1980–81 Liverpool F.C. season
It was a season of contrasts for Liverpool F.C. as they won the European Cup for the third time by defeating Real Madrid 1–0 in Paris, and winning the Football League Cup for the first time by defeating that season's Second Division champions West Ham United after a replay at Villa Park. They also beat West Ham in the Charity Shield.
The Football League season turned out to be a big disappointment after successive titles in previous seasons, by only finishing fifth, and then losing to Everton in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. It was to be the last season for a few players, and with Bob Paisley looking to the future bringing in players who would go on to feature regularly for the club for the rest of the decade and the 1990s.
Squad
Goalkeepers
- Ray Clemence
- Steve Ogrizovic
- Bruce Grobbelaar
Defenders
- Avi Cohen
- Colin Irwin
- Phil Neal
- Alan Hansen
- Phil Thompson
- Alan Kennedy
- Richard Money
Midfielders
- Jimmy Case
- Steve Heighway
- Sammy Lee
- Ray Kennedy
- Terry McDermott
- Kevin Sheedy
- Graeme Souness
- Ronnie Whelan
Forwards
- Kenny Dalglish
- Howard Gayle
- David Johnson
- Ian Rush
- Colin Russell
League table
Results
First Division
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 |
| 16-Aug-80 | Crystal Palace | H | 3–0 | Dalglish 25', R. Kennedy 32', A. Kennedy 83' | 42,777 | ||
| 19-Aug-80 | Coventry City | H | 0–0 | 22,807 | |||
| 23-Aug-80 | Leicester City | A | 0–2 | 28,455 | |||
| 30-Aug-80 | Norwich City | H | 4–1 | Hansen 44', McDermott 65', A. Kennedy 72', Johnson 87' | 35,315 | ||
| 06-Sep-80 | Birmingham City | A | 1–1 | Dalglish 49' | 27,042 | ||
| 13-Sep-80 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 4–0 | McDermott 27', Souness 44', Fairclough 67', 71' | 36,792 | ||
| 20-Sep-80 | Southampton | A | 2–2 | Souness 8', Fairclough 56' | 24,085 | ||
| 27-Sep-80 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 4–1 | Souness 37', 57', McDermott 56', Fairclough 83' | 35,836 | ||
| 04-Oct-80 | Manchester City | A | 3–0 | Dalglish 38', Souness 52', Lee 83' | 41,022 | ||
| 07-Oct-80 | Middlesbrough | A | 4–2 | McDermott 1', 79', R. Kennedy 61', Dalglish 86' | 28,204 | ||
| 11-Oct-80 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–1 | McDermott 39' | 48,084 | ||
| 18-Oct-80 | Everton | A | 2–2 | Lee 23', Dalglish 56' | 52,565 | ||
| 25-Oct-80 | Arsenal | H | 1–1 | Souness 48' | 40,310 | ||
| 01-Nov-80 | Stoke City | A | 2–2 | Johnson 24', Dalglish 79' | 22,864 | ||
| 08-Nov-80 | Nottingham Forest | H | 0–0 | 43,143 | |||
| 11-Nov-80 | Coventry City | A | 2–1 | Johnson 28', 80' | 26,744 | ||
| 15-Nov-80 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–2 | R. Kennedy 45', McDermott 77' | 31,154 | ||
| 22-Nov-80 | Aston Villa | H | 2–1 | Dalglish 66', 88' | 48,114 | ||
| 25-Nov-80 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–4 | Neal 44' | 25,497 | ||
| 29-Nov-80 | Sunderland | A | 4–2 | Johnson 14', McDermott 35', Lee 82', 84' | 32,340 | ||
| 06-Dec-80 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2–1 | Johnson 19', R. Kennedy 59' | 39,545 | ||
| 13-Dec-80 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–1 | Case 61' | 32,274 | ||
