This was a memorable match but perhaps wasn't so magical for Manchester City fans
Key match information
Stadium - Maine Road
Attendance - 31,436
Man City goals - Uwe Rosler, Kit Symons
Liverpool goals - Steve Lomas Own Goal, Ian Rush
Match report - Featured in the Guardian's Joy of Six
More thoughts
The day before the match, Alan Ball said: ""I am confident we will stay up, because we have prepared well and we are ready."
Manchester City side went into battle at Maine Road against Liverpool, desperate to retain their Premier League status. Even a win would not guarantee their survival.
Wins for their fellow strugglers Southampton and Coventry City, on equal points but with better goal difference, and a draw for Sheffield Wednesday, two points ahead and also with a healthier balance in the goals column, would have done for City, even if Bally's boys spanked Roy Evans's FA Cup finalists. But in all statistical likelihood, a win would have been enough.
A win would indeed have been enough for City. Southampton drew 0-0 with Wimbledon, while Coventry held Leeds in another goalless encounter.
But City and their coaching staff were fed some false info. Wimbledon, they had been told, had scored a late goal away at Southampton. As a result, an almost comical moment to occurred as the season came to a conclusion.
After City had battled back from 2-0 down and with The Kippax roaring the blues on to survival, their manager then needlessly injected an overdose of confusion into his side by incorrectly informing Lomas that Southampton were losing and that a draw would be enough to keep City up.
This prompted the midfielder to dribble the ball into the corner in an effort to wind down the clock.
The match at the Dell was still goalless as Niall Quinn, who had just been subbed off, quickly realised when he checked the live scores on a television in the tunnel.
With Southampton looking set to snaffle a point, it instantly dawned on the City side that only a win would be enough to stave off the drop.
Sadly, by that point, it was already too late – the game ended 2-2 and Alan Ball and his City side were sadly consigned to their fate.
Sources
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