[1] Lukic bowled the ball out to Dixon, his long ball to Alan Smith was flicked on, finding Michael Thomas charging through the midfield. [45], The match has been cited as a pivotal turning point in English football. [13] This represented an increase of 1,800% on the 1983 deal. Arsenal adopted a 5–4–1 formation with David O'Leary in the unusual role of sweeper. An actual 38 seconds were played after the ball was kicked off. Fortunately for Thomas, the ball fell back into his path. This gave Liverpool space to counter-attack through John Barnes and Aldridge. [8] The arrangement came about as British Satellite Broadcasting withdrew its joint offer with the BBC, unhappy at how the clubs were run. So did Arsenal's performance as a whole. In August 1988, ITV paid £44 million over four seasons to broadcast live First Division matches. Even now, the circumstances of Arsenal’s 1988-89 league title victory still boggle the brain. Aldridge is down, Barnes is down; Dalglish just stands there, Nicol’s on his knees, McMahon’s on his knees.”. [1] Aldridge and Ray Houghton both had late chances to equalise but did not capitalise on them;[29] 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. [14] On the eve of the match, they were three points ahead, with the table looking as follows: Liverpool had not lost by two or more goals at Anfield in three years, and Arsenal had not won there in fifteen. [14] The league season had ended for the remaining First Division clubs a week before.[16]. [44] It's Up For Grabs Now is also the title of a podcast, hosted by comedian and Arsenal supporter Alan Davies. The final whistle confirmed Arsenal as champions, with the two sides inseparable on points and goal difference meaning the visitors won the title by virtue of having scored eight more goals than Liverpool throughout the season. Arsenal won by two goals, the margin they required to take the title. The pitch, the whole world, it seemed, opened in front of him. That confidence had proved unfounded and while the Kop sportingly applauded Arsenal’s players as they were presented with the trophy, the home players watched on in dumbfounded disbelief. "[37] Dalglish paid tribute to his players and refused to blame the fixture rearrangements for losing out to Arsenal, lamenting "It just wasn't to be. [27], The match took place on a warm spring evening with the kick-off delayed because many Arsenal supporters were caught in traffic congestion. [10][11] ITV's contract therefore acted as a precursor to rising broadcasting deals and growing pressures to keep the top clubs in line. The goal hardly prompted a siege, but tension remained at fever pitch. [54] Despite his part in denying them the title, Thomas went on to play for Liverpool in a spell between 1991 and 1998, scoring the opener in their 2–0 victory over Sunderland in the 1992 FA Cup Final. [17] In the run-up to the Anfield match, Arsenal lost to Derby County and drew with Wimbledon; Liverpool won twice, 2–0 against Queens Park Rangers and 5–1 against West Ham United allowing them to overtake Arsenal with one game to play and take a superior goal difference. [29] After consulting his linesman, the referee David Hutchinson awarded the goal. Ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates, Si Hughes looks back at a memorable past fixture between the two teams - Michael Thomas breaks Anfield hearts. During the matches, you could not say our focus was elsewhere. [60] In 2002, the match was ranked at number 15 in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments,[61] and in 2007 Thomas's goal was voted the second greatest moment in Arsenal's history (second to completing an entire league season unbeaten in 2003–04). Although Liverpool secured the title again the following season, the 23 years since have been barren in league terms and it was this match which proved that Liverpool were no longer invincible. “It was just unreal,” recalled Steve McMahon. [28] Although Arsenal did not usually play this way, this enabled the full-backs Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn more scope to push forward and limit Liverpool's wing play.[21]. [28] Liverpool responded with a shot from outside the box from Rush after being teed up by Aldridge. Thomas evaded a challenge by Nicol and raced into the penalty area, slipping the ball past the advancing Grobbelaar to score Arsenal's second. Liverpool’s self-belief was impregnable, with the Merseysiders having gorged themselves on six league titles in the previous decade. The ban on English clubs playing in European football was lifted a year later and a new top division - the Premier League - was formed in 1992, which generated more revenue for clubs. The 1988–89 season marked the 100th anniversary of the Football League. There was a confidence that we’d be champions.”. [13] With the backing of The Football Association, all of the First Division clubs resigned from the Football League to form the Premier League. [12][13], For much of the 1988–89 season, Arsenal led the First Division table; their manager George Graham had assembled a side mixed with youth and experience, captained by academy graduate Tony Adams. Arsenal were champions. Winterburn took the resulting indirect free kick, from which Alan Smith scored with a header. Liverpool Football Club : [41][42] In 2002, it was selected as one of the top ten commentaries of all time by The Observer,[43] and the phrase It's Up For Grabs Now is used as the title of the Arsenal commemorative DVD of the match. It was moved to late May, days after the FA Cup Final which Liverpool won. [15], Due to the tragedy, Liverpool's fixture at home to Arsenal on 23 April was postponed; no suitable date found until after the FA Cup Final. The 1988–89 title race was the closest in the history of the First Division. It was like ’Nah, is this really happening?” It