Michael Thomas knows exactly how the players of Chelsea and Manchester United will be feeling today as the destination of the Premier League trophy is decided. After all, he settled the tightest title race ever with the most famous goal in the history of English club football.
'I still get goose pimples when I watch it,' confirms the former Arsenal midfielder about his dramatic strike against Liverpool 21 years ago. 'Great memories - a truly special moment in my life. I still have Arsenal fans coming up to me and talking about it.'
You can bet Thomas will be asked about his life-defining moment when he visits Hong Kong this week to play in the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens. And, to his credit, he is still happy to relive it, although, as he modestly points out: 'It's nice to be remembered for the goal, but all season and on the night it was just a brilliant team effort.'
A quick recap: it is the final game of the 1988-89 season, Liverpool are hosting Arsenal at Anfield and both teams can win the league title. The game is being played so late in the campaign owing to the Hillsborough disaster six weeks earlier, which has caused Liverpool's fixtures to be re-arranged. Liverpool, who have already beaten Everton in the FA Cup final and are going for the Double, are three points ahead and have a better goal difference. In short, Arsenal need to win by at least two goals to finish top of the table.
Alan Smith heads the Gunners in front soon after half-time but, as the clock ticks down, it looks as if the home team will escape with a 1-0 defeat and hang on to their title. Then in the last minute, Thomas breaks through, collects a lucky rebound and finds himself one-on-one with Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar as the TV commentator, the late Brian Moore, yells, 'It's up for grabs now!' Thomas coolly clips the ball into the corner of the net. Cue pandemonium.
What was he thinking as he bore down on goal with the eyes of the world watching? 'I was just thinking, 'Come on, Bruce, make your move, show your hand.' I was waiting for him to go one way. He didn't do it until very, very late but, when he did, I put it the other side,' says Thomas. 'It was a fantastic feeling, a dream finish.'
He continues: 'We'd had a great season, but everyone was writing us off before the game. We had no chance, they said. So to go into the lion's den that was Anfield back then and come out with the win was an incredible feeling for us, especially for the homegrown players like myself who had been at the club since we were kids. To win it for Arsenal like that was special.'
