Geovanni has revealed he came close to missing Hull City's landmark victory at the Emirates Stadium in 2008, after being struck down by illness in the hours before the match. In an interview with Daily Mail Sport before Hull’s Saturday trip to Arsenal, the Brazilian remembered a fever that nearly made him return home from the team hotel.

A sleepless night

Geovanni, now 46 and speaking from his home in Brazil, said he barely slept and rang his wife to say he was arranging to be collected. He credits her with persuading him to stay, telling the Mail: "Geovanni, stay there, God will honour you."

The following morning he asked club staff to let him sleep, took medicine and skipped the light pre-match session with his temperature close to 38 degrees Celsius. He told the Mail the game that followed was "so spectacular".

The goal that stunned Arsenal

Arsène Wenger's's side, top of the table at the time, went ahead through Paul McShane's own goal on 51 minutes. Daniel Cousin headed the winner four minutes after that, making Hull only the second visiting team to win at the Emirates.

That match was Hull’s first league encounter with Arsenal in 93 years and came in the club’s debut top-flight campaign. Sky Sport has also looked back at the match ahead of the weekend fixture.

"Beating Arsenal at the Emirates is very hard, and we pulled it off," Geovanni told the Mail. "That was a team of warriors, great players, and we had a really good friendship."

Back on Saturday

Hull sit 11th after nine games and face the champions and league leaders at the Emirates on Saturday. Geovanni put it plainly: "Hull have to give 100 per cent, the maximum, be switched on the whole time." He added: "It's difficult, but it's not impossible, because Hull really did beat Arsenal."

Photo: Photo2023 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0, resized.