John Barnes scored a hat-trick as Liverpool completed their championship season with a 6–1 win at Coventry City on 5 May 1990. Ronny Rosenthal added two goals and Ian Rush the other at Highfield Road, where the already-crowned champions had fallen behind almost immediately.

Kevin Gallacher gave Coventry the lead in the second minute. Rush equalised in the 16th, but the decisive change in the first half came through Barnes: his goals in the 37th and 39th minutes turned a level match into a 3–1 Liverpool lead at the interval.

Rosenthal scored five minutes after the restart. Barnes completed his hat-trick just after the hour, before Rosenthal added Liverpool’s sixth in the 69th minute.

The two leading scorers that afternoon had contributed in different ways to the championship. Barnes finished with 22 league goals. Rosenthal, signed on loan from Standard Liège during the spring, had scored seven in only eight appearances.

Liverpool ended the campaign on 79 points, nine ahead of Aston Villa. Their six goals at Coventry also took their league scoring total away from Anfield to 40, two more than they had managed at home.

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