ANFIELD AGONY & ECSTASY
MATT BOZEAT
BY
MORE than 12million people tuned in to watch Liverpool and Arsenal decide the league title in May 1989 – and none will ever forget what they saw.
As the title came down to a duel between keeper Bruce Grobbelaar and Michael Thomas in the 92nd minute, commentator Brian Moore famously said: “It’s up for grabs now!”
In that split second, if Thomas scored, Arsenal would be champions for the first time in 18 years – but if he missed, Liverpool would win their seventh title of the decade.
This was the climax to the season English football desperately needed.
The fixture had been pushed back after the Hillsborough tragedy and 41 days after the darkest of days, football found a reason to smile again.
Liverpool had won the FA Cup six days earlier and the likelihood was that the side bossed by Kenny
Dalglish (below) would do the Double.
Arsenal had to win by a two-goal margin to snatch the title – but no team had achieved that at Anfield for three years. And it was 15 years since Arsenal had won there.
The Gunners had led the table from December 31 until
May 16 – when Liverpool nudged them off the top.
Arsenal looked to have blown it and boss George Graham took the pressure off his players, saying: “Reading the papers, it’s a waste of time coming here. If we can keep a clean sheet for a long period, there’s always the chance we can score some goals.”
The scoreline was blank at the interval – leaving Arsenal 45 minutes to score twice.
The breakthrough came eight minutes after the restart. Nigel Winterburn bent a free-kick into Liverpool’s penalty area and Alan Smith got the faintest of touches to send the ball into the net.
Arsenal had a chance to score the priceless second with Thomas on the penalty spot, but he stabbed his shot too close to Grobbelaar.
And, with the ball in Arsenal’s half in the 91st minute, the title race seemed over.
There was still time for one more Arsenal attack...
Lee Dixon thumped the ball forward, Smith helped it into
Thomas’s path, leaving him face-toface with Grobbelaar.
Thomas dinked the ball over the keeper’s despairing body – and the Gunners were champions.