What is Liverpool’s most embarrassing Anfield defeat?
Liverpool’s chastening Champions League collapse at home to Real Madrid has left Jurgen Klopp’s side with a seemingly-impossible task in the last-16 second leg in Spain.
From 2-0 up they found themselves 5-2 down within 46 minutes and even taking into consideration the quality of the opposition – as 14-time winners of the competition – it was a humiliating capitulation.
Here are some of the most embarrassing defeats seen at Anfield.
Liverpool 2 Northampton 2 (Northampton win 4-2 on penalties), 2010
Even taking into account how bad Roy Hodgson’s miserable short spell at the club was, this was one of Liverpool’s darkest days. A team 17th in League Two, visitors Northampton out-played the hosts – who fielded a weakened team – and were deserved winners.
Liverpool 0 Sunderland 6, 1930
🗓️ On this day in 1907, our leading goalscorer Bobby Gurney was born in Silksworth.
No one has ever come close to emulating Bobby's stats...
3⃣8⃣8⃣ appearances
2⃣2⃣8⃣ goals
Legend.#SAFC pic.twitter.com/bjqkN3FOMq— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) October 13, 2018
Division One strugglers Sunderland arrived at Anfield but never looked back from Bobby Gurney opening the scoring in the first minute.
The former miner went on to score four and was disappointed he did not make it five after putting a close-range finish over the crossbar. George Lawley and Albert Wood scored the others in a result which remains Liverpool’s heaviest home defeat.
Liverpool 3 Arsenal 6, 2007
⏪ Throwing it back to when The Beast was let loose at Anfield
🇧🇷 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙤 𝘽𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖 🇧🇷
🏆 #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/3sdNBOYG7z— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 13, 2022
Seventy-seven years later, Gunners striker Julio Baptista repeated Gurney’s feat with two goals in each half of this League Cup quarter-final.
The hosts were 4-1 down at the break thanks to other goals from Jeremie Aliadiere and Alex Song and only late consolations from Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypia prevented a heavier loss.
Liverpool 1 Grimsby 2, 2001
#OnThisDay 2001: Phil Jevons scored 'that goal' to send Liverpool crashing out of the League Cup in the third round. pic.twitter.com/qjuUx33oWY
— Grimsby Town F.C. (@officialgtfc) October 9, 2014
League Cup holders Liverpool were knocked out by Championship strugglers Grimsby thanks to former Evertonian Phil Jevons’ 30-yard strike seconds from the end of extra-time.
Gary McAllister’s 101st-minute penalty broke the deadlock but Marlon Broomes’ equaliser set up the visitors’ first win at the ground in 24 visits.
Liverpool 0 Bristol City 1, 1994
#OnThisDay in 1994, Brian Tinnion scored the winning goal for #BristolCity at Anfield. 💜💚 pic.twitter.com/LHuyRWpzLF
— Bristol City FC (@BristolCity) January 25, 2022
Brian Tinnion’s 66th-minute strike for the second-tier opposition in this FA Cup third-round replay not only knocked out a Liverpool team featuring the likes of John Barnes, Ian Rush, Steve McManaman and Jamie Redknapp but also prompted the resignation of manager Graeme Souness days later.