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The opening day of any season is always one of the best days of the year. It brings hope for all teams as everyone starts on an even keel. Every year as a Liverpool fan I’ve went into the season with the hope they could have a big year. We all know the outcome of the years but here are the starting line-ups from each of the years from their last league win until now. (This is a work in progress).

1989-90: Liverpool 3 v 1 Manchester City (19 August)
Starting: Grobbelaar, Hysen, Hansen, Nicol, Burrows, Venison, Whelan, McMahon, Barnes, Beardsley, Rush.
Subs: Aldridge, Molby.

1990/1: Sheffield United 1 v 3 Liverpool (25 August)
Starting: Grobbelaar, Hysen, Gillespie, Nicol, Burrows, Houghton, Whelan, Molby, McMahon, Barnes, Rush.
Subs: Rosenthal, Venison.

1991/2: Liverpool 2 v 1 Oldham (17 August)
Starting: Grobbelaar, Ablett, Wright, Nicol, Burrows, McManaman, Whelan, McMahon, Barnes, Houghton, Saunders.
Subs: Walters, Marsh.

1992/3: Nottingham Forest 1 v 0 Liverpool (16 August)
Starting: James, Tanner, Wright, Nicol, Burrows, Walters, Whelan, Thomas, Stewart, Saunders, Rush.
Subs: McManaman, Rosenthal, Hooper.

1993/4: Liverpool 2 v 0 Sheffield Wednesday (14 August)
Starting: Grobbelaar, Jones, Wright, Ruddock, Nicol, Bjornebye, Walters, Molby, Whelan, Clough, Rush.
Subs: McManaman, Redknapp, Hooper.

1994/5: Crystal Palace 1 v 6 Liverpool (20 August)
Starting: James, Jones, Ruddock, Nicol, Bjornebye, McManaman, Molby, Redknapp, Barnes, Fowler, Rush.
Subs: Harkness, Thomas, Stensgaard.

1995/6: Liverpool 1 v 0 Sheffield Wednesday (19 August)
Starting: James, Jones, Babb, Wright, Matteo, Harkness, McManaman, Redknapp, Barnes, Rush, Collymore.
Subs: Fowler, Thomas, Warner.

1996/7: Middlesborough 3 v 3 Liverpool (17 August)
Starting: James, McAteer, Babb, Wright, Matteo, Bjornebye, McManaman, Thomas, Barnes, Fowler, Collymore.
Subs: Warner, Jones, Ruddock, Thomas, Carrigher.

1997/8: Wimbledon 1 v 1 Liverpool (9 August)
Starting: James, Jones, Babb, Wright, Ruddock, Bjornebye, McManaman, Ince, Thomas, Riedle, Owen.
Subs: McAteer, Harkness, Murphy, Barnes, Warner.

1998/9: Southampton 1 v 2 Liverpool (16 August)
Starting: Friedel, Heggem, Carrigher, Babb, Staunton, McAteer, McManaman, Ince, Berger, Riedle, Owen.
Subs: Kvarme, Harkness, Thompson, Leonhardsen, James.

1999/00: Sheffield Wednesday 1 v 2 Liverpool (7 August)
Starting: Westerveld, Heggem, Carrigher, Hyypia, Matteo, Smicer, Redknapp, Hamman, Berger, Camara, Fowler.
Subs: Song, Nielsen, Thompson, Staunton, Meijer.

2000/1: Liverpool 1 v 0 Bradford (19 August)
Starting: Westerveld, Babbel, Henchoz, Hyypia, Traore, Smicer, Gerrard, Hamann, Barmby, Heskey, Owen.
Subs: Berger, Carrigher, McAllister, Murphy, Arphexad.

2001/2: Liverpool 2 v 1 West Ham United (18 August)
Starting: Arphexad, Babbel, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carrigher, Murphy, Hamman, McAllister, Biscan, Litmanen, Owen.
Subs: Riise, Redknapp, Barmby, Traore, Nielsen.

2002/3: Aston Villa 0 v 1 Liverpool (18 August)
Starting: Dudek, Xavier, Henchoz, Hyypia, Traore, Murphy, Hamman, Gerrard, Risse, Diouf, Owen.
Subs: Heskey, Carrigher, Smicer, Cheyrou, Kirkland.

2003/4: Liverpool 1 v 2 Chelsea (17 August)
Starting: Dudek, Carrigher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise, Kewell, Murphy, Biscan, Cheyrou, Owen, Heskey.
Subs: Finnan, Baros, Diouf, Le Tallec, Kirkland.

2004/5: Tottenham 1 v 1 Liverpool (14 August)
Starting: Dudek, Josemi, Hyypia, Carrigher, Riise, Finnan, Gerrard, Hamman, Kewell, Cisse, Baros.
Subs: Biscan, Pongolle, Warnock, Henchoz, Kirkland.

2005/6: Middlesborough 0 v 0 Liverpool (13 August)
Starting: Reina, Finnan, Carrigher, Hyypia, Warnock, Garcia, Sissoko, Gerrard, Alonso, Zenden, Morientes.
Subs: Cisse, Baros, Riise, Whitbread, Carson.

2006/7: Sheffield United 1 v 1 Liverpool (19 August)
Starting: Reina, Kromkamp, Hyypia, Carrigher, Riise, Gerrard, Sissoko, Zenden, Aurelio, Fowler, Bellamy.
Subs: Agger, Gonzalez, Pennant, Crouch, Dudek.

2007/8: Aston Villa 1 v 2 Liverpool (11 August)
Starting: Reina, Finnan, Carrigher, Agger, Risse, Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Arbeloa, Torres, Kuyt.
Subs: Babel, Voronin, Sissoko, Hyypia, Itandje.

2008/9: Sunderland 0 v 1 Liverpool (16 August)
Starting: Reina, Arbeloa, Carrigher, Hyypia, Dossena, Kuyt, Gerrard, Plessis, Benayoun, Keane, Torres.
Subs: Alonso, Aurelio, El Zhar, Agger, Ngog, Skrtel, Cavalieri.

2009/10: Tottenham 2 v 1 Liverpool (16 August)
Starting: Reina, Insua, Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Gerrard, Leiva, Mascherano, Babel, Kuyt, Torres.
Subs: Kelly, Dossena, Benayoun, Spearing, Ayala, Voronin, Cavalieri.

NOTES OF INTEREST:

A few things I noticed while compiling this page:
- Liverpool haven’t had a home opener since 2003/4.
- Liverpool haven’t won a home opner since 2001/2.
- Except 2007/8 and until 2008/9, Sami Hyypia has played in every opening game since 1998/9
- Since 1989 Liverpool have won 13, lost 3 and drawn 5 opening games.
- Liverpool have had only 7 of their last 20 opening games at home.
- Liverpool have played Sheffield Wednesday in 3 opening games since 1990.
- They have played Aston Villa, Sheffield United, Tottenham and Middlesborough twice.

 

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