018
The Tigers clinched safety from relegation in unconventional style. They came from 4-2 down to lead 5-4 before Joe Bryan’s stoppage-time equaliser prompted the Hull Daily Mail’s live online report to declare: “Well this is just a farce isn’t it?”
Luton 8 Yeovil 2, League Two, August 5, 2017
Yeovil’s early lead was long forgotten by the time James Collins marked his Luton debut with a hat-trick and Isaac Vassell scored twice. Alan McCormack and brothers Olly and Elliot Lee were also on target, while Yeovil even missed a penalty along the way.
Bristol City 8 Walsall 2, League One, May 3, 2015
From 2-2 at half-time, City roared clear with a hat-trick from defender Aden Flint and two goals each from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Kieran Agard before collecting the League One trophy.
Wolves 6 Rotherham 4, League One, April 18, 2014
Nouha Dicko’s third goal put Wolves 4-2 up but Agard completed a hat-trick of his own as Rotherham scored in the 84th and 88th minutes to level – only for Sam Ricketts to restore Wolves’ lead in the last minute before Kevin McDonald added another deep into stoppage time.
West Brom 5 Manchester United 5, Premier League, May 19, 2013
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United reign ended in bizarre style as Romelu Lukaku scored a hat-trick to earn Albion a point after United led 3-0 and 5-2. United striker Robin Van Persie joked afterwards that he had been “waiting for some Fergie time” in which to snatch a winner.
Arsenal 7 Newcastle 3, Premier League, December 29, 2012
Theo Walcott scored a hat-trick and set up two Olivier Giroud goals to inspire the Gunners after Newcastle had equalised on three occasions.
Leeds 3 Nottingham Forest 7, Championship, March 20, 2012
Garath McCleary scored four goals and Dexter Blackstock two as Forest, having been pegged back from 3-1 up to 3-3, ultimately ran riot.
Manchester United 8 Arsenal 2, Premier League, August 28, 2011
Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick and Ashley Young netted twice, while Van Persie missed an Arsenal penalty against his future employers and Carl Jenkinson was sent off. The scoreline made it an ignominious debut for Gunners pair Francis Coquelin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Accrington 7 Gillingham 4, League Two, October 2, 2010
Two Phil Edwards penalties in four second-half minutes helped Accrington to a thrilling win. Gillingham’s Mark Bentley also scored twice but was later sent off.
Chesterfield 5 Crewe 5, League Two, October 2, 2010
Remarkably, Accrington’s win was not the only League Two game that day to hit double figures. Crewe led 3-0, 4-1 and 5-3 but the hosts fought back with two goals apiece from Jack Lester and Danny Whitaker, the latter with a pair of spot-kicks.
Leeds 4 Preston 6, Championship, September 28, 2010
Leeds led 4-1 before half-time thanks to Davide Somma’s brace, but a Jon Parkin hat-trick was the stand-out contribution as North End hit back in stunning style.
Rotherham 6 Cheltenham 4, League Two, August 21, 2010
Adam Le Fondre scored four times as the Millers came from 3-1 down to spark a play-off bid that ultimately came up short.
Burton 5 Cheltenham 6, League Two, March 13, 2010
Michael Pook scored in the 84th, 90th and 94th minutes as Cheltenham recovered from 4-2 and 5-3 down to snatch a dramatic victory.
