- Liverpool and Newcastle clashed in an iconic game
- The Magpies were challenging for the Premier League title
- A thrilling constest proved costly
Over the years, Newcastle United have been involved in some great Premier League encounters, but one stands out amongst them. 30 years ago today, Kevin Keegan’s Magpies travelled to Anfield as the Tyneside outfit were fighting Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United for the title.
Since then, it’s been regarded as one of the greatest Premier League games of all time, with it demonstrating both teams’ attacking philosophies and their will to win even when the odds are stacked against them.
It’s set the course for many battles between the team from Tyneside and the club from Merseyside, which still echoes today with the Alexander Isak transfer saga set to cause a tense match when he eventually makes his return to St James’ Park.
Buildup to Anfield clash
Keegan was a part of the Anfield outfit’s first European Cup success in 1977. 19 years later, he was hoping to deliver the Black and Whites’ first league title since 1926-27.
They travelled to Merseyside just three points behind Ferguson’s Red Devils, but with two games in hand, giving them the edge for the title. It was the first time all season that the Magpies weren’t at the top of the league.
They faced United at home in March, but they would lose 1-0 to the two-time Premier League champions.
Pressure was mounting on Keegan’s side, and Liverpool were hot on their tails, with just five points separating the sides.
Newcastle had a squad of talented players, including Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand, Faustino Asprilla, David Ginola, and former Red Peter Beardsley.
While Roy Evans’ side had veteran John Barnes and two local lads in Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler as stars in the squad. This match was positioned to be a fight, and one that would have a lasting effect on the title race.
A Premier League Classic
The tense affair started off with a bang as inside two minutes a cross from Stan Collymore found the head of Fowler, who powered it past Pavel Srnicek.
Inside the 10-minute mark, the Geordies got their equaliser as Asprilla’s dazzling footwork got the better of Neil Ruddock, who picked out Ferdinand, who fired his effort into the roof of the net.
Liverpool’s attacking approach left them exposed, which played into Keegan’s troops’ hands as they took the lead before the quarter-hour mark, as French sensation Ginola lifted the ball over an onrushing David James.
As the halftime whistle blew, those inside Anfield may have thought they had witnessed a great match, but they had seen nothing yet. Fowler got his second of the evening in the opening minutes of the second half as he drilled his effort low and hard past the Czech keeper.
Once again, the Black and Whites displayed their brilliant attacking prowess as they took the lead just two minutes later through their Colombian star.
Both teams continued to push forward in search of another goal, and the Reds would find it as striker Collymore would get on the end of a Jason McAteer cross.
Neither side wanted to drop points in what could be vital to their success this season, as they both pushed to win the league. As it entered its final moments, it looked like nothing was going to give until the 91st minute.
“Barnes, Rush, Barnes. Still John Barnes, Collymore closing in” were the words uttered from Martin Tyler’s mouth as the forward slammed home his second of the evening.
The words left scars for fans in Tyneside and left Keegan slumped over the Anfield advertising board, as they were a significant blow to their title dreams.
Fallout from Merseyside Misery
Later that month, the English manager had an outburst following their victory over Leeds United, which became famous among all fans of English football.
They would fall short to the Red Devils in the end, as they clinched the title back from Blackburn Rovers.
Just a few months later, Keegan would resign from St James’ Park, believing he had ‘taken the club as far as I can’.
The following season, the two sides would meet each other again at Anfield and play out the exact same scoreline.
In 2003, Ginola gave an interview to the Premier League, in which he said he was heartbroken about the result and believed they would have won the title if it had gone as planned.
“We thought at the time when we were 3-2 up that we had done enough.”
He continued.
“Every time there was a counter-attack, we had Asprilla, Ferdinand and myself – we were so quick and so good with our runs, and we were defending well. I couldn’t believe it at the end of the game when we lost.”
Since then, the two clubs have had amazing contests that have kept any neutral on their toes, with two in recent times: Newcastle beating Arne Slot’s side in the Carabao Cup and a late Rio Ngumhoa goal sinking St James’ Park just in the last 18 months.
The 1996 game wasn’t just a classic, but it defined what the Premier League stood for and still rings true three decades on.
