Premier League Great Escapes: The Mad Matches That Kept These Sides Up When All Seemed Lost

With Wolves somehow nicking a result against Liverpool and clinging to survival dreams like a bloke holding onto his last fiver at the bookies, it's a reminder that the Prem's bottom table is no death sentence. Clubs have pulled off some right miracles over the years, turning doom into defiance with one killer game. As reported by Planet Football at OneFootball, we've dived into six belters where the trapdoor slammed shut just in time – the turning points that sparked unlikely stays of execution.

West Brom's Festive Fightback (2004-05)

Picture this: West Brom bottom at Christmas, the first ever to pull that off and still survive. Bryan Robson's Baggies hadn't won much since Santa's visit, but on 19 March 2005, they rocked up at seventh-placed Charlton.

Geoff Horsfield nodded them ahead early, only for Jonathan Johansson to level. Then chaos: Talal El Karkouri sees red for a wild two-footer on Zoltan Gera. Robson chucks on Robert Earnshaw – cue magic. Earnie bullets a header, slots home after Gera's through-ball, then bags a hat-trick from a late pen. 4-1 final whistle, and the only man to hat-trick across all English divisions, cups and internationals.

Robbo promised they'd keep grafting like that. They did: beat Everton next, lost twice more all season, and pipped Portsmouth on the last day to scrape 17th. Relegated a year later, mind – survival's a cheeky one-year pass.

Pompey's Injury-Time Heroics (2005-06)

Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth winless in 2006? Grim. But 11 March 2006 at Man City changed it. Scrappy first half, goalless. Then Pedro Mendes smashes from 25 yards around the hour.

Richard Dunne heads level late, but in FOTG 3, Mendes chests down 30 yards out and rifles past David James. 2-1 Pompey! Redknapp: 'We were buried without it – now we're in the fight.'

Eight games followed with one loss. Out of the drop zone with five to play, 17th and four clear. Proper lift-off.

Tevez's Tevezness Saves West Ham (2006-07)

West Ham, rock bottom, no wins since Crimbo, face Blackburn on 17 March 2007. Christopher Samba heads Rovers ahead; Hammers doomed?

Enter Carlos Tevez. Wins a pen off Brett Emerton, slots it. Then controversy: scramble goal credited to Bobby Zamora, but it's Tevez offside – and did it cross the line? Refs say yes. 2-1 hold on.

Six wins in last eight, including smashing eventual champs Man United final day. 15th, three clear. Tevez, you legend.

Fulham's Craven Cottage Comeback (2007-08)

Fulham dire away (one win all year), but 26 April 2008 at Man City: down 2-0 at half-time to Stephen Ireland and Benjani. Diomansy Kamara pulls one back.

Pen: Danny Murphy saved, but rebounds and buries. Stoppage time? Kamara tops corner. 3-2! Roy Hodgson: 'Never lost hope – extraordinary.'

Shutouts vs Birmingham and Portsmouth next. 17th, just safe. Next year? Seventh and Europe. What a glow-up.

Wigan's Anfield Upset (2011-12)

Wigan in the mire since October, never beaten Liverpool. 24 March 2012: Martin Skrtel hauls down Victor Moses – Shaun Maloney pens home.

Luis Suarez levels, but handball chalked off. James McCarthy deflects via Jamie Carragher for Gary Caldwell to blast: 2-1. Survive Carroll bombs. Roberto Martinez's lads spark five from six, 15th by seven points.

Dropped next year, but FA Cup winners – sour grapes sweetened.

These yarns prove the Prem's relegation scrap is football's daftest rollercoaster. Wolves, take note: one win's all it takes to flip the script. Who's penning the next chapter?