6 of the most exciting matches of the 2024-25 Premier League season

The curtain has fallen on the 2024–25 Premier League season—one that will linger long in the memory. While Liverpool reclaimed the title, they’ll be joined in next season’s Champions League by Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United.

But this season was far more than just another league campaign. It was a thrilling year packed with unforgettable moments, from the fierce competition for European places to historic trophy-winning campaigns by the likes of Newcastle, Spurs, and Crystal Palace.

In this article, Football Talk brings you six of the most exciting matches of the recently concluded 2024-25 Premier League season.

Tottenham Hotspur 3:4 Chelsea: Dec. 8, 2024

Meetings between Tottenham and Chelsea rarely pass without drama, and their December clash in north London was no exception—a fiery contest with early chaos, a spirited fightback, and plenty of talking points.

Enzo Maresca’s first visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Chelsea manager began in the worst possible fashion. Just five minutes in, Marc Cucurella slipped while trying to recover possession, allowing Brennan Johnson to pounce and tee up Dominic Solanke—a former Blue—to break the deadlock. Moments later, a near carbon copy unfolded: another Cucurella misstep, another Johnson recovery, and Dejan Kulusevski found space to beat Robert Sánchez at his near post. Spurs were 2-0 up within ten minutes.

At that point, it seemed Ange Postecoglou’s men were cruising to a statement victory. But Chelsea had other plans.

Six minutes after the second goal, Jadon Sancho ignited the turnaround with a trademark effort—cutting inside from the left before curling past Fraser Forster. The equaliser arrived just after the hour mark when Cole Palmer calmly converted from the penalty spot. From then on, it was all Chelsea.

Enzo Fernández capped off a flowing move with a crisp left-footed strike in the 73rd minute to complete the comeback. Palmer added another from 12 yards to make it four before Heung-min Son grabbed a late consolation in stoppage time. But Spurs were well beaten by then and fans with Chelsea tickets were celebrating at the final whistle.

Chelsea’s resilience earned them a fourth-place finish and a return to the Champions League—sealed on the final day. Spurs, meanwhile, paid the price for their defensive frailties, slumping to a shocking 17th in the table despite promising moments like this one.

Everton 2:2 Liverpool— Feb. 12, 2025

If the Premier League’s 2024/25 season offered a better spectacle than this one, it certainly didn’t carry a more iconic moment than James Tarkowski’s thunderous equaliser deep into stoppage time—a 98th-minute volley that sent the Gwladys Street End into delirium and etched itself into Everton folklore.

It wasn’t just the scoreline—a breathless 2-2 draw—that made this match unforgettable. It was the sheer chaos of it all: four goals, four red cards, a sprawling melee, and enough raw emotion to shake Goodison Park to its foundations one last time. When Evertonians reminisce about their final top-flight clash with Liverpool at their historic home, this is the match—and that last-gasp goal—they will cherish most.

Beto gave the Toffees an early advantage, but Liverpool struck back—Alexis Mac Allister first, then Mohamed Salah, turning the tie on its head. Yet just when it looked like Arne Slot’s side would silence the home crowd, Everton clawed their way back—literally and emotionally.

Two intense VAR interventions, a red card for Slot himself, and Abdoulaye Doucouré’s controversial celebration in front of the Liverpool end (which sparked a wild confrontation with Curtis Jones) fuelled an atmosphere already on the edge.

For Everton, the draw felt like a triumph. For Goodison Park, it was a fitting final chapter—one last roar from the old fortress before moving to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Manchester City 2:2 Arsenal—Sept. 22, 2024

When Arsenal travelled to the Etihad in September, the storylines were already bubbling beneath the surface. Two managers—Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta—who had headlined the previous title battles were back in the spotlight, and the stakes were just as high.

City drew first blood—as they usually do at home—with Erling Haaland breaking the deadlock inside ten minutes. A clever pass from Savinho split Arsenal’s backline, and with that early goal, the Etihad anticipated another long day for the visitors.

But what happened next turned the match, and perhaps City’s entire season, on its head.

As Arsenal lined up for a corner in the 16th minute, a clash off the ball between Thomas Partey and Rodri stopped play. The Ghanaian was fine, but for Rodri, it was devastating—a torn ACL ruled the reigning Ballon d’Or winner out indefinitely. The groans around the stadium weren’t just for the match—they were for what his absence would mean in the weeks and months ahead.

