MY ACCOUNT
Liverpool take on Newcastle this evening in another edition of a fixture that has dealt out some classics over the years.
None more so than their thriller in April 1996, when Newcastle’s title hopes were dented by a footballing spectacle at Anfield that seemed to have it all.
LiveScore take a trip down memory lane to revisit one of the Premier League’s greatest ever games.
The build-up
Newcastle headed into this game with their title charge dramatically losing pace, sitting three points behind leaders Manchester United but with two games in hand.
That may still have seemed quite a favourable position for Kevin Keegan’s men but considering they were 12 points clear just a few months earlier, their advantage was rapidly shrinking.
With three defeats in their last previous five games, there was certainly a sense that momentum was shifting towards the Red Devils going into the home stretch, made worse by a public rivalry between Keegan and United legend Sir Alex Ferguson.
Liverpool meanwhile still had an outside chance of catching the leading pair, with a win taking them just two points behind the Magpies.
Early drama
Newcastle’s attempt to put a marker down and reaffirm themselves as title favourites could not have gone much worse.
Just two minutes in, Robbie Fowler was left unmarked to head home Stan Collymore’s fine cross and send the Anfield crowd into raptures.
But a lightning response by Keegan’s attack-minded side saw them turn the game on its head in just 12 minutes through quickfire goals from Les Ferdinand and David Ginola.
Ferdinand was allowed far too much space in the box to turn and hammer home before the Newcastle No9 fed Ginola with half the field to run into and fire past David James.
Back and forth
The game continued in its basketball-like nature, not least during a particularly chaotic 12-minute spell during the second half.
Fowler popped up with his second goal to draw Liverpool level after some fine work by Steve McManaman before the Geordies were leading again through some attacking excellence of their own.
Peter Beardsley threaded Faustino Asprilla through and the Colombian classily poked the ball past the onrushing James, who had come acres out of his goal.
But before Newcastle had time to even think about whether their title charge might be back on track, Jason McAteer’s fine low ball was touched home by Collymore to bring the scores level yet again.
Keegan’s despair
Newcastle went close to regaining the lead for a third time but Ferdinand’s close-range effort was well saved by James and they would later be made to pay.
Liverpool were ready to show everyone they were in this title race and in stoppage time an excellent combination between John Barnes and Ian Rush eventually found its way to Collymore who fired home to ensure the game got the finale it deserved.
It left dejected manager Keegan, a Reds legend of course, flailing over the Anfield advertising board in utter despair in what would go on to become one of the defining images of the Premier League era.
The aftermath
It was a blow Newcastle and Keegan simply did not recover from as Ferguson’s side went on to claim the title by four points.
Later in the month, the Magpies chief famously lost his cool on camera when speaking of Newcastle’s fading title chances.
It was another moment that went down in folklore and seemed to sum up Newcastle’s capitulation not only in the Liverpool game a few weeks prior, but in their season overall.
The Magpies have not mounted a serious title charge since and go into tonight’s game against the Reds fighting relegation.
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