Following the weekend destruction of Arsenal, many fans wondered “when was the last time Liverpool scored four goals in the opening 20 minutes of the game?” The Reds went one better, or rather eight minutes better on 21st September 1968 when a shell-shocked Leicester City were four down in 12 minutes.
This game marked the debut of Alun Evans, who had been signed by Bill Shankly to replace Tony Hateley (Rest in Peace big man). Evans had played one season in the top flight with Wolves when Shanks made him Britain’s most expensive teenager. He went straight into the first team against a Leicester side whom Liverpool had often found very difficult to beat. Not so on this occasion.
Ron Yeats and Tommy Smith had the reds two up inside 5 minutes before Evans got a debut goal on 10 minutes. Two minutes later Ian Callaghan made it four and a slightly bemused Anfield crowd settled back to enjoy a massacre. But that was it, no more goals and, on reflection it sums up Evans’ Anfield career, an explosive start followed by disappointment, with just the occasional glimpse of what might have been. He was finally overshadowed by Kevin Keegan and transferred to Aston Villa in 1971.
Leicester ended up getting relegated. Liverpool finished second to Leeds, scoring just one goal in their last 4 league games, symptomatic of the Reds’ attack still misfiring, despite the money spent on it.
Liverpool: Clemence, Lawler, Wall, Smith, Yeats, Hughes, Callaghan, Hunt, Evans, St John, Thompson
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