Crucial Goals in Football No.4 – Alan Smith vs Liverpool 1988/89
Arsenal fans of a certain age will forever remember the goal that Michael Thomas scored in the last game of the 1988/89 season against Liverpool to clinch their first league title for eighteen years. It was one of the most famous goals in the club’s 135-year history and Thomas is always remembered as the player that scored the Championship-winning goal.
Thomas’s goal was Arsenal’s second in a 2-0 win over reigning champions Liverpool. It came in the last game of the season in the last minute at Anfield, where opposing teams feared to play and seldom got a win.
Liverpool had dominated much of the 1970’s and 80’s, winning multiple League titles and every other competition that they entered. Three European Cups were also won during this time.
Arsenal went into the game with very few people believing that they could get a result. One tabloid ran with the headline ‘Not a Prayer’. Hardly inspiring stuff, but George Graham (Arsenal’s manager at the time) used this to spur his players on and give them the motivation to win.
Liverpool had chased Arsenal throughout the season and two week’s before the final showdown, Arsenal held a five point lead over Liverpool. The Merseysiders did have a game in hand, but Arsenal were the favourites at the time because they had two relatively home games before travelling to Anfield against Derby County and Wimbledon.
Arsenal lost 2-1 to Derby and drew 2-2 with Wimbledon and Liverpool won their three matches to take the title race down to the final game at Anfield. The maths was simple. Arsenal needed to win by two clear goals, anything else and Liverpool would retain the league title.
Early in the second half of a tense game, Arsenal won an indirect free-kick just over thirty yards out. Nigel Winterburn floated the ball into a congested penalty area and Alan Smith headed the ball into the far corner of the net.
The Arsenal players and fans began to celebrate and in an instant, most of the Liverpool players ran over to the referee to complain about something. No one could quite work out what was happening, but the referee went to spek to his linesman to ask if he had seen problem with the goal.
After a brief discussion, the referee awarded the goal. The Liverpool players argued that Smith hadn’t touched the ball and because the free kick was in-direct, the goal should have ruled out. Some didn’t know why they were complaining, but were just hoping that their presence alone would help overrule the decision.
Either way, the goal was given and Arsenal were 1-0 up. Without the Arsenal striker heading in his 23rd goal of the season, Arsenal would have still needed two goals to win the title. Now they needed just the one and we all know what happened next. Michael Thomas can have ‘Smudger’ to thank for grabbing the first goal so he could claim the glory of adding the all-important winner!
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