| 1987–88 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | John Smith | ||
| Manager | Kenny Dalglish | ||
| First Division | Champions | ||
| FA Cup | Runners-up | ||
| League Cup | Third round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: John Aldridge (26) All: John Aldridge (29) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 44,798 (vs.Tottenham, League, 23 Apr) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 29,994 (vs.Blackburn Rovers, League Cup, 6 Oct) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 42,267 | ||
The1987–88 season was the 96th season inLiverpool F.C.'s existence, their 26th consecutive year in the top-flight, and covered the period from 1 July 1987 to 30 June 1988.
The squad had altered significantly from the previous season, with star strikerIan Rush now atJuventus and player-managerKenny Dalglish concentrating largely on the manager's job, though he was still registered as a player. In Rush's place wasJohn Aldridge, signed halfway through the previous season fromOxford United, complemented up front by £1.9 million national record signingPeter Beardsley. Following Aldridge toAnfield from Oxford was wingerRay Houghton.
Liverpool enjoyed a record 29-match unbeaten start to the season and finished as champions with just two defeats from 40 league games and a nine-point gap between them and runners-upManchester United, sealing the top division title for a record 17th time. They were widely expected to secure a unique seconddouble, but surprisingly lost 1–0 to underdogsWimbledon in the FA Cup final, in which their top scorer John Aldridge missed a penalty.
Following the departure ofIan Rush toJuventus ofItaly in the summer, and the decision of player-managerKenny Dalglish to only occasionally select himself for the first team, Liverpool had a new look attack for the 1987–88 season. Filling Rush's boots wasJohn Aldridge, who had actually joined the club halfway through the previous season when Rush was still atAnfield. Alongside him wasPeter Beardsley, theEngland forward signed fromNewcastle United over the summer for a national record fee of £1.9 million. Another new signing was fellow England internationalJohn Barnes, theWatford winger, for £900,000.
Liverpool began the season on a winning note, beatingArsenal – who had beaten them in the previous season'sLeague Cup final and were also among the pre-season title favourites – 2–1 atHighbury. The next league action came two weeks later at the end of August, whenSteve Nicol scored twice and John Aldridge and Peter Beardsley scored the other goals in a 4–1 win atFA Cup holdersCoventry City.
By the end of September, any observers who doubted John Aldridge's suitability as successor to Ian Rush were silenced as he had now scored in all of the club's opening seven league games, capped by a hat-trick in the 4–0 home win overDerby County.[1] Liverpool were second in the table, but had two games in hand over surprise leadersQueen's Park Rangers, who had a three-point lead.[2]
Aldridge managed to score in nine successive games for Liverpool from the start of the season, bringing his league tally to 11 goals by the time of their 4–0 win over Queen's Park Rangers at Anfield on 17 October 1987, which put the Reds back on top of the First Division on goal difference, but still with a two-game advantage over theWest Londoners.[3]
November began with theMerseyside derby at Anfield, in which Liverpool ran out 2–0 winners with goals from Steve McMahon and Peter Beardsley. Three successive draws followed, which saw Arsenal edge ahead of the Reds to the top of the table.[4]
Liverpool's League Cup challenge came to an end in the third round when they lost 1–0 to Everton atAnfield.
Back in the league, Liverpool had returned to their winning ways and back to the top of the First Division table by the end of November, as they were now five points ahead of their nearest rivals Arsenal and had a game in hand.[5]
Aldridge reached the 10-goal point in the league on 6 December with a penalty in the 2–1 home win overChelsea. After a 2–2 draw atSouthampton in the next game, came a six-match winning run which put the Reds 17 points ahead of their nearest challengersNottingham Forest by 23 January 1988.[6]
The FA Cup quest started at theVictoria Ground in early January, with the Reds being held to a disappointing goalless draw by Second Division underdogsStoke City. A Peter Beardsley goal won the replay 1–0 at Anfield, and the next round saw the Reds cruise to a 2–0 win atAston Villa. The fifth round brought another Merseyside derby, and the Reds took revenge for the League Cup exit by winning 1–0 at Goodison Park with aRay Houghton goal.
