NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Budget 2025
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Football

Top matches of 2012 - No.9: Arsenal make astonishing comeback

Steven Holloway
By Steven Holloway
Sport Editor - Digital·Herald online·
13 Dec, 2012 01:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Arsenal striker Theo Walcott. Photo / Getty Images.

Arsenal striker Theo Walcott. Photo / Getty Images.

The stunning, spectacular and the sentimental, nzherald.co.nz lists the top ten sporting matches of 2012.

Number 9: Arsenal 7 Reading 5
31 October, 2012

This was one of the most astonishing matches in the history of English football. OK, so it might only have been the Capital One Cup but it was still a wild roller coaster of emotions for everyone watching.

Eight minutes from half-time the Gunners were trailing Reading 4-0 and Arsene Wenger was bracing for one of the most embarrassing defeats in the clubs history. It was a truly shambolic display from the Gunners as the Royals - without a Premier League win all season - ripped their visitors apart at the Madejski Stadium.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Arsenal defence - if that's what it could be called - was a joke and the body language spoke of 11 players in red and white shirts who weren't up for it on a bitterly cold night.

When Theo Walcott got a goal back for the Gunners on the stroke of half-time, the Arsenal faithful broke into a rendition of "We're Gonna Win 5-4". Everybody laughed.

They weren't laughing in extra time though as Arsenal went on to win 7-5 on a crazy, crazy night of football.

Arsenal trailed 4-2 in the 89th minute before scoring twice at the end of regulation time, then added three more in extra time to record the jaw-dropping win.

Things got so out of hand that Marouane Chamakh ended up scoring twice for the Gunners, the misfiring Moroccan finding the target for the first time in 13 months.

What they said:

Discover more

English Premier League

Soccer: How Fergie keeps a winning edge

11 Dec 12:13 AM
Wellington Phoenix

Soccer: Phoenix turnouts not meeting revenue targets

11 Dec 01:00 AM
Wellington Phoenix

Soccer: Why it's hard to be a Phoenix fan

11 Dec 05:30 AM
English Premier League

Soccer: Sunderland sink Reading

11 Dec 10:25 PM

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger:

'It was 4-2 after 89 minutes, but the miracle happened. You always see new things in our game. That's why it's never boring. It was a tennis game today.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

'We went from disaster to some pride, coming back in the second half. It's strange at 4-0 you think they have won, 4-1 still you think they have won, but at 4-2 you realise it's not over and panic kicks in.

'It was not one of our priorities but had we gone out the way we could have in first half that would not have been one of my proudest moments at the club.'

"It may be one of my greatest victories during my time here. We went from disaster to salvaging our pride. You cannot play for Arsenal and give up - no matter what the score is."

Reading coach Brian McDermott:.

'It felt like a funeral. It's very strange I wasn't happy half time when we went in 4-1 not 4-0. It gave them impetus.

"The second half was just kamikaze stuff. This is the worst defeat of my career in terms of scoreline, considering who we were playing and being 4-0 up. It's just embarrassing for all of us"

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Daily Mail football reporter Sami Mokbel

What a crazy night. With the Royals 4-0 up my match report was virtually written. At 4-4, the original report had to be torn up. Had to press the delete button again when Marouane Chamakh put Arsenal 5-4 up.

Again when Pavel Pogrebnyak made it five-all.

AGAIN when Walcott scored Arsenal's decisive sixth in the final minute of extra time.

A dream night for the football fan...a nightmare for the football journalist.

Top matches of 2012
No.10 - Black Sticks go down fighting

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Over the next 9 days we will count down the best matches of 2012. Which ones stood out? Have your say below.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Football

Auckland FC

Melbourne Victory overturn deficit to eliminate Auckland FC

24 May 08:17 AM
Football Ferns

'Proud moment': Mayne named Football Ferns head coach

22 May 11:01 PM
Auckland FC

The final countdown: All you need to know for Auckland FC's path to A-League history

22 May 07:30 PM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Football

Melbourne Victory overturn deficit to eliminate Auckland FC

Melbourne Victory overturn deficit to eliminate Auckland FC

24 May 08:17 AM

The Black Knights' dream is over.

'Proud moment': Mayne named Football Ferns head coach

'Proud moment': Mayne named Football Ferns head coach

22 May 11:01 PM
The final countdown: All you need to know for Auckland FC's path to A-League history

The final countdown: All you need to know for Auckland FC's path to A-League history

22 May 07:30 PM
Old returns for All Whites as quest towards World Cup begins

Old returns for All Whites as quest towards World Cup begins

21 May 11:41 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP