The 1981–82 season was Liverpool Football Club's 90th season in existence and their 20th consecutive season in the First Division. After finishing fifth the previous season, Liverpool came back and won their thirteenth league title. They also won the Football League Cup for the second successive season, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 at Wembley Stadium.

However, Liverpool were decisively beaten by Flamengo at the 1981 Intercontinental Cup final. Neither did they regain the European Cup, having been knocked out by CSKA Sofia in the quarter-finals and surprisingly being knocked out by Second Division Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

It was also a season with major changes in the team, as many of the players who won the trophies over the previous seasons were being replaced by players who would go on to be part of the team that remained successful for the rest of the decade. Players such as Bruce Grobbelaar, Mark Lawrenson, Ian Rush, Ronnie Whelan and Craig Johnston came into the team during the season and would make their mark on changing the side, that would go forward into the decade.

Squad

Goalkeepers Steve Ogrizovic Bruce Grobbelaar

Defenders Phil Neal Alan Hansen Phil Thompson Alan Kennedy Richard Money Mark Lawrenson

Midfielders Craig Johnston Sammy Lee Ray Kennedy Terry McDermott Kevin Sheedy Graeme Souness Ronnie Whelan Steve Nicol

Attackers David Fairclough Kenny Dalglish Howard Gayle David Johnson Ian Rush Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

League table

Results

First Division

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2 29-Aug-81 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–1 28,001 Report Report 01-Sep-81 Middlesbrough H 1–1 Neal 31,963 Report Report 05-Sep-81 Arsenal H 2–0 McDermott Johnson 35,269 Report Report 12-Sep-81 Ipswich Town A 0–2 26,703 Report Report 19-Sep-81 Aston Villa H 0–0 37,474 Report Report 22-Sep-81 Coventry City A 2–1 A Kennedy McDermott 16,731 Report Report 26-Sep-81 West Ham United A 1–1 Johnson 30,802 Report Report 03-Oct-81 Swansea City H 2–2 McDermott 48,645 Report Report 10-Oct-81 Leeds United H 3–0 Rush Own goal 35,840 Report Report 17-Oct-81 Brighton & Hove Albion A 3–3 Dalglish R Kennedy McDermott 26,321 Report Report 24-Oct-81 Manchester United H 1–2 McDermott 41,438 Report Report 31-Oct-81 Sunderland A 2–0 Souness McDermott 27,854 Report Report 07-Nov-81 Everton H 3–1 Dalglish Rush 48,861 Report Report 21-Nov-81 West Bromwich Albion A 1–1 Dalglish 20,871 Report Report 28-Nov-81 Southampton H 0–1 37,189 Report Report 05-Dec-81 Nottingham Forest A 2–0 Lawrenson R Kennedy 24,521 Report Report 26-Dec-81 Manchester City H 1–3 Whelan 37,929 Report Report 05-Jan-82 West Ham United H 3–0 McDermott Whelan Dalglish 28,427 Report Report 16-Jan-82 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 2–1 Whelan Dalglish 26,438 Report Report 26-Jan-82 Notts County A 4–0 Whelan Rush 14,407 Report Report 30-Jan-82 Aston Villa A 3–0 Rush McDermott 35,947 Report Report 06-Feb-82 Ipswich Town H 4–0 McDermott Rush Dalglish Whelan 41,316 Report Report 16-Feb-82 Swansea City A 0–2 22,604 Report Report 20-Feb-82 Coventry City H 4–0 Souness Lee Rush McDermott 28,286 Report Report 27-Feb-82 Leeds United A 2–0 Souness Rush 33,689 Report Report 06-Mar-82 Brighton & Hove Albion H 0–1 28,574 Report Report 09-Mar-82 Stoke City A 5–1 McDermott Dalglish Souness Lee Whelan 16,758 Report Report 20-Mar-82 Sunderland H 1–0 Rush 30,344 Report Report 27-Mar-82 Everton A 3–1 Whelan Souness Johnston 51,847 Report Report 30-Mar-82 Birmingham City H 3–1 Rush McDermott 24,224 Report Report 02-Apr-82 Notts County H 1–0 Dalglish 30,126 Report Report 07-Apr-82 Manchester United A 1–0 Johnston 50,969 Report Report 10-Apr-82 Manchester City A 5–0 Lee Neal Johnston A Kennedy Rush 40,112 Report Report 13-Apr-82 Stoke City H 2–0 A Kennedy Johnston 30,419 Report Report 17-Apr-82 West Bromwich Albion H 1–0 Dalglish 34,286 Report Report 24-Apr-82 Southampton A 3–2 Rush Whelan 24,704 Report Report 01-May-82 Nottingham Forest H 2–0 Johnston 34,321 Report Report 03-May-82 Tottenham Hotspur A 2–2 Dalglish 38,091 Report Report 08-May-82 Birmingham City A 1–0 Rush 26,381 Report Report 11-May-82 Arsenal A 1–1 Rush 30,932 Report Report 15-May-82 Tottenham Hotspur H 3–1 Lawrenson Dalglish Whelan 48,122 Report Report 18-May-82 Middlesbrough A 0–0 17,431 Report Report

