Matches with the highest number of points in the history of the first league

Premier League fans received an early Christmas present on Sunday as Tottenham and Liverpool played out a nine-goal thriller.

The Reds triumphed 6-3 in north London as Ange Postecoglou’s side once again threw caution to the wind against the free-agent league leaders.

Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah each scored twice, and Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister were the scorers, while James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke scored for the hosts.

Only six times has a Premier League match had more goals since the competition began in 1992. Here’s how those matches played out.

Portsmouth 7-4 Reading (2007-08)

The highest scoring Premier League game of all time was the 11-goal thriller between Portsmouth and Reading in September 2007 which ended 7-4.

A classic from the ‘Barclays’ era, perhaps as remembered for Chris Kamara’s retelling of the events of Saturday’s football, saw Benjani score a hat-trick.

The likes of Hermann Hreidarsson, Nika Kranjčar, Dave Kiston, Stephen Hunt, Shane Long and Sulley Muntari also got on the scoresheet to add nostalgia to this encounter.

Tottenham 6-4 Reading (2007-08)

Reading were on the wrong end of another goalscorer a few months later away to Tottenham, who also have a habit of appearing in goal-laden games.

Postecoglou has evoked much of Spurs’ 2007-08 spirit this season, this match in December 2007 being one of several high-scoring games in which they have been involved.

In this one at White Hart Lane, Dimitar Berbatov scored four goals, with Steed Malbranque and Jermain Defoe also on target.

Tottenham 9-1 Wigan (2009-10)

Tottenham’s second game of 10 goals in a year was much more one-sided as they put Wigan Athletic on the knife.

Peter Crouch scored the only goal of the first half before Defoe took center stage with five, while Aaron Lennon, David Bentley and that Kranjčar made another appearance.

Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal (2011-12)

Manchester United’s 8-2 defeat of Arsenal remains one of the most recognizable and shocking results in Premier League history.

The two are two of the most successful teams in the country and have served up some tumultuous affairs in the past, but this meeting came when the Gunners were in a slump under Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal looked helpless to stop United at Old Trafford as Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick, including two free-kicks, with Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck, Nani and Park Ji-Sung also hitting the net. Arsenal also finished the game with 10 men after Carl Jenkinson’s red card.

Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle (2012-13)

Another 10-goal game for Arsenal followed, but this time they were on the right side thanks to a masterclass from Theo Walcott in December 2012.

The former England winger scored a hat-trick and set up two more during an entertaining festive encounter in north London.

Newcastle equalized three times in a 3-3 thriller before the Gunners pulled away, with Alex Oxlade-Chamerlain, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud the other scorers.

West Brom 5-5 Manchester United (2012-13)

The last of Sir Alex’s 1,491 games in charge of Man Utd was perhaps his most bizarre as United were held to a 5-5 draw by West Brom.

Having already wrapped up the title, the Red Devils – and indeed West Brom – decided to put on a show.

United went 3-0 up before the Baggies clawed back to make it 3-2 through James Morrison and Romelu Lukaku, only for Robin van Persie to inspire the hosts into a 5-2 lead.

But just when it looked like Sir Alex was about to celebrate another of his many victories, Lukaku’s double and Youssouf Mulumbu denied the Scottish great a triumphant farewell.