On 12 September 1989, Liverpool faced Crystal Palace in a First Division fixture at Anfield, during the 1989–90 season. Crystal Palace were newly promoted to the Division, while Liverpool had been narrowly pipped to the League title by Arsenal in the previous season. Liverpool won the match 9–0, recording their biggest ever top-flight win, and inflicting Palace's heaviest ever defeat. Eight different players scored for Liverpool, the first time this has happened for the same club in English football history. Build-up Liverpool had begun the season in mixed form, winning the 1989 FA Charity Shield against Arsenal then earning a win and two draws from their opening three matches. A deal to sell striker John Aldridge to Spanish club Real Sociedad for £1.25 million had been agreed on 1 September; he would leave the day after this match, his last for the club. Newly promoted Crystal Palace lost on the opening day at Queens Park Rangers and at home to Coventry City in their third match. Sandwiched between had been a credible point at home to Manchester United, with a late Ian Wright equaliser cancelling out Bryan Robson's first-half goal. The match was theoretically part of the fourth round of the first division season, to be played in the second midweek slot. However, the game was put back a fortnight as Liverpool had a high-profile friendly against Real Madrid in the annual invitational Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu match, and the following week England played Sweden in a World Cup qualifying match. In the meantime Crystal Palace won their fourth game of the season at home to Wimbledon and Liverpool comfortably beat Derby County 3–0 at the Baseball Ground. At the time of kick-off, Millwall were top of the league, something described in The Times match report as an 'incongruous sight'. Match Summary Liverpool opened the scoring in the 7th minute – John Barnes dribbled towards the Crystal Palace area, but found himself blocked before Ronnie Whelan played a pass out to the right, from where Steve Nicol finished coolly. The second goal came from Steve McMahon, who advanced onto a through-ball, spotted keeper Perry Suckling off his line, and chipped the ball into the net from distance. The third goal came from interplay between Barnes, David Burrows and Peter Beardsley. Beardsley began a mazy dribble into the penalty area, and no sooner was he tackled than Ian Rush was on hand