Liverpool 0–2 Arsenal (26 May 1989)
Encyclopedia
The final match of the 1988–89 English
Football League season was contested on 26 May 1989, between Liverpool
and Arsenal
, at Liverpool's Anfield
ground. By sheer coincidence, it was the match between the top two teams in the First Division
and the teams were close enough on points for the match to act as a decider for the First Division Championship. Arsenal needed to win the game by at least two goals to take the title, while Liverpool enjoyed home advantage and had won the FA Cup
the previous weekend. Despite being labelled underdogs, Arsenal won 2–0, with a last-minute goal
scored by Michael Thomas – the final goal, in the final minute, of the final game of the league season – giving them their ninth First Division title and denying Liverpool the chance of a second Double
. The match is considered to be the most dramatic conclusion to a league season in the history of the English game.
semi-final against Nottingham Forest
at Hillsborough
was the scene of the worst disaster
in English football history, with 96 fans crushed to death inside the stadium. The Liverpool-Arsenal fixture was postponed, with no suitable date found until after the FA Cup Final
. Liverpool beat Everton
3–2 in that game, meaning that if they won the League title as well, it would complete a historic second Double
.
Arsenal had been the leading team at the top of the First Division for much of the season. At the turn of the year, they had been 15 points ahead of Liverpool, but their form dropped as the season drew to a close, whilst Liverpool had been unbeaten since January 1. In the run-up to the Anfield match, Arsenal lost to Derby County
and drew with Wimbledon
; Liverpool won twice, 2–0 against QPR
and 5–1 against West Ham United
allowing them to overtake Arsenal with one game to play and take a superior goal difference. On the eve of the match, they were three points ahead, with the table looking as follows:
A victory for Arsenal would bring both teams level - for Arsenal to win the title they would have to win by two clear goals to win on goals scored - they would have been level on goal difference
- or by three or more goals to win on goal difference. Any other result would secure the title for Liverpool instead. Liverpool had not lost by two or more goals at Anfield in three years, and Arsenal had not won there in fifteen. Furthermore, Liverpool had never previously been defeated when playing forwards John Aldridge
and Ian Rush
together. Liverpool were therefore the overwhelming favourites to win the title - the Daily Mirrors sports sections led with the headline "You Haven't Got A Prayer, Arsenal".
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center>
ARSENAL (5–4–1):
|
GK
1
John Lukic
RB
2
Lee Dixon
LB
3
Nigel Winterburn
MF
4
Michael Thomas
SW
5
David O'Leary
CB
6
Tony Adams
(c)
MF
7
David Rocastle
MF
8
Kevin Richardson
CF
9
Alan Smith
CB
10
Steve Bould
MF
11
Paul Merson
Substitutes:
MF
12
Perry Groves
MF
14
Martin Hayes
Manager:
George Graham
MATCH RULES
90 minutes, no extra time or penalties.
Three points awarded to winner, none to loser
One point awarded to each in the event of a draw
Two named substitutes.
Maximum of two substitutions.
in the unusual role of sweeper. Although Arsenal did not usually play this way, this enabled the full-backs Dixon and Winterburn more scope to push forward and limit Liverpool's wing play. Arsenal did their best to restrict Liverpool's passing game in the opening 45 minutes through tackling and quick counter-attacking with the long ball; with the game's flow interrupted and the two teams cancelling each other out, neither side built any momentum in the first half with few clear-cut chances.
The only real chance of the game for Arsenal came from a cross from Michael Thomas on the right which was met by Steve Bould
, but Steve Nicol
cleared it over the bar for a corner.. Liverpool responded with a shot from outside the box from Ian Rush
after being teed up by John Aldridge
. However, soon after Rush was forced to go off with a groin
strain and had to be replaced by Peter Beardsley
in the 32nd minute. The score was 0–0 at half time.
took the resulting indirect free kick
, which was met by Alan Smith
with a header. Liverpool's players protested, claiming Smith had not made contact (and thus the goal should have been disallowed, coming directly from an indirect free kick) or that there had been a push by O'Leary. After consulting his linesman
, the referee David Hutchinson
awarded the goal. After the match, he recalled none of the Liverpool players knew why they had protested, and TV replays confirm that Smith made contact.
