'Sometimes an advantage turns out to be a disadvantage' - Arsenal legend Michael Thomas believes Liverpool can draw inspiration from 1989 heartache

 
History maker: Michael Thomas sends the ball past Bruce Grobbelaar
Tom Dutton10 May 2014

The Arsenal man who inflicted title heartache on Liverpool in 1989 has urged the Reds to draw inspiration from his final-day heroics, which handed the Gunners the league crown.

With George Graham’s side needing victory by two goals at Anfield to win the league and already a goal up, Michael Thomas bore down on Bruce Grobbelaar’s goal and lifted the ball into the net in the final moments of the season.

And while Arsenal’s fate was in their own hands on 26 May 1989, or ‘St Michael’s Day’ as it has become affectionately known by Arsenal fans, there is symmetry between the plots.

Indeed, the north London club went into the title showdown as heavy underdogs, having lost and drawn in their previous two outings, while Liverpool, buoyed by cup success earlier in the campaign, had scored seven in their last two, winning both.

'Lambs To The Slaughter' read a newspaper as many expected Arsenal to pitch up at Anfield and concede the title with a whimper.

If City avoid defeat at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday they will lift a second Premier League title, but Thomas believes the race is far from over.

“It’s never done until it’s done,” he told The Times.

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“West Ham could beat City and then it would be up to Liverpool to do their job against Newcastle United. Liverpool can relax because no one expected them to be here. For City it’s different. They have to win it now and that brings pressure. They also know that a draw will be enough and that can be difficult to handle.

“Do they play to win or just look for the draw? If they go ahead, do they look for another goal or sit on their lead?

“When we played Liverpool in 1989 they knew they could afford to lose the game 1-0 and they’d still have won the league, but situations like that aren’t always easy to handle and we ended up winning 2-0. Sometimes what you think is an advantage turns out to be a disadvantage.”

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