Liverpool's record unbeaten start to the league season finally ended on 20 March, when they lost 1–0 at Everton in their 30th game. They still had a 14-point lead and two games in hand over nearest rivalsManchester United, however.[7]
The wait for the league title was prolonged by a dramatic clash with Manchester United at Anfield on 4 April. After aSteve McMahon goal had put them 3–1 up in the 46th minute, a late surge by United saw the game end 3–3, but Liverpool were still 11 points ahead ofAlex Ferguson's men, and had seven games left to play whereas United only had five. Even if United won all of their remaining games, Liverpool (with a vastly superior goal difference) only needed four points from their final seven games to seal the title.[8] A goalless draw atNorwich City on 20 April effectively confirmed Liverpool as champions; they only needed heavy defeats from their final four games and United four comprehensive victories from theirs for the title to slip out of Liverpool's grasp.[9] Three days later, Liverpool confirmed their 17th title triumph with a Peter Beardsley goal giving them a 1–0 win overTottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
With the exception of a 5–1 win atSheffield Wednesday in the penultimate game of the season, in whichCraig Johnston scored his final two goals for Liverpool, their remaining league games of the season all ended in 1–1 draws and they finished the season with just two league defeats from 40 games and a nine-point lead over runners-up Manchester United.
Liverpool were also on a run in the FA Cup. The quarter-final had seen them triumph 4–0 overManchester City atMaine Road, and in the semi-finals two John Aldridge goals had given them a 2–1 win over Nottingham Forest to reach thefinal, where they would take on Wimbledon.
Their opponents, managed byBobby Gould and containing the likes of bullish strikerJohn Fashanu and hard tackling midfielderVinnie Jones, were in only their second season as a First Division club and their 11th asFootball League members. The Reds were overwhelming favourites to win the final and become the first team to dothe double twice. But after Peter Beardsley put the ball past goalkeeperDave Beasant and had his goal disallowed by the referee who had already awarded a free kick to Liverpool, Wimbledon took a 37th-minute lead with a goal from midfielderLawrie Sanchez, a glancing header into the right of the net from a free-kick.[10] Liverpool were far from ready to admit defeat. On the hour, Liverpool were awarded a penalty and John Aldridge took it, only for his shot to be saved by Beasant diving to his left – the first penalty miss in an FA Cup final atWembley. Liverpool continued to put pressure on the Londoners but could not find a way past Beasant, and when the final whistle blew Wimbledon had won the trophy in one of the biggest FA Cup upsets of all time.[11]
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
John Barnes
Kenny Dalglish
Ray Houghton
Craig JohnstonKevin MacDonaldSteve McMahonMike Marsh
Jan MølbyMark SeagravesNigel SpackmanJohn WarkRonnie WhelanAttackers
Note that in line with wikipedia policy the flags used on this article represent sporting nationality rather than actual.
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Division 1 | FA Cup | League Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| DF | ENG | Gary Ablett | 22 | 0 | 15+2 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| FW | IRL | John Aldridge | 45 | 29 | 36+0 | 26 | 6+0 | 2 | 3+0 | 1 | |
| MF | ENG | John Barnes | 48 | 17 | 38+0 | 15 | 7+0 | 2 | 3+0 | 0 | |
| FW | ENG | Peter Beardsley | 48 | 18 | 36+2 | 15 | 7+0 | 3 | 3+0 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO | Kenny Dalglish | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| DF | SCO | Gary Gillespie | 42 | 4 | 35+0 | 4 | 5+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | |
| GK |  ZIM | Bruce Grobbelaar | 46 | 0 | 38+0 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | |
| DF | SCO | Alan Hansen | 49 | 1 | 39+0 | 1 | 7+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | |
