Look and learn Liverpool: United have been here before, in 1998… and blown it

On March 14, 1998 Manchester United were beaten 1-0 at Old Trafford by their closest rivals, Arsenal. The Gunners went on to win the 1997-98 Premiership title. On March 14, 2009 Manchester United were hammered 4-1 at Old Trafford by their closest rivals, Liverpool. Can Rafa Benitez’s side go on to the win the 2008-09 Premier League title? ‘It was a foregone conclusion until we came to the beginning of March,’ said Sir Alex Ferguson of the 1997-98 Premier League campaign. Manchester United were 12 points clear of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal coming in to March and managed to blow it.

Fast forward 11 years and we have a similar situation.

On March 1, 2009 United were seven points clear of Liverpool with a game in hand. The lead is now just a single point, although United still have an extra game to play.

It can’t happen again, can it?

In 1998 United were hit by injuries with Ryan Giggs, Gary Pallister, Peter Schmeichel and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all needing treatment, while Paul Scholes played against Arsenal with a broken toe on March 14.

This year it is suspensions that could cost them. Nemanja Vidic must miss a second first-team game (against Aston Villa on April 5) and Scholes and Wayne Rooney will also be absent when Martin O’Neill’s side visit Old Trafford after their red cards against Fulham on Saturday.

But can Liverpool pull off the feat that Wenger’s Arsenal managed in 1998?

A side that contained the famous Arsenal ‘back five’ (Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Keown and Winterburn), coupled with the creative prowess of Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Viera and Nicolas Anelka, embarked on a 10-match unbeaten run to snatch the title from United. The Gunners had it sown up by May 3, when a 4-0 victory over Everton secured the title with two games to go.

Liverpool will need to win at least seven of their remaining eight games (against Fulham, Blackburn, Arsenal, Hull, Newcastle, West Ham, West Brom and Tottenham) to have any chance of winning their first title since 1990, but the pressure is back on United, even with that game in hand (at Wigan).

Sportsmail looks back at the 1997-98 Premier League run-in to see why Liverpool fans should not give up hope just yet…

February 28

Chelsea 0 Manchester United 1
Arsenal 47 Man Utd 59 (Points difference= +12 Man Utd)

March 2

West Ham 0 Arsenal 0
Arsenal 48 Man Utd 59 (Points difference= +11 Man Utd)

March 7

Sheffield Wednesday 2 Manchester United 0
Arsenal 48 Man Utd 59 (Points difference= +11 Man Utd)

March 11

West Ham United 1 Manchester United 1
Wimbledon 0 Arsenal 1 
Arsenal 51 Man Utd 60 (Points difference= +9 Man Utd)

March 14

Manchester United 0  Arsenal 1
Arsenal 54 Man Utd 60 (Points difference= +6 Man Utd)

March 28

Arsenal 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0
Manchester United 2  Wimbledon 0
Arsenal 57 Man Utd 63 (Points difference= +6 Man Utd)

March 31

Bolton Wanderers 0 Arsenal 1
Arsenal 60 Man Utd 63 (Points difference= +3 Man Utd)

April 6

Blackburn Rovers 1 Manchester United 3
Arsenal 60 Man Utd 66 (Points difference= +6 Man Utd)

April 10

Manchester United 1 Liverpool 1
Arsenal 60 Man Utd 67 (Points difference= +7 Man Utd)

April 11

Arsenal 3 Newcastle United 1
Arsenal 63 Man Utd 67 (Points difference= +4 Man Utd)

April 13

Blackburn Rovers 1 Arsenal 4
Arsenal 66 Man Utd 67 (Points difference= +1 Man Utd)

April 18

Arsenal 5 Wimbledon 0
Manchester United 1  Newcastle United 1
Arsenal 69 Man Utd 68 (Points difference= +1 Arsenal)

April 25

Barnsley 0 Arsenal 2
Arsenal 72 Man Utd 68  (Points difference= +4 Arsenal)