With the score 1–0, Arsenal pushed forward but Liverpool still held the advantage. In the 74th minute an unmarked Thomas latched onto a pass from Richardson near the penalty spot, but shot weakly and it was smothered by Liverpool keeper Bruce Grobbelaar
. Arsenal manager George Graham brought on Martin Hayes
and Perry Groves
, and switched to a more attack-oriented 4–4–2 formation. This gave Liverpool space to counter-attack through Barnes
and Aldridge
. Aldridge and Ray Houghton
both had late chances to equalise but did not capitalise on them; Houghton sliced a shot from the edge of the box wide, while Aldridge was caught offside meeting a Barnes throughball and scored a disallowed goal after the whistle had gone. As full time approached the game was heading for a 1–0 scoreline, and thus Liverpool would win the title.
As the time went past 90 minutes, an injury to Kevin Richardson
held up play. TV cameras showed Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon
telling his team-mates there was one minute remaining. The injury itself meant there would, in fact, be three minutes of injury time played. In the second minute of injury time Arsenal launched their final attack. A Barnes run was intercepted by Richardson, and he passed the ball back to his goalkeeper John Lukic
. Lukic bowled the ball out to right-back Lee Dixon
; his long ball to Alan Smith was flicked on, finding Michael Thomas surging forward from midfield. Thomas evaded a challenge by Nicol and raced into the penalty area, slipping the ball past the advancing Grobbelaar to score Arsenal's second.
Thomas had scored with just 25 seconds to go. Liverpool tried one last attack but Thomas managed to intercept and pass the ball back to Lukic. The final whistle confirmed Arsenal as Champions, with the two sides inseparable on points and goal difference meaning with the Gunners won the title by virtue of having scored eight more goals than Liverpool throughout the season. Arsenal received the Championship trophy after the match.
, in an era where live League football was still in its infancy. More than eight million people watched the game. The commentator on the night was Brian Moore
, whose commentary as the second goal was scored went as follows:
In 2002 it was selected as one of the top ten commentaries of all time by The Observer
, and the phrase It's Up For Grabs Now is used as the title of the Arsenal commemorative DVD of the match.
Moore's co-commentator for the game was David Pleat
, former manager of Arsenal's North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
in the 1992 FA Cup Final
, and in 2007 he was named as one of the club's top 100 players of all time.
, an adaptation of Nick Hornby
's bestselling book of the same name
.
's 100 Greatest TV Moments
In 2002, the match was ranked at number 15 in Channel 4
's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments, and in 2007 Michael Thomas's goal was voted the second greatest moment in Arsenal's history (second to completing an entire league season unbeaten in 2004). In 2008–09
, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the win, Arsenal's away kit for the season was styled on the same design as that of the 1988–89 season, the fixture between the sides that season was also highly enthralling, finishing 4-4.
Many cite the match as a pivotal turning point in English football. Writing in The Guardian
, Jason Cowley
noted how instead of rioting, as had occurred at Heysel
with fatal consequences, Liverpool fans stayed on after the game and applauded Arsenal "as if they understood that we were at the start of something new; that there would be no returning to the ways of old". Cowley describes the match as "the night football was reborn" and that the event "repaired the reputation of football".
The match is not only seen as the starting point of a renaissance in English football, but also the moment where people started to see the untapped commercial potential of live football on television.
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
Football League season was contested on 26 May 1989, between Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, at Liverpool's Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
ground. By sheer coincidence, it was the match between the top two teams in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and the teams were close enough on points for the match to act as a decider for the First Division Championship. Arsenal needed to win the game by at least two goals to take the title, while Liverpool enjoyed home advantage and had won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
the previous weekend. Despite being labelled underdogs, Arsenal won 2–0, with a last-minute goal
Last-minute goal
The term "last-minute goal" is used in sport, primarily association football, to describe a goal scored very late in a game. It may not necessarily refer to a goal scored in the actual final minute...
scored by Michael Thomas – the final goal, in the final minute, of the final game of the league season – giving them their ninth First Division title and denying Liverpool the chance of a second Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
. The match is considered to be the most dramatic conclusion to a league season in the history of the English game.
