Friday night thrills

The brand new Friday Night Football show kicks off this week, when Manchester United host Southampton – but it’s not the first time Premier League football has been played on a Friday.

Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley will host the encounter at Old Trafford – live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 6.30pm – with more Friday night action to come later in the season.

This week’s match will be just the eighth time in Premier League history that a fixture has been played on a Friday night outside of the holiday season, and here we look back on the previous encounters – featuring a Chelsea v Manchester United classic and Arsenal’s legendary Invincibles…

Chelsea 0-0 Middlesbrough (December 11, 1992)

Middlesbrough’s former ground Ayresome Park was the unlikely setting for the first ever Premier League fixture on a Friday night. Glenn Hoddle’s Chelsea came into the game full of confidence after four consecutive wins, but the hosts held firm to claim a point.

Chelsea eventually finished in 11th place that season, while Boro were relegated. The Teessiders spent the following two years in the second tier, before returning to the Premier League the year they moved to the Riverside Stadium in 1995.

Man City 1-1 Coventry City (August 27, 1993)Manchester City had failed to win any of their opening four games when Coventry visited Maine Road on a Friday night in August 1993, while Coventry were unbeaten after a strong start.

City took the lead through former striker Mike Sheron, but they were denied their first win of the campaign when United States international Roy Wegerle struck an equaliser five minutes from time.

Ipswich Town …

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