On This Day – 20th April
Anders Limpar scored a wonderful long-range goal for Arsenal against Liverpool on this day back in 1992.
It was the third goal in a dominant 4-0 win for Arsenal, coming in the 40th minute of a game that Arsenal dominated from the first whistle.
Arsenal had stormed into an early 2-0 lead after only 16 minutes. David Hillier opened the scoring after six minutes before a moment of madness from Liverpool’s goalkeeper Mike Hooper gifted Arsenal a second.
Ian Wright beat Liverpool’s offside trap and Hooper came rushing out of his area to clear the ball. He got nowhere near it as Wright took it past him before side-footing the ball home from 20 yards.
The third goal was definitely the goal of the game and probably the greatest goal that Anders Limpar ever scored in his career.
With five minutes to go until half-time, Anders Limpar picked up the ball in his own half, taking the ball from Ian Rush inside the centre circle.
Liverpool’s defensive line was very high up, with the back four dotted along the halfway line.
Liverpool’s Nicky Tanner was nearest Limpar but gave him enough time to weigh up his options. The Swede spotted Mike Hooper standing on his own penalty spot, steadied himself and hit the ball from at least 40 yards.
The ball sailed high over Mike Hooper, stranded well off his line and into the back of the net at the North Bank end of the goal. Limpar’s team-mate Kevin Campbell picked him up and the goalscorer gestured to the sky as the Highbury crowd roared in delight at what they had just witnessed.
Ian Wright scored his second goal of the game two minutes after the restart to finish off the scoring for the hosts. The 4-0 result was Liverpool’s worst league defeat in nine years.
The victory over Liverpool was the penultimate match to be played in front of the North Bank terrace, which was to be demolished the following month.
In its place was to be a plush new all-seater stand as a result of the Taylor Report, following the Hillsbrough Disaster in 1989.
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