The Story of a Premiership Season

2001 Cups and awards

Worthington League Cup
Liverpool 1 Birmingham City 1
(Liverpool won 5–4 on penalties)
This was the first League Cup Final to be played outside England and also the first domestic final to be settled by a penalty ‘shoot-out’. Robbie Fowler put Liverpool ahead, after half an hour with stunning long-range volley and Liverpool were just seconds from victory when Birmingham’s Darren Purse kept his nerve to score from a 90th minute penalty to send the game into extra-time.
Neither side could score in the extra half-hour so it went to penalties and it was all-square with McAllister, Barmby, Ziege and Fowler netting for Liverpool, with Hamman missing his kick. Grainger missed Birmingham’s first spot-kick but after Purse, Marcelo, Lazaridis and Hughes scored it came down to the last two penalties. Jamie Carragher scored for Liverpool but Andrew Johnson’s kick was saved by Westerveld to create a new record with a sixth League Cup win for the Anfield club.

FA Cup Final
Liverpool 2 Arsenal 1
Freddie Ljunberg put Arsenal ahead with the game’s first goal, with 18 minute remaining, after his side squandered numerous chances to clinch the trophy. The Gunners were just seven minutes away from winning the first FA Cup Final to be staged outside England when Michael Owen’s quick-silver pace turned the game. Owen equalised with just seven minutes remaining and with the game heading for extra-time Owen struck again when he turned the Arsenal defence, in the 88th minute, to score the winner.

FWA Footballer of the Year
Teddy Sheringham Manchester United

PFA Player of the Year
Teddy Sheringham Manchester United

PFA Young Player of the Year
Steven Gerrard Liverpool

Manager of the Year
George Burley Ipswich Town