| GK | ENG | Mike Hooper | 4 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| MF | IRL | Ray Houghton | 35 | 7 | 26+2 | 5 | 7+0 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| MF | AUS | Craig Johnston | 35 | 6 | 18+12 | 5 | 1+2 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | |
| DF | IRL | Mark Lawrenson | 19 | 0 | 10+4 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Kevin MacDonald | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| MF | ENG | Steve McMahon | 49 | 9 | 40+0 | 9 | 7+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | |
| MF | DEN | Jan Mølby | 8 | 0 | 1+6 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Steve Nicol | 50 | 7 | 40+0 | 6 | 7+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | |
| MF | ENG | Nigel Spackman | 33 | 0 | 19+8 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Barry Venison | 22 | 0 | 18+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | |
| FW | ENG | Paul Walsh | 9 | 0 | 1+7 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | John Wark | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | |
| DF | ENG | Alex Watson | 2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | |
| MF | IRL | Ronnie Whelan | 33 | 1 | 26+2 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | |
| Pos | Player | From | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF | John Barnes | Watford | £900,000 | 12 June 1987 |
| FW | Peter Beardsley | Newcastle United | £1,900,000 | 14 July 1987 |
| MF | Mike Marsh | Kirkby Town | Free | 21 August 1987 |
| MF | Ray Houghton | Oxford United | £825,000 | 19 October 1987 |
| Pos | Player | To | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | John McGregor | Rangers | £70,000 | June 1987 |
| FW |  Ian Rush |  Juventus | £3,200,000 | 1 July 1987 |
| FW | Alan Irvine | Dundee United | £100,000 | 28 August 1987 |
| DF | Ken De Mange | Leeds United | £65,000 | September 1987 |
| MF | Mark Seagraves | Manchester City | £100,000 | 25 September 1987 |
| DF | Brian Mooney | Preston North End | £82,000 | 9 October 1987 |
| MF | John Wark | Ipswich Town | £100,000 | 4 January 1988 |
| FW | Paul Walsh | Tottenham Hotspur | £500,000 | 16 February 1988 |
| DF | Mark Lawrenson | N/A | retired | March 1988 |
| MF | Craig Johnston | N/A | retired | May 1988 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool(C) | 40 | 26 | 12 | 2 | 87 | 24 | +63 | 90 | Qualified for theFootball League Centenary Trophy and disqualified from theEuropean Cup[12] |
| 2 | Manchester United | 40 | 23 | 12 | 5 | 71 | 38 | +33 | 81 | Qualified for theFootball League Centenary Trophy and disqualified fromUEFA Cup[13] |
| 3 | Nottingham Forest | 40 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 67 | 39 | +28 | 73 | Qualified for theFootball League Centenary Trophy |
| 4 | Everton | 40 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 53 | 27 | +26 | 70 | |
| 5 | Queens Park Rangers | 40 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 48 | 38 | +10 | 67 |
| 23 July 1987 (1987-07-23) | Bayern Munich | 3–2 | Liverpool | Munich |
Matthäus Hoeneß Wegmann | Report | Aldridge 71' Barnes 83' | Stadium:Olympiastadion Attendance: 25,000 | |
| Note: Testimonial for:Dieter Hoeneß | ||||
| 26 July 1987 (1987-07-26) | Aalborg Chang | 0–4 | Liverpool | Aalborg |
| Report | Aldridge 8',37' (pen.) Whelan 45'Barnes | Stadium:Aalborg Stadium Attendance: 4,100 |
| 28 July 1987 (1987-07-28) | Brønshøj | 1–1 | Liverpool | Ringsted |
| Vo Nielsen 22' | Report | Nicol 50' | Stadium:Ringsted Stadion Attendance: 3,485 |
| 1 August 1987 (1987-08-01) | Vejle | 0–3 | Liverpool | Spjald |
| Report | Johnston 22' Aldridge 28'Beardsley 29' | Stadium:Spjald Stadion Attendance: 3,000 |
| 3 August 1987 (1987-08-03) | Karlstad | 0–3 | Liverpool | Karlstad |
| Report | Beardsley Aldridge (pen.)Walsh | Stadium:Tingvalla IP Attendance: 5,567 Referee: Helen B |
| 6 August 1987 (1987-08-06) | Vålerenga | 1–4 | Liverpool | Oslo |
| Fredheim | Report | Aldridge (pen.) Walsh | Stadium:Bislett Stadium Attendance: 7,275 |
| 9 August 1987 (1987-08-09) | Celtic | 0–1 | Liverpool | Glasgow |
