13th April

The greatest performance ever
1988 - We trounced Nottingham Forest 5-0, just four days after we had beaten them 2-1 in the FA Cup Semi-final. It was a stunning display that the legendary Tom Finney described as “the greatest performance ever”. John Aldridge bagged a brace, to add to goals from Ray Houghton, Gary Gillespie and Peter Beardsley. Bruce Grobbelaar was playing his 400th reds game.
1929 - We also netted five, winning 5-2 at Derby County, with Henry Race and John Clark both bagging braces, and Gordon Hodgson also on the scoresheet. Harry Bedford struck two of his nine goals against the reds.

Heading towards Istanbul
2005 - Xabi Alonso returned after his broken ankle suffered on New Year’s Day, with Djibril Cissé making an even more amazing comeback from injury, to help the reds secure a battling goalless draw at Juventus to reach the Semi-final of the Champions League, our first last-four appearance in Europe’s premier club competition for two decades.

Semi-final draws
1985 - Manchester United held us to a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park after extra time, before beating us in the replay, and then subsequently winning the FA Cup Final itself. Ronnie Whelan and substitute Paul Walsh grabbed our late equalisers at the end of normal and extra time, respectively after Bryan Robson, with one of his seven goals past us, and Frank Stapleton had twice put the Red Devils ahead.
1963 - We also faced United, with Ian St. John bagging the only goal of this top-flight meeting at Anfield. This was the first game Gerry Byrne had missed since October 1960, in which time he had made 117 consecutive appearances.

1992 - We won the first ever FA Cup Semi-final to be decided on penalties. After a goalless two hours of the replay at Villa Park, we beat Portsmouth 3-1 in the penalty shoot-out, with John Barnes and Ian Rush converting before Dean Saunders netted the decisive kick, with Pompey missing the target with three of their spot-kicks. Ronnie Moran took charge of the reds following Graeme Souness’s recent triple heart bypass surgery.

Jordan off
2014 - We beat Manchester City 3-2 at Anfield, our tenth straight League win, with Raheem Sterling and Martin Škrtel putting us two goals ahead inside the first half hour. However, the visitors drew level through David Silva and a Glen Johnson own goal after the break before Philippe Coutinho pounced on a Vincent Kompany error to secure the victory and our place at the top of the table. This was our 93rd League goal of the season, a new club record in the top flight. Unfortunately, Jordan Henderson was sent off late on and we then proceeded to finish second in the table.
1901 – We beat City 3-1 in another top-flight encounter at Anfield, with Tommy Robertson bagging a brace in his hundredth League outing for the reds, with Jack Cox also on target. Legendary outside-right Billy Meredith scored for the visitors.

Bobby’s half century
2022 – Roberto Firmino played his fiftieth game in the UEFA Champions League for the reds, bagging a brace as we were held to a 3-3 draw at Anfield by SL Benfica, to reach the Semi-finals 6-4 on aggregate. Ibrahima Konaté headed in the opener, but Gonçalo Ramos equalised before the break. Firmino put us two goals in front, before Roman Yaremchuk and future red Darwin Núñez struck for the visitors.

Firsts and lasts
1998 - David Thompson scored his first senior reds goal, a late winner as we beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Anfield in the Premiership. This was our hundredth goal from a substitute, while Øyvind Leonhardsen had opened the scoring before Marcus Bent equalised for the Eagles.
1935 – Centre-forward Fred Howe bagged the first of his 36 reds goals in our 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, with Berry Nieuwenhuys also on target. Harry Broome netted the first two of his five strikes past us, with Arthur Cunliffe and Dennis Watkin also scoring.
2015 - Raheem Sterling bagged his 23rd and last reds goal as we beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Anfield, with Joe Allen also on target. Moussa Sissoko was sent off late on for the visitors.

Leeds goals galore
2001 - Our Champions League hopes were dented on Good Friday by a 2-1 home defeat by Leeds United. However, Steven Gerrard did score our hundredth goal of the season, before being sent off, and we went on to clinch the crucial third spot at the end of the season. Rio Ferdinand and Lee Bowyer had put the visitors two goals in front.
1991 - Lee Chapman scored three of his six goals against the reds as we won 5-4 under Ronnie Moran at Leeds United, having led 4-0 after half an hour. John Barnes netted a brace to add to goals from Ray Houghton, David Speedie and a Jan Mølby penalty, with Carl Shutt also on target for the home side.

Fernando again
2008 - Steven Gerrard opened the scoring as he played his 300th League game in our 3-1 defeat of Blackburn Rovers, with substitute Yossi Benayoun proving inspirational. Fernando Torres headed his thirtieth goal of the season, so scoring in his seventh consecutive home League game, a new club record in the top flight. Andriy Voronin added a late third, before Roque Santa Cruz grabbed an injury-time consolation.
1936 - We thumped Rovers 4-1 in a top-flight meeting at Anfield, with Berry Nieuwenhuys grabbing a brace, and Vic Wright and Phil Taylor also getting on the scoresheet. Tommy Sale scored one of his five goals past us with keeper Stanley Kane playing his sixth and last reds game.

Reds farewells
1912 – Centre-half Jimmy Harrop made his 139th and final reds appearance in our 1-1 draw at Newcastle United, with inside-right Jimmy Stewart on target and Billy Hibbert netting one of his thirteen goals against the reds.
1914 – Outside-right Arthur Goddard played his 414th and last reds game while defender Ernest Peake appeared for the 55th and final time as we lost 1-0 in another top-flight fixture at Bradford City, with keeper Ken Campbell putting through his own net.