Arsenal capitalised almost instantly. Riccardo Calafiori, calm and precise, levelled the score just before the break. Then came the moment of the half—Gabriel rose to meet a whipped delivery, outmuscling Kyle Walker to lash home a thundering header. From 1-0 down to 2-1 up, Arsenal had flipped the narrative.

The match continued to spin unpredictably. Just before the interval, Leandro Trossard picked up a second yellow card—the reason still unclear to many in the stadium. Was it for delaying play? Was it a late challenge on Bernardo Silva? Either way, Arsenal went into the second half one man down and bracing for a siege.

To their credit, they stood tall—for 50-plus minutes—resisting wave after wave of City pressure. But in the seventh minute of stoppage time, their wall finally cracked. A short corner, a chaotic scramble, and John Stones pounced to snatch a draw for the Cityzens to break the hearts of travelling fans with Arsenal tickets.

Everton 2:3 Bournemouth—August 31, 2024

No other sport delivers uncertainties on winning until the final whistle as the round leather game does. A team can dominate for 85 minutes, only to be undone in the dying moments by a flurry of chaos. That was precisely the case at Goodison Park, where Bournemouth staged an almost surreal turnaround to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against an Everton side that had looked entirely in control.

Sean Dyche’s men were two goals to the good as the game neared its conclusion, and for much of the contest, the Cherries hadn’t even registered a meaningful threat. It seemed a routine win was unfolding—until the script was torn up with ruthless defiance.

What appeared to be a late consolation arrived in the 87th minute when Antoine Semenyo bundled in from close range. Everton barely had time to regroup before Lewis Cook climbed highest to nod in a dramatic 92nd-minute equaliser. And when it looked like both teams would share the spoils, Luis Sinisterra drove the dagger into Evertonian hearts with a winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time—sending the travelling fans into delirium and leaving the hosts stunned.

Newcastle 3:3 Liverpool,  Dec. 4, 2024

While most neutrals gravitate towards clashes involving the Premier League’s traditional top six, the duels between Liverpool and Newcastle this season offered as much intensity, quality, and drama as any headline fixture. Their meeting in early December proved to be one of the most exhilarating showcases of attacking football all campaign.

It was under the lights at St. James’ Park where the two sides first locked horns, with Liverpool riding high on a seven-game winning streak that included triumphs over European giants Real Madrid and domestic rivals Manchester City. Yet the trip to Tyneside presented a different challenge—one that lived up to the hype and then some.

The evening’s spotlight shone brightest on the league’s two most lethal attackers: Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak. The Swedish forward drew first blood with a rocket into the top corner before later teeing up Anthony Gordon to make it 2-1 in Newcastle’s favour. But Salah, whose contract situation remained a hot topic throughout the winter, responded ruthlessly.

He was untouchable on the night—netting a brace and laying on an assist—the kind of form that saw him register 12 goals in 11 games between November and January. When it looked like Liverpool might edge it, Fabian Schär popped up with a dramatic 90th-minute leveller, ensuring both sides shared the spoils after an electric, end-to-end encounter.

Chelsea 4:2 Brighton & Hove Albion—Sept. 28, 2024

On a sunny afternoon in West London, Cole Palmer etched his name into Premier League history books by delivering one of the most devastating individual attacking displays the division has ever seen.

The 22-year-old found the net four times—all before the break—becoming the first player in Premier League history to score four first-half goals in a single match as Chelsea emphatically dismantled Brighton and Hove Albion.

Chelsea’s attack made Brighton pay for their unwavering commitment to a high defensive line, a tactical choice that left acres of space in behind and was exploited mercilessly. Despite the visitors netting twice themselves—both goals coming from mishaps involving former Brighton shot-stopper Robert Sánchez—it was Palmer who turned the tie into a one-man display.

Georginio Rutter had handed Brighton the lead, but Palmer wasted no time in flipping the script. Within just over two pulsating minutes, he rattled the post, had a finish chalked off for offside, and finally struck gold by converting Nicolas Jackson’s assist to level the match.

The England international wasn’t done—far from it. He confidently tucked away his 10th successive penalty in Chelsea colours after Jadon Sancho was felled in the box before completing a lightning-fast hat-trick with a curling free-kick from 25 yards that left the crowd stunned and Brighton well-rooted.

Not long after Carlos Baleba momentarily restored some hope for Brighton by capitalising on another poor Sánchez pass, Palmer added a sensational fourth, latching onto a Sancho pass and rifling into the net—capping an astonishing half for the young England star, which was enough to hand Fabian Hurzeler his first Premier League defeat.