| Report | Whelan 38' | Stadium:Parkhead Stadium Attendance: 42,000 Referee: Hope K | ||
| Note: Testimonial for:Tommy Burns | ||||
| 19 August 1987 (1987-08-19) | Irish Olympic XI | 0–5 | Liverpool | Dublin |
| Report | Whelan 25' Aldridge 28' (pen.)Beardsley 44'Walsh 58',80' | Stadium:Lansdowne Road Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Kelly P |
| 23 August 1987 (1987-08-23) | Athletico Madrid | 0–1 | Liverpool | Madrid |
| Report | Wark 73' | Stadium:Vicente Calderón Stadium Attendance: 25,000 | ||
| Note: Villa de Madrid Trophy | ||||
| 19 October 1987 (1987-10-19) | Dundee | 0–4 | Liverpool | Dundee |
| Report | Barnes 27',90' Houghton 61'Whelan 89' | Stadium:Dens Park Attendance: 14,463 Referee: Muirhead T | ||
| Note: Testimonial for:George McGeachie | ||||
| 1 March 1988 (1988-03-01) | Osasuna | 0–2 | Liverpool | Pamplona |
| Report | Dalglish Houghton | Stadium:El Sadar Stadium Attendance: 12,000 | ||
| Note: Testimonial for:Sammy Lee | ||||
| 16 May 1988 (1988-05-16) | Liverpool | 3–2 | England XI | Liverpool |
| Rush Whelan | Report | Harford Waddle | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 31,552 Referee: Trussell C | |
| Note: Testimonial for:Alan Hansen | ||||
| 15 August 1987 (1987-08-15)1 | Arsenal | 1–2 | Liverpool | London |
| 15:00BST | Davis 17' | Report | Aldridge 9' Nicol 88' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 54,703 Referee: Milford RG |
| 29 August 1987 (1987-08-29)2 | Coventry City | 1–4 | Liverpool | Coventry |
| 15:00BST | Regis 89' | Report | Nicol 20',49' Aldridge 52' (pen.)Beardsley 83' | Stadium:Highfield Road Attendance: 27,637 Referee: Cooper K |
| 5 September 1987 (1987-09-05)3 | West Ham United | 1–1 | Liverpool | London |
| 15:00BST | Cottee 74' | Report | Aldridge 50' (pen.) | Stadium:Boleyn Ground Attendance: 29,865 Referee: Gunn A |
| 12 September 1987 (1987-09-12)4 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Oxford United | Liverpool |
| 15:00BST | Aldridge 13' Barnes 37' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 42,266 Referee: Stevens BT |
| 15 September 1987 (1987-09-15)5 | Liverpool | 3–2 | Charlton Athletic | Liverpool |
| 15:00BST | Aldridge 9' (pen.) Hansen 71'McMahon 73' | Report | Crooks 8' Walsh 59' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 36,637 Referee: Reed MD |
| 20 September 1987 (1987-09-20)6 | Newcastle United | 1–4 | Liverpool | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| 15:05BST | McDonald 60' (pen.) | Report | Nicol 20',47',70' Aldridge 37' | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 24,141 Referee: Hackett KS |
| 29 September 1987 (1987-09-29)7 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Derby County | Liverpool |
| 19:30BST | Aldridge 41' (pen.),68' (pen.),73' Beardsley | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 43,405 Referee: Tyson GM |
| 3 October 1987 (1987-10-03)8 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Portsmouth | Liverpool |
| 15:00BST | Beardsley 30' McMahon 50'Aldridge 52' (pen.)Whelan 71' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,366 Referee: Courtney G |
| 17 October 1987 (1987-10-17)9 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Queens Park Rangers | Liverpool |
| 15:00BST | Johnston 41' Aldridge pen.'Barnes 79',85' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 43,735 Referee: Bridges R |
| 24 October 1987 (1987-10-24)10 | Luton Town | 0–1 | Liverpool | Luton |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Gillespie 71' | Stadium:Kenilworth Road Attendance: 12,452 Referee: Seville A |
| 1 November 1987 (1987-11-01)11 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Everton | Liverpool |
| 15:05GMT | McMahon 35' Beardsley 70' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,760 Referee: Hill B |
| 4 November 1987 (1987-11-04)12 | Wimbledon | 1–1 | Liverpool | Wimbledon |
| 19:45GMT | Fairweather 78' | Report | Houghton 62' | Stadium:Plough Lane Attendance: 13,544 Referee: Shapter LC |
| 15 November 1987 (1987-11-15)13 | Manchester United | 1–1 | Liverpool | Manchester |