was. A peak British television audience of over 12 million[2] saw a first half of few chances as Arsenal successfully nullified Liverpool. [26] The match commentator was Brian Moore, alongside former Tottenham Hotspur manager David Pleat. [14] The mood in training was relaxed and the squad travelled to Liverpool on the day of the match, which surprised several players. The match is considered to be one of the most dramatic conclusions to a league season in the history of the English game and is sometimes seen as the starting point of a renaissance in English football. As full-time approached the game was heading for a 1–0 scoreline, and thus Liverpool would win the title. Liverpool adopted time-wasting tactics, including an unnecessary backpass from McMahon to Grobbelaar. Three points awarded to winner, none to loser. [14] Towards the end of the season Liverpool supporters were involved in a sporting disaster at Hillsborough, where 96 of the club's supporters lost their lives as a result of overcrowding during a match against Nottingham Forest on 15 April. [26] On radio, the action was described by Peter Jones and Alan Green on BBC Radio 2. ", "TV's staggering sum is now small change", "Margaret Thatcher was the architect of controversial changes to TV and press", "Deceit, determination and Murdoch's millions: how Premier League was born", "Football's greatest-ever title finish? The title decider also formed the centrepiece of Nick Hornby's book Fever Pitch. Both teams on the same points and goal difference after the match and Arsenal won the title on goals scored. Thomas took another touch, the ball slowing up, defenders closing in, goalkeeper advancing on his space. In stoppage time, Arsenal's Thomas made a run through the Liverpool midfield and scored a last-minute goal, in the process denying Liverpool the chance of a second League and Cup double. Quiz by adamjones291 Liverpool v Arsenal 1989 line-ups Quiz - By adamjones291 The new division was created to ensure clubs could capitalise on television money and divide their earnings amongst themselves instead of the lower leagues. Already FA Cup winners, Kenny Dalglish’s side dismantled West Ham 5-1 in their penultimate match, leaving them three points clear at the top. Yet Arsenal had not won at Anfield for 15 years. Arsenal suffocated Liverpool in the first half and played on the break in the second. Arsenal manager George Graham adjusted his usual formation to a defensive one to stop Liverpool's attacking threat; David O'Leary was employed as a sweeper in a back five. Arsenal won by two goals, the margin they required to take the title. [28] 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. Seven minutes after the restart, Whelan was penalised for an offence on the edge of the Liverpool area. I disagree, "The soundtrack to our footballing lives ... and death", "The 10 greatest bits of commentary ever", "Arsenal FC: It's Up For Grabs Now! After a remarkable 24-match unbeaten run, Liverpool had closed a 19-point gap on the north London club. [62] To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the win, Arsenal's away kit for the 2008–09 season was styled on the same design as that of the 1988–89 season.[63]. [49] His successor, Graeme Souness, struggled to sustain the club's success with a conservative hierarchy and ageing squad, despite investing in youth players. "[38] The Guardian's David Lacey opined that Arsenal were deserved winners, calling the match "a marvellous night for English football" after the events at Hillsborough and other crowd disorders had overshadowed the sport. [3] The celebrations culminated in October 1988, when Arsenal won a centenary tournament involving seven other First Division clubs. Michael Thomas, who would play the most significant role in the outcome and later joined Liverpool under Graeme Souness, remembers feeling already beaten when he and his team-mates gathered two days before to find out which team Graham had selected for this unique match. But we wanted to do it for ourselves too. “George came in and said: 'Listen boys, I really fancy our chances,” Thomas said. Test your knowledge on this sports quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. “The Liverpool players are down, absolutely abject. “It’s up for grabs now ” yelped Brian Moore, the ITV commentator - 'it’ being the title. The final match of the 1988–89 Football League season was contested at Anfield between Liverpool and Arsenal, the top two teams in the First Division, on 26 May 1989.The clubs were close enough on points for the match to act as a decider for the championship. "[37] When asked about the result he said, "Nobody outside Highbury expected us to do it, but when you lose belief you might as well get out of football. The final match of the 1988–89 Football League season was contested at Anfield between Liverpool and Arsenal, the top two teams in the First Division, on 26 May 1989. This page was last edited on 6 October 2020, at 07:56. One point awarded to each in the event of a draw. P. Cullen (England), Shortly after receiving the trophy, Adams was called over by pitchside reporter Jim Rosenthal for a conversation on the field, explaining his absence from the celebratory team photograph for the press. "[48], Although Liverpool regained the championship a year later, the club's dominance waned. [51][52], Arsenal were unable to take part in the European Cup as English clubs were still banned from European competition. As the time went past 90 minutes, an injury to Kevin Richardson held up play. 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. He was dispossessed and Arsenal streamed forward, with Thomas receiving possession 30 yards from goal. “It just flashed before you, the goal. After a remarkable 24-match unbeaten run, Liverpool had closed a 19-point gap on the north London club.