A Steven Gerrard master class in the last 15 minutes earned Liverpool a vital 3-1 victory over Italian opponents Napoli at Anfield this Thursday, leaving the Reds three points clear at the top of Group K with only two more group matches left to play.
The captain came on at the start of the second half and dramatically changed the game as Liverpool put in a much-improved performance during the second period.
He eventually took control of the game all by himself. As the final whistle drew near Gerrard claimed a stunning hattrick to silence the away fans to the delight of John Henry and his wife, who were both witnessing the Anfield atmosphere for the first time.
Hodgson had promised to select a strong starting eleven before the match, however that wasn't the case as he awarded starts to Shelvey, Spearing, Poulsen and Jovanovic. Glen Johnson also returned from injury to reclaim his right back position ahead of the visit of former club Chelsea on Sunday.
Liverpool were quick out of the traps and made all the running during the first few minutes as they aimed to replicate recent performances that have seen the Reds collect six points from six, however the visitors settled into their stride quickly and continually posed a greater attacking threat throughout the first half.
Only three minutes into the match the menacing Lavezzi broke down the right hand side before fizzing the ball low into the danger area. Konchesky was relieved to see his attempted clearance hit the side netting instead of the back of the net.
Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani miscued a shot wide of the post from inside the box on nine minutes before he squandered an even better chance midway through the first half. Cavani latched onto a brilliant through ball but could only fire the ball high over the bar when well placed in space on the right hand side of the box.
Lavezzi remained the away side's main threat, as his mazy runs and fierce shot worried the Liverpool backline. The Argentine striker went close again as he flashed a venomous shot inches wide of Reina's post after he had stolen possession from Jonjo Shelvey, who's poor pass went straight to the Napoli forward.
The 25-year old didn't have to wait long to punish the Reds though as he took advantage of another error from the home side to give the Italians the lead on 28 minutes. Christian Poulsen's bizarre backwards header went straight to Cavani, who instantly fed the ball through to the on-rushing Lavezzi.
Lavezzi sped into the penalty area before coolly and calmly slotting the ball underneath Reina and into the Anfield Road net. The volatile away fans went crazy in their wild celebrations while the 30,000 home supporters were left to rue yet another mistake from the much-maligned Dane.
Liverpool tried to respond before the break through both Ngog and Johnson, as the former stabbed a quick strike wide of the target after exchanging passes with Poulsen, before the latter cut inside onto his left foot and rasped a well-struck effort towards goal in a similar fashion to the goal that he scored at home to Sunderland last year.
Unfortunately, the outcome was different this time as Morgan De Sanctis was up to the task and made a good save to deny the England right back.
After a below par and uninspiring first half performance Liverpool needed a lift to boost confidence ahead of a crucial second half in our European campaign. Thankfully, Hodgson provided that confidence-booster as he replaced the quiet Milan Jovanovic with club captain Steven Gerrard.
The skipper's very presence seemed to lift the spirits of the side and the supporters, and led to a dominant second half display from the hosts.
On 51 minutes a good Liverpool move led to Meireles squaring the ball into the box for David Ngog, who was in a great position to send the ball past the keeper and into the net. Disappointingly, De Sanctis made a good stop to prevent the French forward, before Gerrard ballooned the rebound well over the bar.
Ngog was involved in our next opportunity as well when his right wing cross found Shelvey in space at the back post on the hour mark. The former Charlton player completely misjudged the flight of the ball though as it bounced off the top of his head and looped into the stand.
It was a good chance for Shelvey but his poor technique led to his header failing to test the keeper, however he is only young and still has time to develop the skills he is currently lacking.
At this stage Liverpool were controlling the course of the match and dominating possession of the ball as the Italians dropped deep and mainly concentrated their efforts on protecting their one-goal lead.
However, despite our dominance, we couldn't manage to regularly open up the opposing backline because we lacked the width needed to get behind their defence. While the introduction of Gerrard was certainly a positive move, the removal of Milan Jovanovic left us with five central midfielders playing in the middle of the park.
Meireles, Gerrard, Spearing, Poulsen and Shelvey are all central midfielders, however they were asked to share duties on the wing. This left us lacking any natural width and struggling to create chances to get back into the game.
Portugese midfielder Meireles steered disappointingly wide from 10 yards out as the Reds' frustration began to grow. After that, Gerrard curled a beautiful, low free kick inches past the post from the edge of the 18-yard box, as the skipper provided a glimpse of the skill he would exhibit soon after to win the match for the home side.
With under 15 minutes left Liverpool equalised in unusual circumstances. Jonjo Shelvey had lost his way after a marauding run had taken him past several Napoli defenders. Steven Gerrard never gave up though as he latched onto a poor back pass to ricochet the ball into the net after blocking De Sanctis' desperate attempt to clear the danger.
The goalkeeper pretended to be injured in order to try and win a free kick for his side and deny Liverpool a crucial equalising goal, but surprisingly the European referee was having none of it. French referee Fredy Fautrel made the correct decision by refusing to be convinced by De Sanctis' play-acting.
Liverpool had finally grabbed their first goal, and were now probing forward in search of a second to seal the victory. That winning goal arrived on 88 minutes when Steven Gerrard confidently converted from the spot after Johnson's menacing run had been abruptly halted by a foul in the penalty area.
With victory now effectively secured the night was rounded off perfectly when Gerrard superbly bagged his third goal, and with it the match ball. The ball fell into the path of the captain following a well-timed tackle from substitute Lucas Leiva. Gerrard went on to expertly clip the ball over the helpless keeper and into the net.
It was a brilliant end to a fantastic performance from Gerrard that rescued yet another game for his boyhood team. However, Gerrard's excellence should not be used to paper over the cracks of what was a shoddy performance from the rest of the team.
The first half consisted of square and backward passes before a long hoof up the field for Ngog to attempt to control. It was simply nowhere near good enough, and that showed by the lack of clear-cut chances for the hosts.
Gerrard revived the team's fortunes during the second half, but our lack of width still stifled our play and left us relying on moments of magic from the captain to secure the victory.
Winning naturally breeds confidence and although this was far from the best team performance of the season our third win on the spin will provide hope for the team heading into Sunday's clash against Chelsea.
Let's just hope that the team's form gradually improves as the wins keep on coming.
YNWA
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