| 14:35GMT | Whiteside 49' | Report | Aldridge 21' | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 47,106 Referee: Scott D |
| 21 November 1987 (1987-11-21)14 | Liverpool | 0–0 | Norwich City | Liverpool |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 37,446 Referee: Deakin J |
| 24 November 1987 (1987-11-24)15 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Watford | Liverpool |
| 19:30GMT | McMahon 54' Houghton 64'Aldridge 68'Barnes 71' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 32,396 Referee: Peck MG |
| 28 November 1987 (1987-11-28)16 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0–2 | Liverpool | London |
| 15:00GMT | Hodge 18' | Report | McMahon 63' Johnston 80' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 47,362 Referee: Borrett IJ |
| 6 December 1987 (1987-12-06)17 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Chelsea | Liverpool |
| 14:35GMT | Aldridge 67' (pen.) McMahon 87' | Report | Durie 22' (pen.) | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 31,211 Referee: Courtney G |
| 12 December 1987 (1987-12-12)18 | Southampton | 2–2 | Liverpool | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Clarke 43' Townsend 71' | Report | Barnes 11',38' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 19,507 Referee: King HW |
| 19 December 1987 (1987-12-19)19 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Sheffield Wednesday | Liverpool |
| 15:00GMT | Gillespie 76' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 35,383 Referee: Watson JL |
| 26 December 1987 (1987-12-26)20 | Oxford United | 0–3 | Liverpool | Oxford |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Aldridge 42' Barnes 54'McMahon 61' | Stadium:Manor Ground Attendance: 13,680 Referee: Ashby GR |
| 28 December 1987 (1987-12-28)21 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Newcastle United | Liverpool |
| 15:00GMT | McMahon 4' Aldridge 48' (pen.),76'Houghton 88' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,637 Referee: Key JM |
| 1 January 1988 (1988-01-01)22 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Coventry City | Liverpool |
| 15:00GMT | Beardsley 22',83' Aldridge 53'Houghton 75' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 38,790 Referee: Phillips D |
| 16 January 1988 (1988-01-16)23 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Arsenal | Liverpool |
| 15:00GMT | Aldridge 44' Beardsley 61' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,294 Referee: Barratt KP |
| 23 January 1988 (1988-01-23)24 | Charlton Athletic | 0–2 | Liverpool | London |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Beardsley 30' Barnes 60' | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 28,095 Referee: Tyson GM |
| 6 February 1988 (1988-02-06)25 | Liverpool | 0–0 | West Ham United | Liverpool |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 42,049 Referee: McAuley J |
| 13 February 1988 (1988-02-13)26 | Watford | 1–4 | Liverpool | Watford |
| 15:00GMT | Luther Blissett | Report | Beardsley 29',49' Aldridge 47'Barnes 60' | Stadium:Vicarage Road Attendance: 23,838 Referee: Cooper K |
| 27 February 1988 (1988-02-27)27 | Portsmouth | 0–2 | Liverpool | Portsmouth |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Barnes 49',85' | Stadium:Fratton Park Attendance: 28,117 Referee: Lewis RS |
| 5 March 1988 (1988-03-05)28 | Queens Park Rangers | 0–1 | Liverpool | London |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Barnes 34' | Stadium:Loftus Road Attendance: 23,171 Referee: Martin JE |
| 16 March 1988 (1988-03-16)29 | Derby County | 1–1 | Liverpool | Derby |
| 19:30GMT | Forsyth 85' | Report | Johnston 54' | Stadium:Baseball Ground Attendance: 26,356 Referee: Ward AW |
| 20 March 1988 (1988-03-20)30 | Everton | 1–0 | Liverpool | Liverpool |
| 14:35GMT | Clarke 14' | Report | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 44,162 Referee: Dilkes R |
| 26 March 1988 (1988-03-26)31 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Wimbledon | Liverpool |
| 14:35GMT | Aldridge 34' Barnes 78' | Report | Young 89' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 36,464 Referee: Courtney G |
