Andy Robertson and Sadio Mané struck in the dying minutes on this day in 2019 as Liverpool turned likely defeat into a 2-1 win at Aston Villa, keeping their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Mohamed Salah’s curler sent Arne Slot’s side top against Brighton in 2024, Ian Rush’s header won a European Cup tie in Bilbao in 1983 and the Reds hit HJK Helsinki for five in 1982. It is also the day news broke of Gérard Houllier’s release from hospital in 2001, and the day Jürgen Klopp received the Freedom of the City in 2022.
2019: Stoppage-time drama at Villa Park
Jürgen Klopp’s leaders went behind after 21 minutes, when Trézéguet turned in John McGinn’s free-kick, and they thought they had levelled soon afterwards, only for Roberto Firmino’s tap-in to be ruled out for the slenderest of offsides after a VAR check.
Liverpool laid siege to the Villa goal for most of the second half, and with three minutes left Robertson charged in at the back post to head home Mané’s cross. Then, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Mané stooped to glance in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner.
It was Alexander-Arnold’s 100th game for the club, and he became the fourth-youngest player in its history to reach the milestone. The win kept Liverpool six points clear of Manchester City at the top.
2024: Two goals in three minutes
Brighton were the better side for most of the first half at Anfield and led through Ferdi Kadıoğlu’s 14th-minute strike, his first goal for the club, which flew in off the inside of the post.
The game turned in the space of three minutes midway through the second half. Cody Gakpo’s cross from the left evaded everyone and nestled in the corner, and then Salah cut in from the right and curled a trademark winner into the far side of the net.
With Manchester City beaten at Bournemouth and Arsenal at Newcastle that day, Liverpool went two points clear at the top. It was Slot’s 13th win in his first 15 games, and Salah’s 164th Premier League goal took him past Robbie Fowler into eighth place on the competition’s all-time scoring list.
1983: Rush heads Joe Fagan’s men through
Forty-three years ago today, Liverpool went to San Mamés for the second leg of their European Cup second-round tie with Athletic Bilbao with everything still to play for after a goalless first leg at Anfield.
In front of 47,500, the tie was settled in the 66th minute, when Ian Rush met Alan Kennedy’s cross with a header. It was a vital step on the road to Rome, where Liverpool lifted the European Cup the following May.
1982: Five for the Finns
In 1982 Bob Paisley’s champions had lost the first leg of their European Cup second-round tie 1-0 in Helsinki, so there was work to do at Anfield.
They had it done by half-time. Kenny Dalglish, Craig Johnston and Phil Neal all scored before the break, and Alan Kennedy added two more in the second half to complete a 5-0 win and a 5-1 aggregate victory.
2001: Good news for Houllier
On this day in 2001, it was confirmed that Gérard Houllier had been discharged from Broadgreen Hospital the previous evening, less than three weeks after being taken ill at half-time against Leeds United at Anfield. He had undergone 11 hours of surgery for a tear in the main artery from the heart.
On the same day, the draw for the second group stage of the Champions League paired Phil Thompson’s caretaker side with Barcelona, Roma and Galatasaray. Houllier returned to the dugout in March for the decisive game against Roma, which Liverpool won 2-0 at Anfield to reach the quarter-finals.
2022: Freedom of the City for Klopp
In 2022, Klopp was given the Freedom of the City of Liverpool, the city’s highest civic honour, at a ceremony at Liverpool Town Hall.
Also on this day
- 1895: Newton Heath, later Manchester United, beat Liverpool 5-2, with Jack Peters scoring a hat-trick. Frank Becton and Jimmy Ross replied.
- 1901: Tommy Robertson, Charlie Satterthwaite and Jack Cox scored in a 3-2 win at Manchester City.
- 1907: Liverpool lost 2-0 at Bristol City.
- 1912: Jack Parkinson scored twice in a 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
- 1929: Gordon Hodgson, David Davidson and Jimmy Smith scored in a 3-3 draw at Portsmouth.
- 1935: Lance Carr and Gordon Hodgson scored in a 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough.
- 1946: A goalless draw at Blackburn Rovers.
- 1957: Johnny Wheeler scored the only goal of a Second Division win at Lincoln City.
- 1963: Leicester City won 1-0 at Anfield.
- 1968: A goalless draw at West Bromwich Albion.
- 1974: Liverpool lost 1-0 at Ipswich Town.
- 1977: Steve Heighway scored in a 2-1 defeat at Dynamo Dresden, but the holders went through to the European Cup quarter-finals 6-3 on aggregate.
- 1985: Ian Rush’s late goal beat Leicester City 1-0 at Anfield.
- 1988: John Barnes scored in a 1-1 League Cup third-round draw with Arsenal at Anfield.
- 1991: Glenn Hysén scored, but Crystal Palace won 2-1 at Anfield.
- 2002: Michael Owen scored twice in a 2-0 win over West Ham United at Anfield.
- 2003: Emile Heskey scored and Danny Murphy’s late penalty won it 2-1 against Fulham at Loftus Road.
- 2013: Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey scored as Arsenal won 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
