From the Doc to Kuyt, six Manchester United v Liverpool FA Cup clashes

The Old Trafford side won six ties in a row against their Anfield rivals from 1948 to 1999, but there have been some famously tight matches and two Liverpool wins this century

Liverpool had beaten United at Anfield 18 days earlier, en route to the title. But it wasn’t much of an omen, not least because Tommy Docherty’s side had nothing to play for and were keeping their powder dry. At Wembley, he set his team snapping at Liverpool’s heels, ditching their trademark pretty wing play for something uncharacteristically agricultural: long launches that would hopefully discombobulate the normally ice-cool champions. It worked like a dream. Though Jimmy Case was the best player on the park, equalising with a juggle and volley of Zidanesque grace, United applied sufficient aerial pressure to break Liverpool, Stuart Pearson taking advantage of Emlyn Hughes’ inability to deal with a flick-on, Jimmy Greenhoff benefiting from an absurd looping deflection. Liverpool consoled themselves by winning the European Cup four days later; United drew satisfaction from denying them an unprecedented treble. Someone in Wimbledon may have taken notes.

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