Remembering the Last Two Times Liverpool Finished Above Manchester United

In the 24 years since Liverpool last won the league title, they've finished above their rivals Manchester United just twice.

If you'd have told a Liverpool supporter that in 1990, they'd never have believed you.

In those years, United have collected 13 league titles, dominating the new Premier League era and overtaking Liverpool's previous record of 18 titles.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have lurched from one false dawn to another, getting close but never close enough to achieving their nineteenth title.

They finished second under Rafa Benitez in 2008-09 and threatened to challenge but never really did under Roy Evans in the mid-nineties. Indeed, it was Gerard Houllier's class of 2001-02 that came closest to returning the glory days when they followed up their treble-cup success with a second-place finish.

Going into this weekend's clash of the two sides, Liverpool sit 11 points ahead of David Moyes' side and well placed to finish above their rivals for the first time in 12 years.

Here, we take a look back at the last two times Liverpool finished above Manchester United in the league...

1990-91

Ben Radford/Getty Images

The season after collecting their 18th title, an inconsistent Liverpool side finished second, seven points behind Arsenal.

It was the season that saw Kenny Dalglish's departure as manager and Graeme Souness' appointment in April. It would be 11 years until Liverpool finished above rivals Manchester United again—who ended this season in sixth, 17 points behind the Reds.

For Liverpool, the most memorable match was the 4-4 FA Cup fifth-round replay at Goodison Park—the match that proved the final straw for Dalglish, who announced his resignation two days later.

Club captain Alan Hansen also announced his retirement this year and the inquest into the Hillsborough disaster returned a verdict of accidental death. It was a dark time for Liverpool FC.

Bright moments were provided with a 7-1 thrashing at Derby County and a dramatic 5-4 victory at Leeds United. The team had plenty of goals in the shape of Ian Rush, John Barnes and Peter Beardsley.

Liverpool and Manchester United met three times this campaign, winning one each each and drawing the other.

United's success came in the League Cup third round, where goals from Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes and Lee Sharpe gave them a 3-1 victory.

Liverpool's success was in the league match at Anfield, running out 4-0 victors courtesy of a Beardsley hat-trick and Barnes.

The league match at Old Trafford saw David Speedie and Bruce score the goals in a 1-1 draw.

Arsenal won the title on the day Liverpool lost to Nottingham Forest in early May, with the Gunners beating United 3-1 courtesy of an Alan Smith hat-trick.

While the campaign saw Liverpool's ageing stars struggling to continue their success, Man United handed a debut to a certain Ryan Giggs. That perhaps was the most telling sign of the future of the two clubs.

The following season saw Liverpool finish sixth and United second behind Leeds. A new era was almost upon us as the two clubs went in opposite directions.

Now, in 2013-14, parallels are drawn between Liverpool's situation back in 1991 and Man United's now. Liverpool lost their captain, Hansen, United have announced the departure of theirs, Nemanja Vidic. Liverpool had an ageing side, just as United do now, and struggled to cope with the loss of their esteemed Scottish manager.

Liverpool's league top goal scorers: Ian Rush (16), John Barnes (16), Peter Beardsley (11)

Liverpool's first choice XI: Grobbelaar, Hysen, Nicol, Ablett, Burrows, Houghton, McMahon, Molby, Barnes, Beardsley, Rush.

2001-02

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Prior to Rafa Benitez's Liverpool recording 86 points in 2008-09, the 2001-02 season was the Reds' highest Premier League points total. Gerard Houllier's squad finished second on 80 points—a season that saw Liverpool beat United three times.

Arsenal won the title (87 points), while United finished third, three points behind Liverpool.

The season started with a meeting of the two rivals at the Millennium Stadium for the Community Shield Final, with United having won the title and Liverpool the FA Cup as part of their cup treble the season before.

Goals from Gary McAllister and Michael Owen gave Gerard Houllier's side victory, 2-1—Ruud van Nistelrooy with United's consolation in the second half.

And Houllier's side took the three points in both the home and away Premier League fixtures too.

The home game at Anfield will always be remembered for a certain free-kick by John Arne Riise, with Michael Owen hitting a goal either side before David Beckham pulled one back for the visitors. Liverpool won 3-1.

It was the season that saw one of Alex Ferguson's many fallouts with players. This time being Jaap Stam. United, clearly missing their best defender at Anfield, were mocked by the Kop who sang the Dutchman's name.

The match at Old Trafford saw Danny Murphy score the only goal of the game for the second season running, scoring in the 85th minute. "Defending with relentless determination and scoring a marvellous, late breakaway goal, Liverpool revelled in the moment" wrote The Telegraph—via LFCHistory.

Houllier's solid side were building on their cup successes the previous campaign and looked set to challenge domestically and in Europe.

The season will also be remembered for being the year Houllier was taken ill in a league match against Leeds at Anfield in October, requiring a heart operation and missing five months of the season—Phil Thompson proving a very capable deputy in his absence.

The French boss returned in a memorable Champions League clash with AS Roma at Anfield; his side needing to win by two clear goals—which Jari Litmanen and Emile Heskey provided on the night. The Reds exited the competition at Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-final when Houllier infamously subbed Didi Hamann for Vladimir Smicer and succumbed to a 4-2 defeat, 4-3 on aggregate.

Prior to that match, Houllier had remarked, as per BBC Sport, "Hopefully we are ten games from greatness. We're still in contention to win the title and the Champions League. The vision is to win both."

Ultimately, his side finished with no honours, thrashing Ipswich 5-0 on the final day of the season to mark Gary McAllister's retirement from football.

In the domestic cups, Liverpool were dumped out of the League Cup by Grimsby Town at Anfield and went out the FA Cup at Highbury—a match that infamously saw Jamie Carragher throw a coin back at Arsenal fans who'd hurled it at him.

A side that featured solid, experienced players and had attacking talents in Michael Owen, Jari Litmanen, John Arne Riise and on-loan Nicolas Anelka looked set to build on their continued development and push for the league the following season.

Alas, that summer saw El Hadji Diouf, Bruno Cheyrou and Salif Diao arrive and Houllier never recovered as his managerial reign took a huge downward turn after three years of improvements.

Meanwhile, Arsenal finished the campaign with the domestic double, beating Chelsea in the FA Cup Final. The Gunners dominated the end of season awards, Thierry Henry collecting the Golden Boot, Robert Pires took the Football Writer's Player of the Year, and Arsene Weneger was named manager of the year.

For United, the season was less memorable. They too were defeated by Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, at the semi-final stage, and were knocked out of the domestic cups in the early rounds.

The following season saw Liverpool fall to fifth and United recover to win the title.

Liverpool PL top goal scorers: Michael Owen (19), Emile Heskey (9), John Arne Riise (7)

Liverpool first-choice XI: Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise, Murphy, Redknapp/McAllister, Hamann, Gerrard, Owen, Heskey.