April 27

Crystal Palace 0 Manchester United 3
Arsenal 72 Man Utd 71 (Points difference= +1 Arsenal)

April 29

Arsenal 1 Derby County 0
Arsenal 75 Man Utd 71 (Points difference= +4 Arsenal)

May 3

Arsenal 4  Everton 0
Arsenal 78 Man Utd 71 (Points difference= +7 Arsenal)

May 4

Manchester United 3 Leeds United 0
Arsenal 78 Man Utd 74 (Points difference= +4 Arsenal)

May 6

Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Arsenal 78 Man Utd 74  (Points difference= +4 Arsenal)

May 10

Aston Villa 1 Arsenal 0
Barnsley 0 Manchester United 2
Arsenal 78 Man Utd 77 (Points difference = +1 Arsenal)

Premier League table 1998

1. Arsenal (C)                                      38  23  9  6  68-33  78
————————————————————————
2. Manchester United (CL)       38  23  8  7  73-26  77
by Laura Williamson on dailymail.co.uk 23rd march 2009

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 1

Ini pertemuan dua tim yang sama-sama telah mengalahkan MU di kandang masing-masing. Juga sama-sama menekuk Chelsea di Stamford Bridge. Sekarang keduanya harus saling menjegal.

Liverpool musim ini membuat perubahan signifikan dengan menelan dua anggota the Big Four. Sekian tahun sebelumnya The Reds menoreh hasil kurang memuaskan saat berhadapan dengan mereka. Jika pekan ini Steven Gerrard mampu merubuhkan satu lagi anggota Empat Besar (Arsenal), maka kans juara makin lebar.

Catatan Liverpool versus Arsenal tidak terlalu timpang. Bahkan tidak jarang Liverpool berhasil melumat The Gunners di kandangnya.

Dalam wawancara dengan situs resmi The Reds, www.liverpoolfc.tv, mantang striker Arsenal Thierry Henry memperkirakan bahwa Fabregas dkk akan menghadapi the best team saat ini. Apalagi jika Benitez membawa Fernando Tores dalam perjalanan ke London Sabtu depan. Arsenal bakal kesulitan.

Hasil Arsenal 0 – Liverpool 1 adalah perkiraan dari situs betting www.bettingzone.co.uk

Mungkin Anda punya ramalan tersendiri.

Bagi saya, yang penting Liverpool menang. Ungul satu gol bagus. Lebih dari satu, better!

YNWA

(dari berbagai sumber)

Survey : Liverpool Klub Paling Banyak Pendukung!

Meskipun selama delapan belas tahun Liverpool FC belum meraih gelar juara liga Inggris, namun hasil survey sangat membanggakan pendukung Liverpool.
Survey yang dilakukan oleh website olahraga www.wheresthematch.com menyimpulkan bahwa klub Merseyside ini mendapat dukungan 14,3%.
Dari hasil survey itu juga terungkap bahwa kesuksesan masa lalu cukup berpengaruh.
Manchester United yang telah meraih 10 gelar Premier League sejak 1992 menempati urutan kedua dengan perolehan 11,8%.
Chelsea FC meskipun tengah menikmati masa jaya lima musim terakhir ini hanya mendapat relatif sedikit dukungan dan ada di urutan 9.
Lebih dari 33% fans sepakbola memilih Chelsea untuk pertanyaan :” Klub Premier League Manakah Yang Paling Anda Benci?”
Sedang Manchester United menempati peringkat kedua dengan 29%.

Sepuluh Besar Peringkat Survey :

1. Liverpool FC  – 14,3%

2. Manchester United – 11,8%

3. Tottenham Hotspur – 9,7%

4. Arsenal – 9,6%

5. Newcastle United – 5,8%

6. Manchester City – 5,3%

7. West Ham United – 4,9%

8. Aston Villa – 4,4%

9. Chelsea – 3,6%

10. Everton – 3,1%

YNWA
(dari www.telegraph.co.uk)