| 2 April 1988 (1988-04-02)32 | Nottingham Forest | 2–1 | Liverpool | Nottingham |
| 15:00BST | Hansen 24' (o.g.) Webb 59'Clough  71' | Report | Aldridge 70' (pen.) | Stadium:City Ground Attendance: 29,188 Referee: Barratt KP |
| 4 April 1988 (1988-04-04)33 | Liverpool | 3–3 | Manchester United | Liverpool |
| 15:00BST | Beardsley 38' Gillespie 41'McMahon 46' | Report | Robson 3',66' Gibson 60'Strachan 77' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 43,497 Referee: Key JM |
| 13 April 1988 (1988-04-13)34 | Liverpool | 5–0 | Nottingham Forest | Liverpool |
| 15:00BST | Houghton 18' Aldridge 37',88'Gillespie 58'Beardsley 79' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 39,535 Referee: Barratt KP |
| 20 April 1988 (1988-04-20)35 | Norwich City | 0–0 | Liverpool | Norwich |
| 19:45BST | Report | Stadium:Carrow Road Attendance: 22,509 Referee: Hart RA |
| 23 April 1988 (1988-04-23)36 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | Liverpool |
| 15:00BST | Beardsley 34' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,798 Referee: Aplin G |
| 30 April 1988 (1988-04-30)37 | Chelsea | 1–1 | Liverpool | London |
| 15:00BST | Durie 71' (pen.) | Report | Barnes 75' Beardsley 87' | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 35,625 Referee: Hamer RL |
| 2 May 1988 (1988-05-02)38 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| 15:00BST | Aldridge 41' | Report | Wallace 68' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 37,610 Referee: Redfern KA |
| 7 May 1988 (1988-05-07)39 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1–5 | Liverpool | Sheffield |
| 15:00BST | Hirst 86' | Report | Johnston 31',90' Barnes 36'Beardsley 82',83' | Stadium:Hillsborough Stadium Attendance: 35,893 Referee: Shaw D |
| 9 May 1988 (1988-05-09)40 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Luton Town | Liverpool |
| 19:30BST | Aldridge 17' | Report | Oldfield 30' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 30,374 Referee: Phillips D |
| 9 January 1988 (1988-01-09)3 | Stoke City | 0–0 | Liverpool | Stoke-on-Trent |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Stadium:Victoria Ground Attendance: 31,979 Referee: Mills T |
| 12 January 1988 (1988-01-12)3 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Stoke City | Liverpool |
| 19:30GMT | Beardsley 9' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 39,147 Referee: Mills T |
| 31 January 1988 (1988-01-31)4 | Aston Villa | 0–2 | Liverpool | Aston |
| 14:35GMT | Report | Barnes 53' Beardsley 86' | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 46,324 Referee: Hackett KS |
| 21 February 1988 (1988-02-21)5 | Everton | 0–1 | Liverpool | Liverpool |
| 15:05GMT | Report | Houghton 76' | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 48,270 Referee: Martin JE |
| 13 March 1988 (1988-03-13)QF | Manchester City | 0–4 | Liverpool | Manchester |
| 14:35GMT | Report | Houghton 32' Beardsley 53'Johnston 77'Barnes 85' | Stadium:Maine Road Attendance: 44,047 Referee: Gunn A |
| 9 April 1988 (1988-04-09)SF | Liverpool | 2–1 | Nottingham Forest | Sheffield |
| 15:00BST | Aldridge 14' (pen.),51' | Report | Clough 67' | Stadium:Hillsborough Stadium Attendance: 51,627 Referee: Courtney G |
| 14 May 1988 (1988-05-14)F | Liverpool | 0–1 | Wimbledon | London |
| 15:00BST | Aldridge 60' | Report | Sanchez 36' | Stadium:Wembley Stadium Attendance: 98,203 Referee: Hill B |
Final
          Liverpool |   Wimbledon |
|
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Match rules
|
| 23 September 1987 (1987-09-23)2 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–1 | Liverpool | Blackburn |
| 15:00BST | Sellars 49' | Report | Nicol 30' | Stadium:Ewood Park Attendance: 13,924 Referee: Midgley N |
| 6 October 1987 (1987-10-06)2 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Blackburn Rovers | Liverpool |
| 19:30BST | Aldridge 89' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 29,994 Referee: Worrall JB |
| 28 October 1987 (1987-10-28)3 | Liverpool | 0–1 | Everton | Liverpool |
| 19:30GMT | Report | Stevens 83' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,071 Referee: Callow VG |
