By Martin Graham
Newcastle United and Leeds United delivered an extraordinary contest on Wednesday, producing the most delayed decisive strike ever registered in the Premier League since Opta began tracking such moments in the 2006-07 season.
The contest ended 4-3 in favour of the hosts, with the defining effort arriving at 112 minutes. Harvey Barnes provided the decisive touch, turning home from close range after chaos inside the penalty area.
Before that moment, the match had already swung repeatedly. Newcastle, unbeaten in 11 home fixtures across all competitions, found themselves 3-2 behind as regulation time expired.
Captain Bruno Guimaraes forced parity once again by converting a spot-kick in the 91st minute, setting the stage for a conclusion that sent St. James’ Park into raptures, as described by BBC commentator Guy Mowbray.
Previous late-deciding Premier League thrillers
Chelsea’s 4-3 success against Manchester United on 4 April 2024 previously stood as the benchmark for a last-gasp winner. Cole Palmer struck twice in stoppage time, first from the penalty spot and then from open play, to complete a hat trick.
That evening at Stamford Bridge saw the home side surrender a two-goal advantage before recovering dramatically. Palmer’s final contribution arrived at 100 minutes and 41 seconds, sealing a pulsating encounter.
Earlier, on 16 September 2023, Tottenham Hotspur overturned Sheffield United with two goals deep into added time. Richarlison equalised before assisting Dejan Kulusevski, whose close-range finish in the 100th minute secured victory.
That result extended Ange Postecoglou’s early unbeaten league run with Spurs, a sequence that eventually reached ten matches.
Other matches decided at the very end
A remarkable clash between Brighton and Manchester United on 26 September 2020 also featured a winner almost beyond full-time. Bruno Fernandes scored from the spot at 99 minutes and 45 seconds, following a VAR review for handball that came after the final whistle had initially sounded.
The game was notable for Brighton’s misfortune, hitting the frame of the goal five times and seeing multiple penalty decisions reviewed or dismissed.
More recently, Newcastle again found themselves on the wrong side of a late outcome when Liverpool visited on 25 August 2025. Despite battling back to level after going down to ten men, the Magpies conceded in the 100th minute.
Liverpool’s decisive moment came from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who became the club’s youngest-ever scorer and the fourth youngest in Premier League history.