Background
The match had been originally scheduled to be played on 23 April. However, on 15 April Liverpool's FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
at Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
was the scene of the worst disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
in English football history, with 96 fans crushed to death inside the stadium. The Liverpool-Arsenal fixture was postponed, with no suitable date found until after the FA Cup Final
1989 FA Cup Final
The 1989 FA Cup Final was the final of the 1988–89 FA Cup, the top football knockout competition in England. The match was a Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, played at Wembley Stadium, London, on 20 May 1989. Liverpool won 3–2 after extra time, with goals from John Aldridge and two...
. Liverpool beat Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
3–2 in that game, meaning that if they won the League title as well, it would complete a historic second Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
.
Arsenal had been the leading team at the top of the First Division for much of the season. At the turn of the year, they had been 15 points ahead of Liverpool, but their form dropped as the season drew to a close, whilst Liverpool had been unbeaten since January 1. In the run-up to the Anfield match, Arsenal lost to Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and drew with Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
; Liverpool won twice, 2–0 against QPR
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
and 5–1 against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
allowing them to overtake Arsenal with one game to play and take a superior goal difference. On the eve of the match, they were three points ahead, with the table looking as follows:
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 37 | 22 | 10 | 5 | 65 | 26 | 76 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 37 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 71 | 36 | 73 |
A victory for Arsenal would bring both teams level - for Arsenal to win the title they would have to win by two clear goals to win on goals scored - they would have been level on goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
- or by three or more goals to win on goal difference. Any other result would secure the title for Liverpool instead. Liverpool had not lost by two or more goals at Anfield in three years, and Arsenal had not won there in fifteen. Furthermore, Liverpool had never previously been defeated when playing forwards John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
and Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
together. Liverpool were therefore the overwhelming favourites to win the title - the Daily Mirrors sports sections led with the headline "You Haven't Got A Prayer, Arsenal".
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | LIVERPOOL (4–4–2): | |||
| GK | 1 |  Bruce GrobbelaarBruce Grobbelaar Bruce David Grobbelaar is a former football goalkeeper and manager.He played for a number of clubs in a career which spanned for more than 20 years at professional level, most notably Liverpool during their dominant period in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Early years:In his teenage years, Grobbelaar... |
||
| RB | 2 | Gary Ablett |
||
| LB | 3 | Steve Staunton Steve Staunton Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington... |
||
| CB | 4 | Steve Nicol Steve Nicol Stephen "Steve" Nicol is a Scottish former professional footballer. A utility player who played in the all-conquering Liverpool team of the 1980s, he was most recently coach of New England Revolution, and was the longest-tenured head coach in MLS to coach a single club.As a player, Nicol was a... |
||
| CM | 5 | Ronnie Whelan Ronnie Whelan Ronald Andrew "Ronnie" Whelan is a former Irish football midfielder, and sometimes defender, who was an integral part of the dominant Liverpool side of the 1980s... (c) |
||
| CB | 6 | Alan Hansen Alan Hansen Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland... |
||
| RM | 7 | Ray Houghton Ray Houghton Raymond James "Ray" Houghton is a retired Scottish-born footballer who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level, qualifying through his Irish father... |
||
| CF | 8 | John Aldridge John Aldridge John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager... |
||
| CF | 9 |  Ian RushIan Rush Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield... |
||
| LM | 10 | John Barnes John Barnes (footballer) John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times... |
||
| CM | 11 | Steve McMahon Steve McMahon Stephen Joseph McMahon is an English former football midfielder who most notably played for Liverpool in the late 1980s... |
||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| DF | 12 | Barry Venison Barry Venison Barry Venison is a retired English footballer who enjoyed a successful playing career from 1981 to 1997. He later worked as an television pundit.-Sunderland:... |
||
| FW | 14 | Peter Beardsley Peter Beardsley Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Kenny Dalglish Kenny Dalglish Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and... |
||||
MATCH OFFICIALS
|
||||
John LukicJohn Lukic
Jovan "John" Lukic is an English former football goalkeeper who was a member of Football League championship sides with two different clubs and played at the highest level of English football in four separate decades.-Childhood and early life:Lukic was born in Chesterfield to Yugoslavian parents;...
