Crystal Palace had been hammered 9-0 at Anfield earlier in the 1989-90 season but they had the last laugh in the FA Cup
By Richard Foster for the Guardian Sport Network
The result was never in doubt in the half-time entertainment at Villa Park on 8 April 1990. The
police dog representing
Liverpool sailed over the ever-increasing barriers with speed and serenity, while the Palace pooch stumbled and failed to keep up. A sympathetic, bordering on patronising, round of applause rippled around the ground. It was abundantly clear who was top dog, both literally and in a football sense.
The introduction in the match programme was typical of the prevailing mood: “Villa Park opens its doors today, with its annual sense of pride, for the staging of an enthralling FA Cup semi-final between favourites and outsiders. Liverpool, with their magnificent roll of honour, have become accustomed to being rated as the team most likely to win virtually every competition they enter, frequently justifying such confidence.”