It's that time of season again when the conspiracy theorists don their tin foil hats, turn off their X-Files DVDs and start raising their eyebrows at any mutually beneficial results that occur.

While Everton's Ross Barkley-inspired performance against Manchester City on Sunday wasn't quite enough to suggest that the Toffees were giving Liverpool's title-chasing rivals a leg up, a charge sheet is being prepared for Sunderland and West Brom, should their clash tonight end up in an-everybody-wins-except-Norwich draw.

And over in Spain, a final day schedule sees Atletico Madrid take on Barcelona, while Real Madrid play Barcelona's other side Espanyol, with all kind of theories being prepared to stop/help the main protagonists from Spain's two biggest cities winning/not winning the title.

And it's not the first time that inquisitive minds have questioned certain goings-on, as here's five matches that have got tongues wagging.

Can Peru believe it?

The 1978 World Cup in Argentina was a highly-political affair, coming just two years after a coup had placed a military dictatorship in charge, and the junta was desperate to make a name for themselves on the international stage.

A convoluted two-group stage format climaxed with the home side facing Peru and needing to beat their South American rivals by at least four goals to qualify for the semi-finals.

And whatdya know, the Mario Kempes-inspired Albiceleste romped to a 6-0 win over their muted opponents, causing the conspiracy theorists to pipe up.

Mario Kempes
Super Mario: Kempes and company were in the goals against Peru

Rumours later circulated of extra Argentine grain shipments heading to Peru, the unfreezing of accounts by the Argentine Central Bank and exiled dissidents being returned to Lima. 

And when everyone found out that the Peru 'keeper Ramon Quiroga was born in Argentina, that hardly failed to stop the rumours that something was amiss.

Stockholm syndrome

"It would not be possible to play for a 2-2 draw against Denmark and I don't think it will end 2-2 – that is a very unusual result," said Sweden co-coach Lars Lagerback ahead of his side's final Euro 2004 group game against Denmark, where a 2-2 draw was the one result that would knock Italy out of the tournament. Well practised in the art of the biscotto, Italy were understandably weary.

So what happened?

Denmark v Sweden Euro 2004
It takes two-two tango: The Scandinavian rivals played out a 2-2 draw

Yup, you guessed it. The Scandinavian sides shared four goals and Azzurri were heading home.

According to Swedish magazine Offside, players from the two sides had been joking about going for a 2-2 draw, which was never going to placate the fuming Italians, and neither would the Swedish newspaper which screamed "Congratulations Italy, you tipped correctly" on it's front page the next day.

Taking it in his stride, Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said: "We got as many points as the players who are blond and beautiful. But we are darker and not as beautiful."

A marriage of convenience

It's May 1977. Punk rock and Star Wars sweep the land and unfashionable teams like Coventry and Bristol City are duking it our to stay in the top division. The two sides met at Highfield Road on the final day of the 1976-77 campaign in a match that (crucially) kicked off 15 minutes late, allegedly due to bad traffic around the ground. Towards the end, the two sides found themselves level at 2-2, as news began to filter though that Sunderland had lost to Everton, meaning both sides would stay up if the status quo was maintained.

The officials at Highfield Road scrambled to the Tannoy system to announce the Sunderland score and remarkably, the action wound down on the pitch and the two sides played out the 2-2 draw they needed to stay up and send Sunderland down. Good job the traffic was bad, hey?

A Gell-ar of a result

One for the really out there conspiracy theorists next. Remember when Gazza scored his famous 'dentist chair' goal against Scotland in Euro 96? Well, sorry Scotland, it's all Uri Gellar's fault.

Let us explain. The spoon-bending enthusiast was hovering above the old Wembley Stadium (in a helicopter, not using any levitation powers, sadly) when Gary McAllister stepped up to take his second-half penalty. The Leeds skipper saw his spot kick saved by David Seaman, England raced up the other end and Gazza's wonder goal secured England's win.

Gary McAllister
Don't look up, Gary...

But why did McAllister miss, hey? Well it was all because Gellar used his mind to move the ball.

Not convinced? Ally McCoist is:

“Listen, I am telling you right now," he later said. "I was standing next to Gary Neville and that ball moved just the split second before he kicked it. It sounds crazy but I am telling you. It was actually quite a bit. It moves.”

And in case you need further proof, here's Uri himself telling you how it went down.

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Oh, Spurs. Why always them? Back in 2006, St Totteringham's Day came very late in the season for Arsenal fans, as the north London foes' duel for that fourth and final Champions League place went into the final day of the season.

Tottenham knew that a win at Upton Park against West Ham would be enough to secure their place at European football's top table and convened at the Marriott Hotel in the Docklands the night before for for a nice serving of lasagna and a good night's sleep.

But as the clock struck midnight, the Spurs squad began dropping like flies, as they succumbed to food poisoning. Edgar Davids, Paul Robinson, Aaron Lennon, Michael Carrick and Robbie Keane were among those to spend the wee hours of the morning hugging their toilet bowls.

A weary XI were put out to take on West Ham the next afternoon and whether it was the after-effects of the night before, or the flashbacks from the shade of claret on the Hammers shirts, Martin Jol's men went down 2-1 in a defeat which, rather like the previous night's dinner, was hard to swallow. 

"I have never experienced anything like this in football before, said Jol. "We would like to have postponed the match for one day but that was not really possible."

The conspiracy theories duly followed - did a shadowy Arsenal official contaminate the food? Was it a rouge Gunners fan? Or just bad luck? The hotel was cleared of any wrong doing, but the theories still continue to fly.