Five Favourite Wins – A series where Pete Spencer looks back at his five favourite wins by Liverpool against their upcoming opponents.
13th December 1975
TOTTENHAM (0) 0
LIVERPOOL (1) 4 (Keegan 43, Case 54, Neal 74, Heighway 86)
TOTTENHAM: Jennings; Naylor, Osgood, Young, McAllister; Perryman, Pratt, McNab, Neighbour; Duncan (Walford), Jones
LIVERPOOL: Clemence; Smith, Thompson, Hughes, Neal; Case, Cormack (Fairclough), Callaghan; Keegan, Toshack, Heighway
Tottenham turned entertained Liverpool at White Hart Lane in December 1975 with a record of never beating Liverpool in a League game since Martin Chivers and Martin Peters scored in a 2-0 win in September 1971. They’d picked up just 1pt in the four meetings since between the clubs since then.
Tottenham were managed by Terry Neill, who would last the season before Arsenal recruited him. In the Spurs side that day were three players who would follow him to Highbury, Pat Jennings, Willie Young and Steve Walford. Liverpool were sitting in second place behind QPR on goal average (a method then used by the league to separate sides on the same points). Their form had slipped slightly in recent weeks without a win from their last 4 matches. Tottenham were lying in 13th but had suffered just 1 defeat in their last 13 outings, having started the season with 4 defeats in their opening 7 games.
Liverpool had won the corresponding fixture at Anfield in August when they came back from 0-2 down to win 3-2. Keegan, Case and Heighway scored the goals that day, and were again on the scoresheet this time round. It was Keegan who opened the scoring two minutes before half-time. Liverpool, who were keen to get back to winning ways before QPR visited Anfield a week later, then went 2-0 up inside 10 minutes after the break when Jimmy Case grabbed the second goal. Case had scored a hat-trick in midweek when they disposed of Slask Wroclaw of Poland on their way to the UEFA Cup Final.
Phil Neal then made the win fairly certain when he scored Liverpool’s third as the game reached its final quarter of an hour. The scoring was completed by Heighway with four minutes to go and Liverpool were comfortable winners. It was an important victory as QPR dropped a point at home to Derby the same day.
Liverpool won the League that season with a final game victory over Wolves as QPR had waited nervously for the result, having finished their campaign 10 days earlier. Liverpool also picked up the UEFA Cup that year too. Tottenham ended the season in 9th, but were relegated the following season.