Ahead of Everton going to the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday, we look back at a classic away match away to Arsenal
Andrei Kanchelskis and Graham Stuart celebrate during the match between Arsenal and Everton at Highbury on January 20, 1996
Andrei Kanchelskis and Graham Stuart celebrate during the match between Arsenal and Everton at Highbury on January 20, 1996(Image: Tony Edenden/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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It was the year that Baddiel and Skinner sang 'Football’s coming home' as England hosted the European Championship. But in the same way they wouldn’t predict that '30 years of hurt' was going to at least double for the Three Lions, it could now also apply to Everton winning in front of fans at Arsenal.
Having won a dozen times on their travels since David Moyes returned in January 2025, the Blues will be looking to end that hoodoo at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening, but managed by one of the Scot’s former Goodison Park signings Mikel Arteta, the table-topping Gunners stand in their way.
The last time Everton triumphed away to Arsenal in front of a crowd came in 1996, the year that Dolly the (cloned) sheep was born and there was a brace of royal divorces (the Prince and Princess of Wales plus the Duke and Duchess of York).
For Joe Royle’s side, the victory on January 20 came in between an 89th-minute 3-2 FA Cup third-round replay win at third-tier Stockport County and the holders being held at home to Port Vale before ultimately being dumped out of the competition in Burslem in a Valentine’s Day massacre.
Like they done at Edgeley Park (which in those days was the closest ground to the Mersey) three days earlier, the Blues had to come from behind in north London.
David Prentice wrote in the ECHO: “There was one gleeful Gunner at Highbury on Saturday. Double-winning captain Frank McLintock took Bob Latchford’s advice and had £20 on Everton to secure their first win there since 1987 (when nine years seemed a long such drought for the Blues!) at 7/2. ‘It was the best bet of the day,’ said Big Bob, now a regional manager at Ladbrokes.
“The betting chain had probably looked at Everton’s appalling record there and Ian Wright’s incredible strike rate against the Blues. What they hadn’t reckoned with was Arsenal’s decimated squad and Joe Royle’s own gambling expertise.
“The Everton manager selected an ultra-attack minded formation with four forwards (goalscorers Graham Stuart and Andrei Kanchelskis plus Duncan Ferguson and Daniel Amokachi) on the pitch. It meant for a game of many openings, but Neville Southall won the goalkeeping glory.
“While David Seaman pushed Kanchelskis’ late winner into his own net, Southall combined athleticism and stubborn resolve to keep out efforts from Glenn Helder, Paul Merson, Adrian Clarke and Dennis Bergkamp (twice). The goal that beat him was exceptional – and from a wholly predictable source.
“Ian Wright made it his personal mission to cause the Blues as much grief as is humanly possible. In a marvellous career he has struck an astonishing 13 times past Southall, 10 times for Arsenal, three for Crystal Palace – and all but one coming in London.
“The Blues deservedly equalised four minutes into the second half. Stuart waltzed around Seaman before slotting in goal number 11 for the season.”
The winner came six minutes from the end with a throw-in by Barry Horne – who Prentice observed had dropped solidly into the right-back role – falling to Kanchelskis on the edge of the area and the winger beating England number one Seaman with a left-foot drive.
Afterwards, Everton manager Royle remarked: “Andrei had been very quiet, but he has match-winning qualities. We did gamble by keeping four forwards on the pitch, but it has paid off for us with two goals.
“As for Graham Stuart, he is getting better and better. I have said many times when I came to Goodison Park, I thought he was a jack of all trades, but he is far, far, better than that.
“If (England manager) Terry Venables is looking for someone to run around the front two he can do that. There is no-one playing better in that position in the country at the moment.”