FA Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2 02-Jan-82 Swansea City A 4–0 Hansen Rush Lawrenson 24,179 Report Report 23-Jan-82 Sunderland A 3–0 Dalglish Rush 28,582 Report Report 13-Feb-82 Chelsea A 0–2 41,42 Report Report

Football League Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2 07-Oct-81 Exeter City H 5–0 Rush McDermott Dalglish Whelan 11,478 Report Report 28-Oct-81 Exeter City A 6–0 Rush Dalglish Neal Sheedy Own goal 11,740 Report Report 10-Nov-81 Middlesbrough H 4–1 Sheedy Rush Johnson 16,145 Report Report 01-Dec-81 Arsenal A 0–0 37,917 Report Report 08-Dec-81 Arsenal H 3–0 Johnston McDermott Dalglish 21,375 Report Report 12-Jan-82 Barnsley H 0–0 33,707 Report Report 19-Jan-82 Barnsley A 3–1 Souness Johnson Dalglish 29,639 Report Report 02-Feb-82 Ipswich Town A 2–0 McDermott Rush 26,690 Report Report 09-Feb-82 Ipswich Town H 2–2 Rush Dalglish 34,933 Report Report

League Cup Final

GK 1 Bruce GrobbelaarRB 2 Phil Neal LB 3 Alan KennedyCB 4 Phil ThompsonLM 5 Ronnie WhelanCB 6 Mark LawrensonCF 7 Kenny DalglishRM 8 Sammy LeeCF 9 Ian RushCM 10 Terry McDermott CM 11 Graeme Souness (c)Substitute: 12 David Johnson Manager: Bob Paisley GK 1 Ray ClemenceLB 2 Chris HughtonCB 3 Paul MillerCB 4 Paul Price RM 5 Micky Hazard RB 6 Steve Perryman (c) CM 7 Osvaldo ArdilesCF 8 Steve Archibald LM 9 Tony GalvinCM 10 Glenn HoddleCF 11 Garth CrooksSubstitute:MF 12 Ricardo VillaManager: Keith Burkinshaw

European Cup

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceReport 1Report 2 16-Sep-81 Oulu Palloseura A 1–0 Dalglish 8,400 Report Report 30-Sep-81 Oulu Palloseura H 7–0 Dalglish McDermott R Kennedy Johnson Rush Lawrenson 20,789 Report Report 21-Oct-81 AZ Alkmaar A 2–2 Johnson Lee 15,000 Report Report 04-Nov-81 AZ Alkmaar H 3–2 McDermott Rush Hansen 29,703 Report Report 03-Mar-82 CSKA Sofia H 1–0 Whelan 27,388 Report Report 17-Mar-82 CSKA Sofia A 0–2 60,000 Report Report

Intercontinental Cup

GK 1 Bruce GrobbelaarRB 2 Phil NealCB 4 Phil Thompson (c)CB 6 Alan HansenLB 3 Mark LawrensonRM 14 Sammy LeeCM 10 Terry McDermott CM 11 Graeme SounessLM 5 Ray KennedySS 7 Kenny DalglishCF 16 Craig JohnstonSubstitutes:GK 13 Steve OgrizovicDF 15 Alan KennedyMF 17 Kevin SheedyMF 8 Ronnie WhelanFW 12 David Johnson Manager: Bob Paisley GK 1 RaulRB 2 LeandroCB 13 MarinhoCB 4 MozerLB 5 JúniorDM 6 AndradeMF 8 AdílioAM 10 Zico (c)FW 7 TitaCF 9 NunesFW 11 LicoSubstitutes:GK 12 CantareleDF 3 FigueiredoFW 15 PeuFW 16 BaroninhoDF 17 Nei DiasManager: Paulo Carpegiani

References LFC History.net – Games for the 1981–82 season Liverweb - Games for the 1981-82 season