Manchester City's decisive win at Anfield last weekend left us with a long list of talking points.
Alisson's meltdown. Foden's breakout moment. Roy Keane's 'bad champions' jibes. The alleged 'Bald Fraud' passing the baton to the newly crowned 'Bespectacled Fraud'. But really, it was Jamie Carragher who stole the show with his hilarious groaning as Alisson dallied on the ball with City players closing in. The Liverpool keeper got away with that one while the score was 1-1, but if only poor Jamie knew what was still to come in the minutes that followed.
The clip of Carragher losing his composure on commentary quickly went viral and has been re-mixed with just about every famous pop song you can think of. The Justin Bieber version is arguably the best of the lot.
🎤🎵 @justinbieber just edges @johnlegend for me, can anyone find a better one 🤷♂️😂😂 pic.twitter.com/kgmOwebBK5
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) February 10, 2021
It was a surreal moment hearing one of the Sky Sports commentators emitting the agony of every Liverpool supporter who was watching live. But Jamie Carragher wouldn't be the first commentator to get swept up in the moment and make some odd noises that they probably don't teach in broadcasting school.
Gary Neville & Fernando Torres
Gary Neville has brought a huge amount to Sky Sports' coverage in his role as commentator and pundit over the past decade, but his standout moment is surely the Fernando Torres goal at the Camp Nou that sent Chelsea to the Champions League final and convinced the TV audience that Neville had just had an orgasm live on air.
"What A Hit Son! What A Hit!"
In Jamie Carragher's defence, at least his strong ties to Liverpool are no secret. We're not sure if Everton fans have forgiven their former striker Andy Gray for his roars of delight when Steven Gerrard scored a rocket in front of the Kop against Olympiacos on Liverpool's run to Champions League glory in 2004/05. Gray's sudden shift from 'supposedly impartial commentator' to 'your dad shouting encouraging words on the sideline as you bang one in for the under 12s' helped amplify a classic moment in Gerrard's career.
"Agueroooooooo..."
Martin Tyler's most famous soundbite has been used in so many Sky Sports ads and video montages that it has almost lost all meaning. It's easy to forget just how incredibly dramatic this moment was. City winning their first title in 44 years, with two goals in injury time, to finish ahead of United on goal difference, having seemingly bottled it in the most 'City' way imaginable. Tyler may not be to everyone's taste (we're looking at you Liverpool fans) but his commentary on this moment was epic. It's amazing that his throat was still intact after he got the word Aguero out.
"I Care Not One Jot About His Supreme Talent!"
Years before Jonathan Pearce became one of the more colourful voices on BBC Match of the Day coverage, he was busy honing his craft for Capital Gold Radio when Eric Cantona delivered his infamous kung-fu kick at Selhurst Park. To this day, Pearce is more forthright with his opinion than most lead commentators, but even by his standards - this rant on Cantona is truly special. As Cantona's red card incident escalates into something more shocking, Pearce transforms from 'broadcaster' to 'irate local man at a particularly fractious town hall meeting'.
"Just Look At His Face!"
In a 1974 clash between Derby County and Manchester City, former City hero Francis Lee scored a cracker against his old club that left commentator Barry Davies sounding delirious. Who needs 'expected goals' stats when the commentator can tell you if an attack is 'interesting' or 'very interesting'.
"Dennis Bergkamp!"
Dutch commentator Jack van Gelder did a pretty good job of conveying the sheer euphoria generated by Dennis Bergkamp's incredible late winner against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup Quarter Final. A majestic goal that completely justified van Gelder screaming the words 'Dennis Bergkamp' ten times.
"Maggie Thatcher....Your Boys Took A Hell Of A Beating!"
It's hard to tell whether Norwegian commentator Bjorge Lillelien was simply getting caught up in the emotion of his country beating England in 1981, or if this victory speech was pre-meditated. Either way, nobody has narrated the joy of beating the English more skillfully than this. It was slightly harsh of him to drag poor Lady Diana into it all the same.
"You Can Go Home! You Can Leave Europe! You Can Go Wherever The Hell You Want!"
On the theme of beating the English, it would be impossible to ignore the epic reaction from Icelandic commentator Gudmundur Benediktsson when his country knocked England out of Euro 2016. Benediktsson produced a number of viral clips during the tournament and in particular the England game, but his commentary on the final whistle is the pick of the bunch. This result, coming just days after the Brexit referendum, is possibly football's greatest ever moment of schadenfreude. It also takes us back to one of the funniest moments in television history involving Steve McClaren in the Sky Sports studio. It just never gets old.
SEE ALSO: 11 English Commentators' Mispronunciations Of Irish Names That Drive Us Demented
