Twenty-two years ago today, 11 players and a sub set off to Anfield to attempt the near-impossible.
After 37 games each, Liverpool and Arsenal both still had a chance to take the league title. But Liverpool stood top by three points and had a superior goal difference, home advantage and were playing, in accordance with the mantra they had created after the death of 96 of their supporters at Hillsborough a month before, 'for the dead'.
Arsenal faced other challenges too. So dominant were Liverpool throughout the 80s they had not lost by two goals at Anfield for over a decade. Arsenal’s requirement to take the title back to London for the first time in 18 years: ‘Win 2-0’.
All the hype before had claimed the title was destined for Anfield, and that Arsenal didn’t have a chance. Arsenal had, after all, thrown away a big lead in the title race and Liverpool had won 5-1 against West Ham in the days before. “Not a prayer” was the famous headline on the day of the game.
The Arsenal responded in accordance with their own history – with class and pride. George Graham pinned said headline on the wall of the dressing room and his team talk was done. The players took to the field with bouquets of flowers in memory of the Hillsborough dead. And none of them spoke of the team’s chances. Talking would be done on the pitch.
And so it was. And in the most dramatic fashion. Alan Smith headed the goal that gave Arsenal a chance on 53 minutes, and what followed is football folklore – the stuff dreams are made of and which kids kicking balls around the streets couldn’t think up.
With 89 minutes gone, Steve McMahon of Liverpool took word from the Kop that in 60 seconds the title would be theirs again. He didn’t know how resilient that Arsenal side was.
In the 92nd minute – and in the days before injury time regularly exceeded 93 minutes – Michael Thomas broke through the midfield, lifted the ball over the advancing ‘keeper and wrote himself, the class of ’89, and the words “It’s up for grabs now” into football history.
So why am I telling you all this? Obviously, you all know it.
Well it’s because of this: I will always argue that today’s footballers, in a head to head with those of yesteryear, will triumph comfortably. It would be athletes vs members of the Tuesday Club; and the speed, power and strength of today’s thoroughbreds wuold simply shine through.
Yet despite their superior ability, I don’t believe today’s current Arsenal team would have come even close to winning 2-0 on the night of Friday 26 May 1989.
Because although today’s team have more ability, they do not have one ounce of the determination, willpower or affiliation with the fans that the class of ’89 had.
Sagna, Clilchy, Koscielny and Djourou cannot match the passion of Dixon, Winterburn, Adams, Bould and O’Leary. Fabgregas, Walcott, Nasri, Arsharvan, Rosicky and Denilson do not have the determionation to win that Richardson, Thomas and Rocastle had. Chammakh, Bendtner and even van Persie do not have the guile of Smith, Hayes and even Groves.
I know which set of players I would choose to take into a one-game battle for silverware.
When Arsene Wenger gets his chequebook out this summer, let’s hope he realizes that what we lack is not a match winner or a speedy, tricky little flair player. But some passion, determination and fight.
Then we have a prayer.
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