Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool came from behind to beat the reigning champions Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on this day in 2015, giving the German his first league victory as Reds manager.
Fred Pagnam hit four in a 7-2 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur in 1914, Liverpool recovered from two goals down to beat Sion 6-3 in 1996, and Rafa Benítez finally named an unchanged side in 2006. Diogo Jota came off the bench to sink West Ham United in 2020, and it is also the birthday of academy graduate Tyler Morton.
2015: Klopp’s first league win
Klopp had been in the job for barely three weeks. His first two league games, against Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, had both ended in draws, and his first win had come only three days earlier, 1-0 against Bournemouth in the League Cup at Anfield. A trip to José Mourinho’s struggling champions hardly looked like the place to secure that first league victory.
It started badly. Ramires put Chelsea ahead after just four minutes, but Liverpool grew into the game and Philippe Coutinho equalised in first-half stoppage time.
Coutinho struck again in the 74th minute, and substitute Christian Benteke made sure of it late on. The win lifted Liverpool to seventh in the table, but Klopp was having none of the title talk afterwards. “Are you crazy?” he laughed. “I’ve been here three weeks, round about.”
1914: Four for Fred
Fred Pagnam had scored on his debut at Chelsea three weeks earlier. On this day he helped himself to four as Tottenham Hotspur were crushed 7-2 at Anfield. Jackie Sheldon added two more and Billy Banks also got on the scoresheet.
Pagnam finished the 1914-15 season as the club’s top scorer with 26 goals in all competitions, 24 of them in the league, but the First World War then brought league football to a halt. He joined Arsenal for £1,500 in October 1919.
1996: Six past Sion
Liverpool took a 2-1 lead from the first leg in Switzerland into this European Cup Winners’ Cup second-round tie, but Frédéric Chassot and Christophe Bonvin had the Swiss side 2-0 up inside 23 minutes at Anfield.
Steve McManaman pulled one back before the break and Stig Inge Bjørnebye levelled early in the second half. Chassot struck again to put Sion back in front, but John Barnes equalised almost immediately, Robbie Fowler scored twice and Patrik Berger added a sixth near the end. Liverpool went through 8-4 on aggregate, and it proved to be John Scales’s final appearance for the club.
1995: A Danish exit and a famous song
On the same date in 1995, Liverpool suffered a UEFA Cup second-round exit against Danish side Brøndby. After a goalless first leg in Denmark, Brøndby won 1-0 at Anfield thanks to a late goal from defender Dan Eggen. The crowd noise recorded at Anfield that night was used on Three Lions, the Baddiel, Skinner and Lightning Seeds football anthem.
2006: Rafa sticks with his side
Rafael Benítez had a reputation for rotation, so it was big news when he named an unchanged side for the first time in 100 games, keeping the team that had beaten Aston Villa at the weekend.
It worked. Luis García scored in each half and Steven Gerrard got his first goal of the season as Bordeaux were beaten 3-0 at Anfield, a result that sent Liverpool into the Champions League knockout stage with two group games remaining. Bordeaux finished with ten men after Fernando Menegazzo was sent off for a headbutt on John Arne Riise.
2020: Jota off the bench
It was 2020, Anfield was empty because of Covid restrictions, and West Ham United took an early lead through Pablo Fornals. Mohamed Salah levelled from the penalty spot before half-time, and substitute Diogo Jota scored the winner five minutes from the end to send the champions top of the Premier League.
Trent Alexander-Arnold made his 100th Premier League appearance that afternoon. The memory of Jota’s winner carries a particular poignancy following his death in July 2025.
Born on this day
Born on this day in 2002, Wirral-born Tyler Morton joined Liverpool’s academy as a youngster in 2009. The midfielder had loan spells at Blackburn Rovers and Hull City before joining Lyon in 2025, with Liverpool keeping a 20 per cent sell-on clause.
Also on this day
- 1896: George Allan scored the only goal at West Bromwich Albion.
- 1903: Arthur Goddard and Jack Parkinson scored, but Manchester City won 3-2.
- 1908: Ronald Orr and Jack Cox scored in a 2-1 win over Newcastle United at Anfield.
- 1925: Harry Chambers and Dick Forshaw scored in a 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Anfield.
- 1931: Liverpool lost 3-0 at Sheffield United.
- 1936: Jack Balmer and Fred Howe scored as Arsenal were beaten 2-1 at Anfield.
- 1953: Sammy Smyth scored both Liverpool goals in a 5-2 defeat at Chelsea.
- 1959: Roger Hunt scored in a 1-1 Second Division draw at Sunderland.
- 1964: Manchester United won 2-0 at Anfield.
- 1970: A Tommy Smith penalty and Alun Evans gave Liverpool a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield.
- 1972: Kevin Keegan and John Toshack scored in a 2-2 League Cup fourth-round draw with Leeds United at Anfield.
- 1981: Graeme Souness and Terry McDermott scored in a 2-0 win at Sunderland.
- 1984: Clive Allen scored the only goal as Tottenham Hotspur knocked Liverpool out of the League Cup in the third round.
- 1990: Ray Houghton scored late, but Manchester United won a League Cup third-round tie 3-1 at Old Trafford.
- 1992: Future Red Neil Ruddock scored as Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0.
- 1994: John Barnes scored, but Queens Park Rangers won 2-1.
- 1998: Tony Cottee scored the only goal as Leicester City won 1-0.
- 2007: Nabil El Zhar and Steven Gerrard scored in a 2-1 League Cup fourth-round win over Cardiff City at Anfield, with Robbie Fowler in the Cardiff side.
- 2009: Fernando Torres scored, but Fulham won 3-1 as Philipp Degen and Jamie Carragher were both sent off.
- 2010: Maxi Rodríguez scored late to win it 1-0 at Bolton Wanderers.
- 2012: Luis Suárez scored, but Swansea City won 3-1 at Anfield in the League Cup fourth round.
