Last day drama: Throwback to 1989
Liverpool 0 - 2 Arsenal (May 1989)
Let's explore another moment of last-day drama in English football's top-flight.
Arsenal, who hadn't claimed a league title for nearly twenty years, faced Liverpool on the final day of the 1988-89 season. After squandering an 11-point lead, George Graham's Gunners found themselves three points behind Liverpool. They were up against arguably the toughest challenge any football team could face, having not won at Anfield in 15 years.
Liverpool were not only the reigning champions but also the dominant force in English football at the time, having won the First Division five times in the previous seven seasons.
Arsenal had other plans. Needing to win by a two-goal margin, the North London side managed a 2-0 victory, with the crucial second goal coming deep into stoppage time from midfielder Michael Thomas.
A closer look at the match
You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. The footage is from the EFL YouTube account.
The match began cautiously, with neither side managing to take control. Chances were scarce, and the first half ended in a goalless draw.
Shortly after the restart, Alan Smith headed in a Nigel Winterburn free-kick to break the deadlock. The Gunners then had to wait until stoppage time to secure the decisive second goal. A few minutes into injury time, Arsenal launched a counterattack.
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Goalkeeper John Lukic threw the ball to Lee Dixon, who passed to Smith. Smith, the league's top scorer, linked up with Thomas, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner from about six yards out.
In doing so, Arsenal pulled off one of the greatest feats in football history. They finished level on points with Liverpool (both with 76 points), with identical records of 22 wins, 10 draws, and six losses, and the same goal difference of +37.
The title was eventually decided by goals scored, 73 to 65, marking the only time the English top flight has been won by such a close margin.
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This was probably the most dramatic title race until 2012 and a crazy afternoon involving Manchester City, Manchester United and QPR.
From the people that were there
Catching up with people who were at this match has been a lot of fun. One of those was Anthony, an Arsenal fan of over 45 years.
Anthony said: "Magical doesn't quite capture it. After the initial burst of euphoria, I remember my friend hugging me; we embraced like grown men do only at funerals and New Year's Eve parties. There were grown men around us in tears.
"The celebrations with the players and the trophy were a bit of a blur, as we were all still congratulating each other. However, I distinctly remember Rocastle, his face glowing and his eyes full of joy. You see, he was our man on the pitch. Despite Mickey Thomas scoring the decisive goal, Rocky’s medal felt like ours too, and when he smiled, we all smiled. What a night."
