10 Dramatic Liverpool Late Shows

Liverpool is one of the most successful clubs in the world. Along the way there have been some dramatic finishes. Which one's are the best? Kenny Dalglish has played a role in some of them as a manager and as player. Nothing beats winning trophies and Liverpool have a lot of them. Even though the glory days seem long ago, far and away, Liverpool supporters around the world remain optimistic that the King can bring the Reds back to the promise land like he did back in the 1980s. 

Lately, victories are hard to come by. With Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson and Charlie Adam out of the lineup due to injuries, Liverpool lack the depth that teams like Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal or Chelsea have.

The glory will feel even better once the Reds get deeper on the bench. "The glory round the fields of Anfield Road" will return. 

In the meantime, here are 10 ways to remember some of the good times Liverpool supporters have had. 

4 January 1994: Premier League Manchester United at Anfield

There are times when a draw can feel like a win, and others can feel like a loss. The calender had just flipped days earlier.

Manchester United took the lead within the first 10 minutes of the match with Steve Bruce's ninth-minute goal. Ryan Giggs scored in the 20th minute. At that point it looked as if Liverpool did not have much life. It went from looking "bad to worse," commentator Martin Tyler said. Denis Irwin scored off a free kick about 25 yards from the goal to make it 3-0 Manchester United in the 24th minute.

However, right after United's third goal, Liverpool looked to have some life. Liverpool's Nigel Clough scored a minute later to make it four goals in the first 25 minutes of the match between the two clubs. Clough scored again in the 38th minute. The Kop came alive, but Liverpool's defending did not. The halftime break proved to be important for the Liverpool back line. Liverpool's patience paid off when Neil Ruddock made the most of a cross that came into the penalty area from his left in the 79th minute. Once the equalizing goal was scored, play settled down.

This draw felt like a win in the end, not only because of the comeback, but because it happened against the Reds' bitter rival. At the end of the match, Martin Tyler said this one would be talked about for a long time. It still is, 18 years later.

2012 Carling Cup Final vs Cardiff City

This match was strangely similar to the 2011 Women’s World Cup Final.

Level at 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes, it looked like either side would have to put the whole package together in order to win the trophy. Liverpool got a goal from Dirk Kuyt in extra time to put the Reds up 2-1. Cardiff looked like a team of destiny. They got a corner that was cleared of the goal line over the byline. This gave Cardiff another corner. Ben Turner kicked a loose ball into the net for the equalizer. This sent the match to penalties.

The Gerrard clan won it for Liverpool. But it was not the longtime Liverpool captain Steven this time. It was Steven’s cousin, Anthony, who plays for Cardiff and who missed his penalty to give Liverpool its first trophy since 2006.

2012 FA Cup Round 4 vs. Manchester United at Anfield

Much of the hype around this match was from the tabloids. Luis Suarez was in the middle of his eight-game ban for allegedly racially abusing Manchester United captain Patrice Evra. The fans for both sides had created colorful songs. Typically in this matchup, the home side is the favorite.

With the score at 1-1, the last thing Liverpool wanted besides losing would have been to have to play at Old Trafford in a replay. It looked to be headed that way. Pepe Reina had a goal kick that he rocketed up toward the Kop End. Andy Carroll flicked the ball to a running Dirk Kuyt who volleyed it off a bounce past David De Gea for a 2-1 lead. With the Kop in hysteria, Carroll knocked a header toward the goal, but it hit the bar before landing at Kuyt’s right foot. Kuyt's shot was just wide. It did not matter. Anfield became a party after United could not muster up an equalizer resulting in a 2-1 win for the Reds and through to Round 5. 

5 October 2008: Premier League at Manchester City

Many Liverpool supporters would heckle (and still do for the most part) City supporters for being a rich club trying to buy themselves a Premiership title. The first half of this match seemed as though Liverpool would be a victim of City's purchases despite it being in the early portion of the season. City went up 2-0 in the first half.

The second half was Fernando Torres doing what did best when he wore the red shirt: score goals. He scored two of them. The first came in the 55th minute, and the second came shortly after Pablo Zabaleta was sent off. Torres headed in the equalizer off a Steven Gerrard corner minutes later. Torres nearly had a hat trick in the 82nd minute, but the shot was too high.

The winning goal came in stoppage time from Dirk Kuyt kicking the lose ball into the net for the game winner.