Lee DixonLee Dixon
Lee Michael Dixon is a former English professional footballer born in Manchester.He formed part of the Arsenal defence from the late 1980s, through till 2002. He was capped 22 times for England, scoring once....
Nigel WinterburnNigel Winterburn
Nigel Winterburn is a retired English footballer who played at left-back for Arsenal. He is best known for his role alongside Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon, forming a celebrated defensive line in the Premier League and European football during the 1990s.-Early career:Winterburn was born...
Michael ThomasDavid O'Leary
David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai...
Tony AdamsTony Adams (footballer)
Tony Alexander Adams, MBE is an English football manager and former player.Adams spent his entire playing career of 22 years as a defender at Arsenal. He is considered one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time by the club's own fans and was included in the Football League 100 Legends...
(c)
David RocastleDavid Rocastle
David Carlyle Rocastle, nicknamed Rocky, was an English football player, who spent the majority of his career at Arsenal...
Kevin RichardsonKevin Richardson (footballer)
Kevin Richardson is an English former footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, playing for Everton, Watford, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Coventry City, Southampton, Barnsley and Blackpool, and also spent a season in La Liga with Real Sociedad. He was...
Alan SmithAlan M. Smith
Alan Martin Smith is an English former football striker. He played for Leicester City and Arsenal at professional level, and won thirteen caps for England.-Leicester City:...
Steve BouldSteve Bould
Stephen Andrew Bould is an English former football player and current coach. He played professionally for Stoke City, Torquay United, Arsenal and Sunderland.-Stoke City:...
Paul MersonPaul Merson
Paul Charles Merson is a retired English football player, and former player-manager of Walsall. His playing career has included spells at Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and finishing his playing career at Tamworth. He also played for England 21 times...
Perry GrovesPerry Groves
Perry Groves is a former English footballer, known chiefly for his time at Arsenal. He was a fast-paced player who usually played as winger, and occasionally as a striker...
Martin HayesMartin Hayes (footballer)
Martin Hayes is an English former footballer.-Career:Born in Walthamstow, London, Hayes played youth football for Essex schoolboys before joining Arsenal as an apprentice in June 1982...
George GrahamGeorge Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
Match events
The game took place on a warm summer's evening with the kick-off delayed because many Arsenal supporters were caught in traffic congestion. The Arsenal players presented flowers to fans in different parts of the ground in memory of those who had died in the Hillsborough disaster.First half
The first half of the game was one of few chances; Arsenal played with a defensive 5–4–1 formation with David O'LearyDavid O'Leary
David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai...
in the unusual role of sweeper. Although Arsenal did not usually play this way, this enabled the full-backs Dixon and Winterburn more scope to push forward and limit Liverpool's wing play. Arsenal did their best to restrict Liverpool's passing game in the opening 45 minutes through tackling and quick counter-attacking with the long ball; with the game's flow interrupted and the two teams cancelling each other out, neither side built any momentum in the first half with few clear-cut chances.
The only real chance of the game for Arsenal came from a cross from Michael Thomas on the right which was met by Steve Bould
Steve Bould
Stephen Andrew Bould is an English former football player and current coach. He played professionally for Stoke City, Torquay United, Arsenal and Sunderland.-Stoke City:...
, but Steve Nicol
Steve Nicol
Stephen "Steve" Nicol is a Scottish former professional footballer. A utility player who played in the all-conquering Liverpool team of the 1980s, he was most recently coach of New England Revolution, and was the longest-tenured head coach in MLS to coach a single club.As a player, Nicol was a...
cleared it over the bar for a corner.. Liverpool responded with a shot from outside the box from Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
after being teed up by John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
. However, soon after Rush was forced to go off with a groin
Adductor muscles of the hip
In human anatomy, the adductor muscles of the hip is a group of muscles of the thigh.-Muscles:The adductor group is made up of:*Adductor brevis*Adductor longus*Adductor magnus*Adductor minimus This is often considered to be a part of adductor magnus....
strain and had to be replaced by Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
in the 32nd minute. The score was 0–0 at half time.
