History

GGG24: Silvinho v Chelsea, 2000

It's time to reveal the Gunners' Greatest 50 Goals - as voted for by Arsenal's fans.

We’ve already seen Nigel Winterburn appear in our countdown with a long-range belter at Stamford Bridge. Here his left-back successor claims No 24 with a goal of similar quality on the very same pitch.



Silvinho’s north London sojourn may have only lasted two seasons but he will always be fondly remembered for his attacking flair and cheerful nature. Not to mention late equalisers away at Chelsea.

Of course the season before had seen Kanu turn a 2-0 defeat into a 3-2 victory with a stunning hat-trick. But surely this time around, when Gianfranco Zola and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had handed the Blues another two-goal lead, Chelsea could hold on for the remaining 32 minutes.



Cue another Gunners fightback. First Thierry Henry halved the arrears in the 76th minute with a textbook finish before Silvinho stepped up four minutes from time.



By now Dennis Bergkamp, Freddie Ljungberg and Sylvain Wiltord had all emerged from the bench as Arsène Wenger's men searched desperately for their equaliser but it was the left back who would find it.

Another striker, Kanu, saw his mazy run halted 20 yards from goal but the loose ball rolled invitingly towards Silvinho. The Brazilian hurtled towards it and, without breaking stride, lashed a bending drive into the top right-hand corner from 25 yards.



Carlo Cudicini’s positioning was pretty much spot on but even he could get nowhere near it. Proper ‘postage stamp’ stuff.