Sunderland seen off three times
2002 - We kept up the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the table, as Michael Owen’s 25th goal of the season gave us a 1-0 win at Sunderland, a result that guaranteed us a top-four finish, at least, for the second successive season. Claudio Reyna was sent off in the dying seconds in front of a record Stadium of Light attendance of 48,355.

We have also twice beaten Sunderland 2-1 on this day over the years.
1968 - A Roger Hunt brace gave us the victory at Anfield, with Colin Suggett scoring the first of his four goals past us.
1997 - Robbie Fowler headed in his thirtieth goal of the season before Steve McManaman extended our lead, with ex-red Paul Stewart then heading the home side’s consolation on our last ever visit to Roker Park.

Derby disappointment
1940 – We lost our Lancashire Senior Cup Semi-final 4-1 at Goodison, with Berry Nieuwenhuys bagging our consolation.
1906 - Alf West struck his sixth and last goal for the club from the spot as we were held to a 1-1 draw in a First Division derby at Anfield, with Jack Taylor on target for the Blues, the last of his five goals past us.
1900 - Tom Robertson netted our consolation in a 3-1 friendly defeat across the park. This game was played in front of less than 1,000 supporters, while the reserves were being watched by around 15,000 at Anfield in a Lancashire Combination game.

Four-ton Emlyn
1974 – Emlyn Hughes played his 400th reds game, netting as we drew 1-1 at Ipswich Town. Trevor Whymark struck the first of his six goals past us.

Beating the Potters
We have twice beaten Stoke City at Anfield on this day in history.
1982 - Alan Kennedy and Craig Johnston bagged first-half goals as we won a First Division fixture 2-0.
1946 - Bob Priday nabbed a brace with Willie Fagan and Jack Balmer also on target in a 4-1 Wartime League victory.

Bennett again
1918 – Thomas Green scored a hat-trick as we won 4-1 at Stockport County in a Wartime League game, with forward Thomas Bennett scoring in his third consecutive reds game.

Happy birthdays
2001 – Right-back Neco Williams was born in Wrexham, making 33 senior appearances before moving on to Nottingham Forest for a reported £17m in July 2022, leaving with a Premier League title winner’s medal.

1996 - Midfielder Marko Grujić was born in Belgrade. He signed from Crvena Zvezda for £5.1m in January 2016, immediately being loaned back for the rest of the season. He struck once in sixteen senior appearances before moving to Porto for £10.5m in July 2021 after a successful loan spell.
1991 – Ex-reserves forward David Amoo was born in Southwark, London. He made his reds bow as a substitute in our UEFA Europa League qualifier at Rabotnički Skopje in July 2010, moving on to Preston North End in July 2012 after several loan spells away from Anfield.

1920 - Joe Cadden was born in Glasgow. The Scottish centre-half was signed after impressing for Brooklyn Wanderers on the reds’ US tour in 1948. However, his form back across the pond was less impressive, as he only made five first-team appearances before joining Grimsby Town in July 1952.
1871 – Scottish outside-right Neil Kerr was born in Bowling, Dunbartonshire. He signed from Rangers in June 1894, netting three times in twelve games before moving to Nottingham Forest the following year.

Done deal
1926 - Right-back Bob Done signed professional terms, having arrived as an amateur from Runcorn two months earlier. He struck thirteen times in 155 reds games, moving on to Reading for £150 in May 1935.

Robert’s bow
1907 - Birkenhead-born Robert Blanthorne made the first of just two senior reds appearances as we lost 4-2 to Bristol City at Anfield. Bill McPherson and Sam Raybould struck our goals as Billy Maxwell netted the last two of his six goals past us. Future red Sam Gilligan scored one of his five goals against the reds, with Fred Connelly also on the scoresheet.

Other reds games
2013 – We were held to a goalless draw at Reading.
1957 – We lost a Second Division encounter 3-0 at Sheffield United. Jimmy Hagan scored the last of his five goals against the reds, with Bobby Howitt and John Spencer also scoring.
1925 – Donald McKinlay struck the only goal of our visit to West Ham United.

Conor the champion
2009 – Conor Coady won his fourth and final cap for England Under-16’s as they won the Montaigu Tournament by beating Germany 2-1 on penalties after a goalless Final.

Young Stewart off the mark
1988 - Paul Stewart, then still with Manchester City, netted on his debut for England Under-21’s as they lost 4-2 in France in their European Championships Semi-final first leg.

On the move
1999 - Reserves keeper Tony Warner joined Aberdeen on loan. He played six times before moving permanently to Millwall that summer.
2004 - Ex-red Jari Litmanen signed for Lahti. He only remained there for nine months before joining Hansa Rostock in Germany.
2017 – Ex-reds midfielder Mohamed Sissoko signed for Mitra Kukar, netting five times in 26 League games during his eight months in Indonesia.

Also in international action
1929 – Future reds Ernie Blenkinsop and Tom Cooper both played for England as they lost 1-0 to Scotland in the British International Championships in Glasgow.
1993 – Future red Jari Litmanen featured for Finland in their 2-1 friendly defeat in Poland.
1940 – Future reds keeper Cyril Sidlow played for Wales as they beat England 1-0 in a Wartime International at Wembley.
1946 – Billy Liddell featured as Scotland beat England 1-0 in a Victory International at Hampden Park.
1995 – Future reds forward Fernando Morientes played for Spain Under-20’s as they thumped Burundi 5-1 in a World Championship Finals group game in Qatar.
2017 – Bobby Duncan played for England Under-16’s in their 3-0 friendly defeat by Portugal.