Liverpool’s double trouble: why Wolves want to be No22 since ’92

By Brian Sears

21 January 2011

Can Wolverhampton Wanderers inflict on Liverpool only their 22nd ‘double’ defeat of the Premier League era? They’ve already managed the harder part of the double, winning 1-0 at Anfield just over three weeks ago in what turned out to be one of Roy Hodgson’s final games in charge.

Just over a week ago, with Kenny Dalglish at the helm, Blackpool showed Wolves the way. Having won 2-1 at Anfield in early October, Blackpool repeated that score at Bloomfield Road.

Blackpool thus achieved the 21st ‘double’ over Liverpool in the Premier League, although in six of the completed 18 seasons of the Premier League, no team did the double over Liverpool. Only in two seasons have Liverpool suffered as many as three ‘double’ defeats, and those were in 2003-04 and 2004-05. (Full record of doubles suffered below).

Mostly in recent years, Liverpool have only suffered ‘doubles’ to their ‘big four’ rivals. And to be fair to Liverpool on the doubles front, it should be pointed out that in the five completed seasons alone since Birmingham were the last ‘not big four’ side – before this season – to do a seasonal double, in 2004-05, Liverpool themselves have done 33 doubles over other clubs.

Already this season they have done the double over Bolton.

But when you’re Liverpool, that’s not much consolation. La.