A look at some great games as the year is about to turn.

1982/83 was a disapointing season for Saints fans, six months earlier they were hoping that the arrival of peter Shilton might be the final piece in the jigsaw, but the departure of Kevin Keegan scuppered all that and the team had struggled with both on and off the field problems, in fact they had goneinto December in 19th place but prior to the viosit of Arsenal on the 28th they had won four straight games on the trot and now sat in 10th, Arsenal for their part were perennial underachievers in the league, they seemed to have been able to win cups but not get anywhere near the title.

The first half looked to be goaless, but then Tony Woodcock scored on the stroke of the whistle to send the Gunners in a goal up, however early in the first half the Saints revival started and Nick Holmes equalised on 53 minutes and then a minute later David Puckett put Saints ahead, sadly it was a lead that couldnt be held and 17 minutes from the end Lee Chapman finished off the scoring to make it honours even.

A year later this time on New Years Eve it was all Arsenal again, this time on New Years eve itself, and at Highbury, Saints were riding high and had won three straight games, but it was the Gunners who took command leading 1-0 at the break and just after it looked game over when Charlie Nicholas made it 2-0 with a penalty, but Saints fought back through two Steve Moran goals on 62 & 75 minutes and were lucky to hang on as Saints lead by Steve Williams put them to the sword.

1990/91 was an up and down season for Saints that would ultimately see Chris Nicholl sacked as manager, but on the 29th Spurs arrived and were despatched with all due ceremony, the first on 17 minutes was a trademark Le Tiss run and shot past the keeper, in the second half Spurs were buried as Rod Wallace stabbed the ball home at a set piece taken by Le Tissier and then Le God rounded off the scoring with just over a quarter of an hour to go to ruin Spurs Xmas.

New Years Eve 1994 saw Man United arrive at the Dell, on the stroke of half time Jim Magilton gave Saints the lead, but soon after the break Nicky Butt equalised but with twenty minutes left David Hughes scored for Saints who looked like they might hold on for all three points, however Gary pallister squared up the game with ten minutes left and it finsihed honours even.

The final ever New Years game at the Dell was on 30th December 2000, having beaten Spurs three days earlier Saints loked to make it a festive double on a frozen pitch deemed playable only 90 minutes before kick off. The game was won on 73 minutes as James Beattie headed in from Marian Pahars cross, speaking after the game Glenn Hoddle thought Kevin Davies was the man of the match and that he had played his best game for the club      

Photo: Action Images via Reuters