This week sees a classic fixture come to us like a present we weren’t expecting, in a midweek Premier League game. Midweek EPL Fixtures are special anyway. There always seems to be a shock result, goals seem to fly in and, of course, it all happens under the lights.

Back in the day, the English Premier League’s classic fixtures numbered few. Arsenal and Manchester United wasn’t really a huge rivalry yet, while Liverpool v United was a mismatch, the Red Devils too good for their North-West foes. Manchester City were rarely in the Premier League.

The Early Days of a Capital Classic

Chelsea vs. Arsenal was always tasty. A year into Arsene Wenger’s tenure at Highbury & The Emirates, Arsenal travelled to Chelsea with players such as Gus Poyet, Dennis Wise and Graeme Le Saux in their team welcoming an Arsenal side marshalled by Patrick Viera and led by a fearsome partnership between Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp up front.