1988–89 Liverpool F.C. season
| 1988–89 season | |||
| Manager |
 Kenny Dalglish
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|---|---|---|---|
| First Division | 2nd | ||
| FA Cup | Winners | ||
| League Cup | Fourth Round | ||
| Top goalscorer |
League: John Aldridge (21) All: John Aldridge (31) |
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| Average home league attendance | 38,713 | ||
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The 1988–89 season was the 97th season in Liverpool F.C.'s existence, and was their 26th consecutive year in the First Division, and covers the period from 20 August 1988 to 26 May 1989.
The season was overshadowed by the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April 1989. 94 of the club's fans died that day in a crush on the terraces in the semi-final of the FA Cup; a 95th fan died three days later and the death toll eventually reached 96 nearly four years later when another fan died having never regained consciousness.
Liverpool won the rescheduled FA Cup semi-final and went on to win the trophy by beating Everton 3-2 in the final, but were then denied the double for the second season running in even more dramatic fashion than the previous season, when a last minute Arsenal goal gave the visitors a 2-0 win at Anfield and sent the league title to Highbury on goals scored. They had spent much of the season on the fringes of the title race, frequently led by Arsenal and underdogs including Norwich City, Coventry City and newly promoted Millwall, but a late surge in form had seen them cruise back to the top of the league by the time of the penultimate league game.
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Attackers
After an unhappy season in Italy with Juventus, Ian Rush returned to Anfield on 18 August in a £2.8million deal - a record fee paid by a British club, and the third time in three weeks the national record had been broken. However, the Reds were not alone in signing a top striker to prepare for a title challenge - their close neighbours Everton had paid the previous national record of £2.1million a few days earlier for West Ham United striker Tony Cottee. The challenge from a resurgent Manchester United was likely to be stronger as well following their £1.8million recapture of Mark Hughes.
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