21 April 2009: Premier League vs Arsenal at Anfield

A back-and-forth game that many supporters of either side would have liked to see end with some sort of result whether it be a win or a draw. A neutral observer would not have wanted this match to end. Arsenal scored the opening goal in the first half. At halftime, the Gunners took that 1-0 lead into the dressing room.

Liverpool came out at halftime and scored two goals to take the lead 2-1. Arsenal was able to equalize and take the lead again. Fernando Torres brought Anfield from shock to excitement. With the score 3-3, Liverpool had a corner. It was well taken, but Arsenal cleared it out and quickly countered. Andrei Arshavin was able to score on the counter attack. Arsenal led again 4-3, stunning the Anfield crowd in the process. But Liverpool was able to equalize yet again, and the match ended in a 4-4 draw.

Liverpool supporters were showed that under Rafa Benitez, they could never count themselves out of any match. It was a strange match indeed but a memorable match nonetheless.

2001 FA Cup Final vs. Arsenal

It was the first FA Cup Final not at the Old Wembley Stadium since 1922. Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, held FA Cup Final matches until 2006. The first was played between Arsenal and Liverpool. After a goal-less first half and halfway through the second half, the score sheet finally had a tally. Freddy Ljungberg got the goal for Arsenal after receiving a pass from Thierry Henry.

Michael Owen scored both Liverpool goals late in match, five minutes apart (at 83 and 88 minutes). This prompted commentator Clive Tyldesley to exclaim the line "Michael Owen wins the Cup all by himself."

3 April 1996: Premier League vs. Newcastle at Anfield

So many goals in this match and so many big names. Great play from some of Liverpool's best names: Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman, John Barnes, Jamie Redknapp, Ian Rush and even Peter Beardsley who was playing for Newcastle United (in his second stint with the club). Stan Collymore scored in stoppage time and sent the Kop to a decibel level that is hard to match. The goal gave Liverpool a 4-3 victory. The cheer from the Kop was a sound of pure joy and excitement that is hard to replicate anywhere else in the world.

This match was a neutral fan's dream: a back-and-fourth match in which the winner is not guaranteed until the final whistle.

4 May 1976: Division One at Wolves

Liverpool had to win in order to overtake Queens Park Rangers for the title. With less than 20 minutes to go, Liverpool drew level at 1-1. The season could not have finished any better for the Reds. They scored two more goals.

Supporters ran onto the pitch after the third goal was scored. The ninth title was secure, and it was the first title for Bob Paisley. It was beginning of the reign of arguably the best manager in English football—it was the first of six titles for Paisley.

1989 FA Cup Final vs. Everton

The city of Liverpool was able to come together after the tragedy that took place at Hillsborough weeks earlier. Fittingly, the Merseyside Derby would be headed to Wembley Stadium for the final. Despite what was (and still is today) a great, bitter rivalry, fans and players of Liverpool Football Club and Everton Football Club came together to mourn the 95 victims of Hillsborough Disaster (the last victim died in 1993 after being in a vegetative state, raising the total to 96).

Once the match got started. It turned out to be a decent one. Liverpool's John Aldridge scored in the fourth minute. The match was 1-0 until the 89th minute when Stuart McCall equalized for Everton. Neither side scored during injury time, so this final would head to extra time. Ian Rush scored in the 95th minute for Liverpool, but McCall scored in the 102nd minute to equalize for the second time for Everton. Rush scored the game winner two minutes later, and Liverpool had a trophy that could help in the healing process.

2005: Champions League Final (Instanbul) vs. AC Milan

It’s hard for Liverpool fans to remember a better comeback. Down 3-0 at halftime against any team is tough. But this was the toughest club competition in the world. People had left the stadium at halftime knowing that a comeback would be miraculous. But the comeback happened, and several movies have been made with this final as part of the story line.

AC Milan was off to the best start it could have imagined. AC Milan scored in the first minute of the game. The Reds wanted to go into halftime with a manageable deficit but could not manage to keep the ball out of the back of their net during the last seven minutes. They gave up two more goals.

None other than Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard started the comeback with a goal in the 54th minute. Vladimir Šmicer scored two minutes later, which made believers of the Liverpool supporters. Xabi Alonso won a penalty for Liverpool but did not convert. However, the rebound off AC Milan goalkeeper Dida, came right back to Alonso, who scored the equalizer.

The match went to penalties. AC Milan’s Andriy Shevchenko needed to score to keep the shootout going. Shevchenko stepped up to take his penalty, but Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek saved it. The comeback was complete. Because this was Liverpool’s fifth European title, the trophy had found a permanent home, inside a cabinet at Anfield.