1987 League Cup final: Arsenal v Liverpool

"He's the Bonnie Prince this afternoon". The words of the excellent Barry Davies at the conclusion of the 1987 League Cup final were typically well chosen. For on that glorious sunny Sunday April 5 at Wembley, Charlie Nicholas delivered on the biggest stage. Arsenal's eight year wait for a trophy was over.

In truth, Nicholas' time at Arsenal had not lived up to the excitement and hype that surrounded his move from Celtic in 1983. Occasionally there were glimpses of his magic - happily for Arsenal fans he often saved his best for Tottenham - but generally his performances were as inconsistent as the team during the Terry Neill and Don Howe reigns.

During George Graham's first season in charge, there were constant murmurings that Nicholas' days at the club were numbered. A player that hardly fitted into the Graham mould of energy and hard work, Nicholas would indeed depart for Aberdeen in January 1988. Yet before Nicholas left he would provide Arsenal fans with an ideal parting gift.

The prospect of Arsenal reaching a Wembley final for the first time in seven years seemed like a distant dream as the second leg of the semi-final at Tottenham reached half-time. Trailing 1-0 on the day and 2-0 on aggregate, even the Tottenham stadium announcer thought Arsenal were down and out, as he shared information about how Spurs fans could get tickets for Wembley.

It proved to be a red rag to a bull for the Arsenal players who heard this announcement inside the dressing room. Scoring two second half goals to force a replay, three days later Arsenal would once again come from behind to clinch a memorable victory. Graham's young guns never knew when they were beaten.

They would have their hands full in the final, though. Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool were understandably favourites to lift the Littlewoods Cup - a trophy discovered by the sponsors in 1985 that was made in 1895 and previously known as the Viscountess Furness Cup - with many experts pointing to their vast experience of Wembley cup finals as a telling factor.

"They have visited the place so often in recent years that the stadium has practically become their second home," the Guardian's David Lacey wrote regarding Liverpool in his preview of the final. Of their starting XI, only Gary Gillespie had not played at Wembley, and this would be Liverpool's eighth domestic cup final in ten years.

Although Arsenal's league form had tailed off since the start of 1987, there were reasons for optimism. Liverpool were stuttering in their title race with Everton, losing the previous two league matches before the final. And with Mark Lawrenson, Jim Beglin and Steve Nicol ruled out for the rest of the season, key parts in Liverpool's machine were missing.

All the ingredients were there for the archetypal Wembley cup final, as the live BBC coverage started at 3pm, so excuse the Ron Manager impression. Jimmy Hill presenting with Bobby Charlton and Trevor Brooking as pundits; the twin towers; the marching band; those goals; the tunnel and that long walk to the halfway line; the benches. Isn't it? Marvellous.

As the match began it appeared as if the expected script was being followed. Liverpool steadily exerted full control, with Ian Rush dragging an effort wide, and Craig Johnston forcing a fine save from John Lukic. Jan Molby then blazed over from the edge of the box, after a mistake from Arsenal skipper Kenny Sansom.

Davies noted the nervous start of Sansom, a worrying thought for Arsenal fans seeing as the left back was vastly experienced in comparison to most of his team mates. Sansom admitted that his start was far from ideal in his 1986/87 season review book Going Great Guns.

"We have been told that the first 20 minutes are going to be vital because if Liverpool get hold of you then, they never let go. And they have started well, we can't get a kick and we are under pressure. This is not going as planned. Then they score and I feel sick from my stomach. It is Rushy, it has to be Rushy."

Rush's 23rd minute goal was beautifully created, a move beginning in the hands of Bruce Grobbelaar and ending with a clinical finish. Molby's superb pass to Steve McMahon cut Arsenal open, and once the Liverpool midfielder cut the ball back to Rush there was only one outcome. "It's such a familiar sight," Davies stated. "Arsenal caught absolutely dead."

"And Arsenal now will be desperately trying to get out of their mind that infernal statistic," Davies added. Everyone knew that statistic. In the 144 matches that Rush had scored for Liverpool, his team had never lost. Prior to his summer move to Juventus, it looked as if Rush's record was not going to be broken at Wembley.

Yet their semi-final experiences had made a mark on Arsenal's players. "The strange thing was that even though I had been caught by a sucker punch, I still had this feeling that we were going to win the game," Tony Adams wrote in Addicted. Rather than collapse after Rush's strike, Arsenal woke up and took the game to Liverpool.

Paul Davis struck a post from distance, via a slight touch from Grobbelaar that was not spotted by referee Lester Shapter, but a couple of minutes later Arsenal were level. A scramble in Liverpool's box after a free-kick - "Look at them poised, you'd think it was the start of the 100 metres," Davies said - saw Nicholas hit a post, before he swept home at the second attempt after a Viv Anderson cross.

"It's Charlie. Charlie Nicholas has done it," Davies excitedly announced, Adams grabbing Arsenal's goal scorer in a headlock as they ran off in celebration. "The moment Charlie got his first I knew that we would win the match," Sansom wrote. With Davis and Steve Williams gaining control in midfield, Arsenal were growing in confidence.

The second half was a nip and tuck affair. Molby and McMahon went close, Anderson dived hilariously in the area to try and win a penalty - "Reminiscent of Duncan Goodhew," to use the words of co-commentator Charlton - and there was a moment of confusion between Grobbelaar and Whelan that caused panic. But with less than ten minutes remaining, extra-time looked a real possibility.

But then came the match winning moment, inspired by a £50,000 signing from Colchester. Substitute Perry Groves had pace to burn, and when he skipped past Gillespie on Arsenal's left in the 83rd minute, Liverpool were stretched. Groves cut the ball back to Nicholas, who opened his body out to try and find the far corner. Yet his effort deflected off Whelan and limped apologetically past Grobbelaar.

Nicholas and Groves hugged behind the goal, Graham punched the air in delight, and even Bob Wilson could be spotted temporarily getting to his feet in front of the goal scorer before remembering his BBC impartiality. Liverpool had no response. A little over seven minutes later, Arsenal had won the League Cup for the first time in their history.

One nil down, two one up - a good name for a fanzine - once again, as chants of "Arsenal are back" and "Charlie, Charlie" came from the Arsenal end. Rush's record ruined in the process - a week later he would score again at Norwich and end up on the losing team - Arsenal had beaten Liverpool in a Wembley final for the third time, after their 1950 and 1971 FA Cup finals wins.

"Arsenal's younger players came of age yesterday," Lacey wrote in his match report, although most newspaper coverage naturally focussed on Nicholas and his desire to sign a new contract. Graham would not be drawn into discussions regarding Nicholas' future, instead revelling in bringing a trophy to Arsenal in their centenary season.

Nicholas declared that he hoped Wembley would be "the start of something big". It would turn out that way for the club but not for the man himself. With Alan Smith recently signed from Leicester, the writing was on the wall. Graham, boosted by the unexpected success in his first season, would gradually build a team capable of toppling Liverpool.

"I feel this can be the start of a run of success similar to Liverpool's over the last two decades," Graham announced after the final. It may not have quite turned out that way, but the importance of the Wembley win in 1987 cannot be underestimated. Ending their trophy drought, and beating Liverpool in the process, laid a foundation for the glory to follow.