5 of the longest Premier League matches

It is unusual for a league match to cross 100 minutes of play, which happens if there are 10 minutes or more of added time. This generally happens when there is a severe injury on the pitch and play comes to an absolute standstill.

In fact league matches of 100 minutes or more are quite rare and happen few and far in between. This weekend, however, saw the Everton-Watford fixture at Goodison Park extend to 102 minutes and a few seconds of play. The match witnessed a lot of drama and is probably a contender for the most exciting match of the season.

In this list, we take a look at some of the longest ever matches in the Premier League:

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#5 Manchester City 3-0 West Ham United, 23rd August 2008 (100 minutes)

Former City owner and ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra in attendance for this match

In 2008 -- the early days of the Sheikh Mansour era -- Manchester City hosted West Ham United and were favourites for the game. There was no anti-climax as it turned out to be a comfortable victory for the Sky Blues.

City thoroughly dominated this game against the East London side and were in complete control of most parts of the match.

This game, in all honesty, was neither a great match-up nor a great entertainer. At the end of the day, it simply helped City kick-start their season with a solid win. City keeper Joe Hart had nothing much to do for the ninety minutes.

West Ham had a splendid chance with Matthew Etherington and Julian Faubert on the counter but the two failed to link up giving City the chance to close out the game easily. The game was extended, unusually, because of an injury to Manchester City defender Micah Richards, who was treated on the pitch for around eight minutes because of a head collision with Ben-Haim.

Robert Green, the West Ham shot-stopper, did thwart a few chances but such was the hosts' domination that they still managed a convincing win.

Ten minutes of injury time in the second half took to match to a hundred minutes, but there was little excitement to speak off in the match, as Manchester City eventually wrapped up an important 3-0 victory.

#4 Stoke City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur, 18th October 2008 (101 minutes)

Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur -Juande Ramos of Spurs

In the dark days of Juande Ramos, Tottenham Hotspur entered this game as the lowest scorers in the league. Their forward line was led by Darren Bent and they faced a Stoke City side managed by Tony Pulis who had fewer shots on target than Tottenham that season.

Quite a few predicted a 0-0 game which was going to be intensely boring and dull. 17 minutes in, the sensational Gareth Bale, then an up and coming young defender, threw himself at Stoke striker Soares in almost comical fashion and got sent off, giving Stoke a penalty in the process. Danny Higginbotham converted the spot-kick and the game resumed.

In the 25th minute, Darren Bent scored from an offside position latching on to a deflected ball and the goal was awarded. Tottenham created some good play on the wings till the end of the first half which ended at one-one.

In the 53rd minute, Rory Delap scored for Stoke to put them ahead. Around the 63rd minute, Spurs custodian Huerelho Gomes clattered into Vedran Corluka in an attempt to claim the ball. Spurs resumed play and began creating some chances, when in the 72nd minute, Corluka went to ground after another collision with Gomes.

The Croatian was treated on the sidelines while Gomes began struggling with a rib injury. Around the same time, Corluka was stretchered off with a neck brace and an oxygen mask from the sidelines and play resumed with Michael Dawson coming on to replace him.

Stoke continued to attack, applying pressure down the wings and hurling (literally with Rory Delap's throw-ins) balls into the box and managing to force Gomes into some interceptions.

The referee signalled for eleven minutes of injury time in the game. Dawson was sent off in the 98th minute, reducing Spurs to nine men. That wasn't the end of it; in the 100th minute, Ricardo Fuller beat Gomes once again with a splendid shot from the edge of the box, only for it to hit the crossbar, ending a bizarre and memorable game of football.

#3 Everton 3-2 Watford, 5th November 2017 (102 minutes and four seconds)

Everton's Baines and Rooney celebrate their incredible win as Calvert-Lewin looks on

This past weekend's most exciting match was Everton's tie with Watford at Goodison Park on Sunday. The match went on for an incredible 102 minutes and four seconds. It was clearly a game of two halves. The first was lacking in any quality whatsoever. There were a few Watford chances including a splendid chance for Richarlison to round Pickford and score into an empty net but the Watford man missed the target.

The second half was pretty end to end. Watford scored almost immediately after the half began in the 46th minute. An injury to Gomes stopped the game for six odd minutes and Everton were pegged back further when Kabasele scored from a corner on 64 minutes.

Some Everton fans even grudgingly left the stadium after seeing their side falling two behind and showing no sign of improving, but those who left missed quite a comeback. In the next seven minutes, Oumar Niasse somehow forced a ball into the back of the net and Dominic Calvert Lewin scored his first league goal of the season from a corner to put Everton back on level terms.

Aaron Lennon, coming off the bench, won Everton a penalty in the 88th minute and Leighton Baines made no mistake to put Everton ahead in the 90th. You'd think the match was over but with an insane twelve minutes of injury time left, Watford pushed wave after wave of attack and won a penalty themselves in the 98th minute. Former Everton midfielder Tom Cleverly put it wide as the hosts dug deep to pick up a much-needed win!

#2 Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool, 17th April 2011 (102 minutes 30 seconds)

Liverpool's Kuyt scores vs Arsenal

The 32nd game of the 2010/11 season was incredible for Arsenal. They were in the second spot and had to win to close the gap and keep their titles hopes alive as they chased Manchester United.

While a draw would be enough to keep them mathematically in the race, it would all but end any real hopes of a first title in six years. The match was circumspect for a Liverpool side that was stationed in sixth, five points behind Spurs in fifth. Liverpool were happy to sit back and defend deep and try scoring on the counter-attack while Arsenal, in need of a win, were much more proactive.

Fabio Aurelio was stretchered off in the 21st minute and a 17-year old Jack Robinson was introduced at left-back. Jon Flannagan, 18, was already playing in the Liverpool backline making it two teens in the Liverpool defence.

Arsenal endured a frustrating game and were nearly caught out by the aerial prowess of Andy Caroll, who failed to convert the chances. Luis Suarez missed a great opportunity in the last ten minutes of regulation time as well and Arsenal were still in with a chance of snatching a late win and keep their title hopes alive.

The game saw quite a bit of injury time as Jamie Carragher and Joe Flannagan collided with each other and were treated on the pitch for a few minutes. At the end of regulation time, an incredible 12 minutes were added on.

Liverpool finally succumbed to the pressure and conceded a penalty in the 98th minute. Van Persie converted and Arsenal thought they were well and truly in the title race. In the 101st minute, though, Emmanuel Eboue pushed Lucas Leiva while defending a free kick and conceded a penalty which Dirk Kuyt scored in the 102nd minute.

The match wrapped up soon, bringing a conclusion a fantastic game of football.

#1 Arsenal 5-1 West Ham United, 23rd January 2013 (102 minutes 58 seconds)

Lukas Podolski in action

Arsenal and West Ham feature for the second time on this list. Unfortunately for the West Ham fans, it was another disappointing evening for them.

West Ham started well but fell like a pack of cards as Arsenal turned on the style. The Hammers went ahead courtesy of a Jack Collison goal on 17 minutes, but from that moment on, they hardly put up a fight as Arsenal ran riot.

Lukas Podolski equalised soon after, with a 25-yard scorcher, and the first half ended all square. With the match locked at 1-1 at half-time, it looked like a contest lay ahead, especially because Arsenal were facing their familiar problem of a lack of end product even though they were creating quite a few chances.

However, Olivier Giroud scored a half-volley from a corner to make it 2-1 and 5 minutes later, Lukas Podolski dragged defenders away to allow Santi Carzola a free run. The Spaniard obliged and made it 3-1.

The very next minute, Podolski sent in a low cross for Theo Walcott to make it 4-1 and wrap the game up. On 57 minutes, Podolski teed up Giroud from the left wing to make it 5-1.

Daniel Potts was brought on for Jack Collison and Winston Reid was taken off for Alou Diarra. In the 70th minute Potts was knocked out by a questionable challenge from Bacary Sagna and was treated for over ten minutes before being taken to a hospital.

The game resumed in the 81st minute and continued till 102 minutes and 58 seconds, with Arsenal desperately trying to broaden their lead against a hapless West Ham side.