 Thematch programme cover | |||||||
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| Date | 12 August 1989 | ||||||
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| Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Glenn Hysén (Liverpool)[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Allan Gunn (Sussex) | ||||||
| Attendance | 63,149 | ||||||
| Weather | Warm[2] 21 °C (70 °F)[3] | ||||||
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The1989 FA Charity Shield (also known as theTennent's FA Charity Shield for sponsorship reasons) was the 67thCharity Shield, an annual Englishfootball match played between the winners of the previous season'sFootball League andFA Cup. It was held atWembley Stadium on 12 August 1989. The match was contested byArsenal, champions of the1988–89 Football League andLiverpool, who beatEverton in thefinal of the1988–89 FA Cup. Watched by a crowd of 63,149, Liverpool won the match 1–0.
This was Arsenal's 10th Shield appearance and Liverpool's 14th. The two clubs had met in thelast game of the previous season, in a title decider atAnfield which Arsenal won 2–0 with a late goal fromMichael Thomas. Both clubs also faced each other in theMakita International Tournament at Wembley the previous month; Arsenal won the match 1–0. Journalists previewing the game argued this year's Shield had lost its spectacle given Liverpool's recent successes in the event as well as the prospect of Arsenal beating Liverpool for a third time.
New signingGlenn Hysén made his competitive debut for Liverpool andIan Rush started ahead of fellow strikerJohn Aldridge. For Arsenal,Gus Caesar replacedSteve Bould in the starting team. The only goal of the match came in the first half – a long ball fromBarry Venison floated around the Arsenal defence and foundPeter Beardsley in the penalty area to score. Afterwards Liverpool managerKenny Dalglish spoke of his delight at his team's performance and the Arsenal managerGeorge Graham was complimentary of his opponents.
TheFA Charity Shield was founded in 1908 as a successor to theSheriff of London Charity Shield.[4] It was a contest between the respective champions of theFootball League andSouthern League, which then became an event for select teams of amateur and professional players by 1913.[5] In 1921, it was played between the Football League champions andFA Cup winners for the first time; this became standard practise from 1930.[6]Wembley Stadium acted as the host of the Shield from 1974.[7]
Arsenal qualified for the 1989 FA Charity Shield as winners of the1988–89 Football League First Division.[8] The team playedLiverpool atAnfield in thefinal game of the season and needed to win by two clear goals to be crowned champions.[9]Alan Smith scored for Arsenal early in the second half to make it 1–0, andMichael Thomas's goal with seconds left of the match ensured the team won the league title.[9] Liverpool, days before the league encounter with Arsenal, defeatedEverton to win the1989 FA Cup Final[10] which meant they obtained the other Charity Shield place.[8]
This was Arsenal's first appearance in the Charity Shield in 10 years; prior to the game they had won seven Shields (1930,1931,1933,1934,1938,1948 and1953), and lost three (1935,1936 and1979). By contrast, Liverpool had won seven previous Shields outright (1966,1974,1976,1979,1980,1982 and1988), shared two withManchester United (1965 and1977) and one apiece withEverton (1986) andWest Ham United (1984). The club was runners-up in three Shields (1971,1983 and1984).[11]
This was the second time in a fortnight that Arsenal and Liverpool had played each other; at the end of July, the two teams competed in theMakita International Tournament at Wembley.[12] Arsenal won the game by a single goal to win the tournament and then on their pre-season travels beat Argentinian championsIndependiente.[12] The spectacle of the Charity Shield was lost on certain football journalists previewing the match, because of Liverpool's recent successes in the Shield as well as the prospect of Arsenal beating Liverpool for a third time in succession.[13] David Lacey wrote inThe Guardian of 12 August 1989: "The FA Charity Shield is now more of a pre-season finale than a pipe opener for the main event,"[12] and Stuart Jones ofThe Times went further in his assessment of its decline:
Whereas it was once an eagerly-awaited showpiece, it resembles in the modern age little more than another public training exercise for sides who are increasingly being invited to practise for the season in more lucrative and prestigious events on foreign fields.[13]
Liverpool strikerIan Rush, who in the previous season sustained a knee injury and was treated forshingles andhepatitis, said before the match: "I'm in great shape. Fitter than I have been since I came back from Italy."[14]
Arsenal were without injured defenderSteve Bould, butNigel Winterburn returned to full action, as didBrian Marwood – he recovered from a successfulAchilles tendon operation.[12] ManagerGeorge Graham deployed a5–3–2 formation;Gus Caesar was brought into the defence to replace Bould.[2]
Liverpool had no injury concerns for the game other than long-term absenteeGary Gillespie;[2] New signingGlenn Hysén made his competitive debut for the club and strikerJohn Aldridge was named on the substitutes bench; managerKenny Dalglish lined the team up in a4–4–2 formation.[2]Alan Hansen, who had missed Liverpool's final nine matches of the previous season, was restored as captain.[15]
Liverpool created the first chance of the game in the 20th minute. A pass fromJohn Barnes sentSteve Nicol clear to shoot, but his effort saw the ball roll wide of the far post.[16] Liverpool created a further opportunity six minutes after – from a free-kick delivered by Barnes on the left, Rush managed to outjump his marker and head the ball in the direction of the Arsenal goal. It however hit the near post and rebounded in the direction of Arsenal goalkeeperJohn Lukic.[16] Minutes after the half-hour mark, Liverpool scored the opening goal – a long ball fromBarry Venison went behind the Arsenal defence and reachedPeter Beardsley. Unimpeded, he controlled the ball and shot it with his right foot to score.[2] Arsenal'sKevin Richardson missed a chance to level the scoreline after good play byLee Dixon; from outside the penalty box he scuffed his shot and the ball went over the crossbar.[17]
Liverpool continued to dominate proceedings in the second half;The Observer football correspondent Frank McGhee noted Arsenal's "obvious need for a more adventurous approach."[16] The club's fans demanded Marwood's introduction to the match, and in the 58th minute the player came on for Caesar.[2] This meant Arsenal's formation was tweaked to 4–4–2, with aflat back four defence.[2] Arsenal found it hard to contain the Liverpool attack; Lukic saved an effort from Beardsley one-handed, but only could turn the ball out for a corner.[2] A pass byRonnie Whelan managed to split the Arsenal defence and find Nicol; Winterburn however put an end to the move with a tackle.[2]David Burrows's attempt on goal was blocked by O'Leary later on and Lukic did enough to save Rush's shot with his legs.[2]
         Arsenal |    Liverpool |
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Dalglish was pleased with Liverpool's game and told the press: "The most important thing is that we got our own standard of football right. We were the better team in all departments and we know that if we get it right then we will be there or thereabouts."[20] Hysén, theman of the match, said of his centre-back partner Hansen: "It is so easy playing alongside Alan. He tells you where to go and what position to take up."[1] He saw similarities with Liverpool and playing for a national team: "The standards are so amazingly high. I just want to win things with them."[1]
Graham praised his opponents – "There is no need to take anything away from Liverpool because they were terrific", and felt his team could have been more clinical.[20] He described Arsenal's performance as "below par" and was upbeat about the season ahead: "This might have done us the world of good. We will be all right by next week – don't worry about that."[1]
