Biggest upsets in club football in 2022

Whilst the World Cup produced more than its fair share of shock results, upsets are not confined to international football alone. There has been more than their fair share of surprise score-lines in club football in 2022 as well. Here is a small selection.

Chelsea 1 Brentford 4

Although both are West London clubs, there have been relatively few derbies between Chelsea and Brentford over the years because the pair are not usually in the same league.

Chelsea went into this match in April struggling off the pitch after being placed under government control following sanctions imposed on club owner Roman Abramovich.

Still, against their newly promoted neighbours, they were expecting to enjoy an easy home victory, especially after Antonio Rüdiger gave them the lead just after halftime.

But Brentford scored three in ten minutes and added a fourth just before the end for good measure.

Juventus 0 Villarreal 3

Juventus, struggling with financial problems off it, were hoping for a lucrative run in the Champions League last season but crashed out in the round of 16 instead.

Drawn against La Liga team Villarreal, they travelled to Spain for the first leg, and came home with a 1–1 draw, and were confident of seeing off their much less storied rivals in the return leg.

But, although they had the majority of play in Turin, the Villarreal defence were disciplined and resilient, and their team scored on the breakaway in the 78^th minute. In an endeavour to find an equaliser, Juventus pushed forward and were punished twice more.

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Brighton 4 Man United 0

The nadir of Ralf Rangnick’s time as Manchester United interim manager came when his side visited Brighton towards the end of the 2021–2022 season.

Brighton took an early lead and then scored three more in the second half, by which time the United side had been run ragged, and some of their supporters had already left the ground. Those that stayed chanted at their own team that they were not fit to wear the shirt.

The result ended United’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, and it was also effectively the end for Rangnick as well, with Erik Ten Hag already waiting in the wings.

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Bochum 4 Bayern Munich 2

Although Bayern Munich eventually won their 32^nd Bundesliga title last season, there was the occasional bump in the road, not least when they visited newly promoted Bochum in March, a team they had thrashed 7-0 in Munich earlier in the season.

When Robert Lewandowski fired them into a first-half lead, it seemed like another easy three points were in the bag.

But no sooner had the Bayern fans began to celebrate, when Bochum rattled in four goals of their own, all before half-time, all from different scorers. Lewandowski pulled a goal back in the second half, but it was no more than a consolation effort, as his team suffered their fourth – and most unexpected – defeat of the season. The reaction from Bayern fans to the defeat was savage.