| 20-Dec-80 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | R. Kennedy 33' | 33,563 | ||
| 26-Dec-80 | Manchester United | A | 0–0 | 57,073 | |||
| 27-Dec-80 | Leeds United | A | 0–0 | 44,086 | |||
| 10-Jan-81 | Aston Villa | A | 0–2 | 47,960 | |||
| 17-Jan-81 | Norwich City | A | 1–0 | McDermott 23' | 23,829 | ||
| 31-Jan-81 | Leicester City | H | 1–2 | Own goal 15' | 35,154 | ||
| 07-Feb-81 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–2 | 27,905 | |||
| 14-Feb-81 | Birmingham City | H | 2–2 | Johnson 25', Neal 33' | 32,199 | ||
| 21-Feb-81 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 2–2 | Johnson 27', McDermott 65' | 23,275 | ||
| 28-Feb-81 | Southampton | H | 2–0 | R. Kennedy 13', McDermott 60' | 41,575 | ||
| 21-Mar-81 | Everton | H | 1–0 | Own goal 77' | 49,743 | ||
| 28-Mar-81 | Arsenal | A | 0–1 | 47,058 | |||
| 03-Apr-81 | Stoke City | H | 3–0 | Whelan 27', McDermott 52', 81' | 33,308 | ||
| 11-Apr-81 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–0 | 27,363 | |||
| 14-Apr-81 | Manchester United | H | 0–1 | 31,276 | |||
| 18-Apr-81 | Leeds United | H | 0–0 | 39,206 | |||
| 25-Apr-81 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–1 | Gayle 25' | 35,334 | ||
| 02-May-81 | Sunderland | H | 0–1 | 40,337 | |||
| 05-May-81 | Middlesbrough | H | 2–1 | R. Kennedy 7', Colin Irwin 28' | 19,102 | ||
| 19-May-81 | Manchester City | A | 1–0 | R. Kennedy 16' | 24,462 |
FA Charity Shield
FA Cup
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 |
| 03-Jan-81 | Altrincham | H | 4–1 | McDermott 27', Dalglish 39', 54', R. Kennedy 88' | 37,170 | ||
| 24-Jan-81 | Everton | A | 1–2 | Case 76' | 53,804 |
League Cup
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 |
| 27-Aug-80 | Bradford City | A | 0–1 | 16,232. | |||
| 02-Sep-80 | Bradford City | H | 4–0 | Dalglish 9', 36', R. Kennedy 34', Johnson 59' | 22,807 | ||
| 23-Sep-80 | Swindon Town | A | 5–0 | Lee 7', 85', Dalglish 17', Own goal 75', Fairclough 80' | 28,455 | ||
| 28-Oct-80 | Portsmouth | H | 4–1 | Dalglish 22', Johnson 39', 80', Souness 85' | 35,836 | ||
| 02-Dec-80 | Birmingham City | H | 3–1 | Dalglish 23', McDermott 66', Johnson 85' | 35,315 | ||
| 14-Jan-81 | Manchester City | A | 1–0 | R. Kennedy 81' | 27,042 | ||
| 10-Feb-81 | Manchester City | H | 1–1 | Dalglish 23' | 36,792 |
League Cup Final
League Cup Final Replay
European Cup
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Report 1 | Report 2 |
| 17-Sep-80 | Oulu Palloseura | A | 1–1 | McDermott 15' | 14,000 | ||
| 01-Oct-80 | Oulu Palloseura | H | 10–1 | Souness 5', 24', 52', McDermott 15', 41', 83', Lee 53', R. Kennedy 66', Fairclough 68', 81' | 21,013 | ||
| 22-Oct-80 | Aberdeen | A | 1–0 | McDermott 5' | 24,000 | ||
| 05-Nov-80 | Aberdeen | H | 4–0 | Own goal 37', Neal 43', Dalglish 58', Hansen 71' | 36,182 | ||
| 04-Mar-81 | CSKA Sofia | H | 5–1 | Souness 5', 24', 52', Lee 45', McDermott 62' | 37,255 | ||
| 18-Mar-81 | CSKA Sofia | A | 1–0 | Johnson 10' | 65,000 | ||
| 08-Apr-81 | Bayern Munich | H | 0–0 | 44,543 | |||
| 22-Apr-81 | Bayern Munich | A | 1–1 | R. Kennedy 83' | 77,600 |
European Cup Final