Arsenal takes League Cup

Press, 7 April 1987, Page 29

Arsenal takes League Cup

NZPA-Reuter London Arsenal, inspired by two goals from Its Scottish striker, Charlie Nicholas, won the English League Cup for the first time yesterday when it beat Liverpool, 2-1, at Wembley. A goal down to a typical lan Rush strike after 23 minutes, the North London team, which is celebrating its centenary this season, fought back to triumph. Nicholas, showing the form that persuaded Arsenal io sign him from Glasgow Celtic in IM3, levelled on the half-hour and snatched the winner seven minutes from time. It was the first time that the ace marksman, Rush, who will join Italy’s Juventus at the end of the season, had scored for Liverpool and finished on the losing side. In spite of taking the lead and dominating the early stages of each half, Liverpool, the league champion, never fully subdued Arsenal’s spirit or produced its most fluent football and the game was largely suffocated by two defences looking for the off-side flag. Only Arsenal’s Paul Davis and Liverpool’s Jan Molby, in patches, were able to transcend the competitive but tedious struggle. Scoring chances were at a premium on what seemed a perfect surface for open play. Nicholas, however, was able to enjoy a rare chance , •t out-gunning Rush iq the}

i showdown between the two i strikers, leaving Rush to i trudge from his last , Wembley appearance for * Liverpool with his head r down. , It was the first defeat he had suffered in 145 scoring I games for Liverpool, ending I a sequence of 122 wins and i 22 draws. The Welshman’s goal, greeted by red flares on the terraces, was superbly constructed and taken. Rush began It In midfield with a first-time pass to Molby. The Dane sent Steve McMahon clear with an accurate long pass to break the off-side trap and Rush arrived for the cross to shoot past John Luklc from eight metres. Two minutes after a rasping Davis drive rebounded from a post, Nicholas conjured Arsenal’s equaliser from a big goalmouth scramble. A Davis free kick hit the wall, Sansom crossed, Anderson and Adams had shots blocked, Nicholas hit the post and then, alter Anderson had crossed the - ball again, stabbed In the equaliser. 5 For a while, Loverpool responded but the introduction of the player-manager, Kenny Dalglish, tor Paul Walsh after 73 minutes signified desperation, not Inspiration. With Davis in control. Arsenal went on to steal a