signed for Kenny Dalglish's side on 27 January 1987 for £750,000 and was initially used as a partner for Rush (filling a position previously occupied by player-manager Dalglish and fellow striker Paul Walsh) and as an occasional substitute. Dalglish had been interested in signing a number of other strikers, including Chelsea's David Speedie and Arsenal's Charlie Nicholas, for a number of months before settling on Aldridge. Liverpool ended the season trophyless, including a Wembley defeat to Arsenal in the League Cup final, for which Aldridge was ineligible. By the time of his transfer to Liverpool in that 1986–87 league campaign, Aldridge had already scored fifteen goals for Oxford in the space of 25 games. Aldridge made his debut for the Reds on 21 February 1987, when he came on as a 46th-minute substitute for Craig Johnston in a 2–2 league draw with Aston Villa at Villa Park. His first goal for his new club came a week later on 28 February, in the 60th minute, the only goal of the game as Liverpool beat Southampton in a league match at Anfield. Aldridge scored 26 goals in what turned out to be a successful season for Liverpool, including a strike in each of the first nine games, forming a 10-match scoring run as he had scored in his final league appearance of the previous season. He linked up with new signings Peter Beardsley and John Barnes as Liverpool lost only twice in the League championship season and went unbeaten for the first 29 matches. Liverpool won the 1988 league title with two defeats all season and a nine-point lead over their nearest rivals Manchester United, although the gap between Liverpool and their nearest contenders was considerably wider for much of the season. Aldridge scored both goals in the club's FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. With Wimbledon 1–0 up in the FA Cup final at Wembley, midway through the second half Liverpool were awarded a spot-kick when Aldridge himself was fouled, and he took the resulting penalty. Aldridge had scored all eleven of his penalty kicks that season, but goalkeeper Dave Beasant noticed that he always placed the ball to the keeper's left. Aldridge did, as predicted, place the penalty to Beasant's left, and the keeper sprang across to save it. He became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in a Wembley FA Cup final. Aldridge's failure was his first