David Fairclough had supplied Liverpool's decisive intervention from the bench against Saint-Étienne. Against Leeds United at Anfield on 2 April 1977, he did his work from the starting line-up, winning a penalty and scoring in a two-goal first-half burst which shaped a 3–1 league victory.
The match began at 11.30am on Grand National day, with 48,791 spectators present. Liverpool were approaching a demanding sequence of fixtures: the first leg of their European Cup semi-final against Zürich followed four days later, while their FA Cup campaign had also reached the last four.
Bob Paisley selected Fairclough alongside Kevin Keegan, with Jimmy Case and Steve Heighway also providing attacking support. Jimmy Armfield's Leeds side included Gordon McQueen, Trevor Cherry, Tony Currie, Peter Lorimer and Joe Jordan. For more than half an hour, neither team scored.
Fairclough then gave Liverpool the opening they needed. Starting deep in his own half, he carried the ball forward through the Leeds defence and won a penalty. Phil Neal converted it. Before Leeds could recover from that setback, Fairclough headed in Case's cross to double the advantage.
The goals arrived two minutes apart, turning a goalless contest into a 2–0 Liverpool lead which lasted until half-time. Fairclough had contributed differently to each: the first came through a long run that created the penalty, the second through his finishing in the air.
Heighway added Liverpool's third just after the hour. McQueen eventually replied for Leeds in the 89th minute, but his goal came too late to change the destination of the points. Liverpool finished the day at the top of the First Division, two points ahead of Ipswich Town, with both clubs having played 33 matches.
The league still had nine games to run for Liverpool. Before that programme resumed against Manchester City, there was European business in Switzerland. Fairclough's display had ensured that the departure for Zürich followed a win: another useful contribution in a season whose domestic and European demands were now arriving almost together.