Second half
Seven minutes after the restart, Whelan was penalised for an offence on the edge of the Liverpool area. Nigel WinterburnNigel Winterburn
Nigel Winterburn is a retired English footballer who played at left-back for Arsenal. He is best known for his role alongside Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon, forming a celebrated defensive line in the Premier League and European football during the 1990s.-Early career:Winterburn was born...
took the resulting indirect free kick
Indirect free kick
An indirect free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. Unlike a direct free kick, a goal may not be scored directly from the kick. The law was derived from the Sheffield Rules that stated that no goal could be scored from a free kick...
, which was met by Alan Smith
Alan M. Smith
Alan Martin Smith is an English former football striker. He played for Leicester City and Arsenal at professional level, and won thirteen caps for England.-Leicester City:...
with a header. Liverpool's players protested, claiming Smith had not made contact (and thus the goal should have been disallowed, coming directly from an indirect free kick) or that there had been a push by O'Leary. After consulting his linesman
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
, the referee David Hutchinson
David Hutchinson
David Hutchinson is a former English football referee. The most notable match refereed by Hutchinson was the last game of the1988-89 season between Arsenal and Liverpool, one one of the most famous games in the history of English football....
awarded the goal. After the match, he recalled none of the Liverpool players knew why they had protested, and TV replays confirm that Smith made contact.
With the score 1–0, Arsenal pushed forward but Liverpool still held the advantage. In the 74th minute an unmarked Thomas latched onto a pass from Richardson near the penalty spot, but shot weakly and it was smothered by Liverpool keeper Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce David Grobbelaar is a former football goalkeeper and manager.He played for a number of clubs in a career which spanned for more than 20 years at professional level, most notably Liverpool during their dominant period in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Early years:In his teenage years, Grobbelaar...
. Arsenal manager George Graham brought on Martin Hayes
Martin Hayes (footballer)
Martin Hayes is an English former footballer.-Career:Born in Walthamstow, London, Hayes played youth football for Essex schoolboys before joining Arsenal as an apprentice in June 1982...
and Perry Groves
Perry Groves
Perry Groves is a former English footballer, known chiefly for his time at Arsenal. He was a fast-paced player who usually played as winger, and occasionally as a striker...
, and switched to a more attack-oriented 4–4–2 formation. This gave Liverpool space to counter-attack through Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
and Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
. Aldridge and Ray Houghton
Ray Houghton
Raymond James "Ray" Houghton is a retired Scottish-born footballer who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level, qualifying through his Irish father...
both had late chances to equalise but did not capitalise on them; Houghton sliced a shot from the edge of the box wide, while Aldridge was caught offside meeting a Barnes throughball and scored a disallowed goal after the whistle had gone. As full time approached the game was heading for a 1–0 scoreline, and thus Liverpool would win the title.
As the time went past 90 minutes, an injury to Kevin Richardson
Kevin Richardson (footballer)
Kevin Richardson is an English former footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, playing for Everton, Watford, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Coventry City, Southampton, Barnsley and Blackpool, and also spent a season in La Liga with Real Sociedad. He was...
held up play. TV cameras showed Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon
Steve McMahon
Stephen Joseph McMahon is an English former football midfielder who most notably played for Liverpool in the late 1980s...
telling his team-mates there was one minute remaining. The injury itself meant there would, in fact, be three minutes of injury time played. In the second minute of injury time Arsenal launched their final attack. A Barnes run was intercepted by Richardson, and he passed the ball back to his goalkeeper John Lukic
John Lukic
Jovan "John" Lukic is an English former football goalkeeper who was a member of Football League championship sides with two different clubs and played at the highest level of English football in four separate decades.-Childhood and early life:Lukic was born in Chesterfield to Yugoslavian parents;...
. Lukic bowled the ball out to right-back Lee Dixon
Lee Dixon
Lee Michael Dixon is a former English professional footballer born in Manchester.He formed part of the Arsenal defence from the late 1980s, through till 2002. He was capped 22 times for England, scoring once....
; his long ball to Alan Smith was flicked on, finding Michael Thomas surging forward from midfield. Thomas evaded a challenge by Nicol and raced into the penalty area, slipping the ball past the advancing Grobbelaar to score Arsenal's second.
Thomas had scored with just 25 seconds to go. Liverpool tried one last attack but Thomas managed to intercept and pass the ball back to Lukic. The final whistle confirmed Arsenal as Champions, with the two sides inseparable on points and goal difference meaning with the Gunners won the title by virtue of having scored eight more goals than Liverpool throughout the season. Arsenal received the Championship trophy after the match.
Media coverage
The match was played on a Friday night, an unusual time in English football, and was covered live on ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, in an era where live League football was still in its infancy. More than eight million people watched the game. The commentator on the night was Brian Moore
Brian Moore (commentator)
Brian Moore was a British sports commentator.-Early life:Moore was born in Gillingham, Kent and educated at the Cranbrook School, Kent, which was also the school of fellow commentators Peter West and Barry Davies....
, whose commentary as the second goal was scored went as follows:
In 2002 it was selected as one of the top ten commentaries of all time by The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, and the phrase It's Up For Grabs Now is used as the title of the Arsenal commemorative DVD of the match.
Moore's co-commentator for the game was David Pleat
David Pleat
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...
, former manager of Arsenal's North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Aftermath
Arsenal were unable to take part in the European Cup as English clubs were still banned from European competition following the 1985 Heysel disaster, and the ban would not be lifted for another year. George Graham's side went on to further successes in the early 1990s, winning the League title again in 1990-91, followed by a domestic cup double and finally the European Cup Winner's Cup. Liverpool made up for their disappointment as they went on to win the title in 1989-90, but have not won the title since. Despite his part in denying them the title, Michael Thomas went on to play for Liverpool in a spell between 1991 and 1998, scoring the opener in their 2–0 victory over SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in the 1992 FA Cup Final
1992 FA Cup Final
The 1992 FA Cup Final was contested by Liverpool and Sunderland at Wembley. Liverpool won 2–0, with goals from Michael Thomas and Ian Rush....
, and in 2007 he was named as one of the club's top 100 players of all time.
In popular culture
The events of the night formed the pivotal point of the 1997 film Fever PitchFever Pitch (1997 film)
Fever Pitch is a 1997 film starring Colin Firth based loosely on the book of the same name by Nick Hornby.-Synopsis:Hornby adapted the book for the screen and fictionalized the story, concentrating on Arsenal's First Division championship-winning season in 1988-89 and its effect on the...
, an adaptation of Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby is an English novelist, essayist and screenwriter. He is best known for the novels High Fidelity, About a Boy, and for the football memoir Fever Pitch. His work frequently touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists.-Life and career:Hornby was...
's bestselling book of the same name
Fever Pitch
Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life is the title of a 1992 autobiographical book by British author Nick Hornby. The book is the basis for two films: Fever Pitch was released in 1997, and Fever Pitch in 2005...
.
Legacy
In 1999 the match was ranked at number 60 in Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's 100 Greatest TV Moments
In 2002, the match was ranked at number 15 in Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments, and in 2007 Michael Thomas's goal was voted the second greatest moment in Arsenal's history (second to completing an entire league season unbeaten in 2004). In 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the win, Arsenal's away kit for the season was styled on the same design as that of the 1988–89 season, the fixture between the sides that season was also highly enthralling, finishing 4-4.
Many cite the match as a pivotal turning point in English football. Writing in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Jason Cowley
Jason Cowley
Jason Cowley is a British journalist, magazine editor and writer. After working at the New Statesman, he became the editor of Granta in September 2007, while also remaining a writer on The Observer, and moved back to the New Statesman as its editor in September 2008.-Biography:He graduated from...
noted how instead of rioting, as had occurred at Heysel
Heysel Stadium disaster
The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred on 29 May 1985 when escaping fans were pressed against a wall in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, as a result of rioting before the start of the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy...
with fatal consequences, Liverpool fans stayed on after the game and applauded Arsenal "as if they understood that we were at the start of something new; that there would be no returning to the ways of old". Cowley describes the match as "the night football was reborn" and that the event "repaired the reputation of football".
The match is not only seen as the starting point of a renaissance in English football, but also the moment where people started to see the untapped commercial potential of live football on television.