Reds beat bogey team to reach last eight

A second half comeback, featuring goals from Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana, was enough for Liverpool to win at Selhurst Park for the first time in 18 years and dump their bogey team Crystal Palace out of the FA Cup at the fifth round stage yesterday teatime.

Frazier Campbell had given the hosts the lead against the run of play in the first half thanks to a defensive mishap, but in the second period the Merseysiders added lethalness in front of goal to their dominance of possession and therefore ran out deserved winners, suffering surprisingly few nervy moments in the closing stages as Crystal Palace failed to put up a fight and Liverpool progressed to the last eight.

Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling both missed out through injury, but Brendan Rodgers, who sees the FA Cup as a priority this season, still named a strong starting line-up, with Lallana replacing the cup-tied Ibe and Allen coming in for Gerrard the only two changes to the team that beat Tottenham 3-2 in a thrilling game at Anfield on Tuesday night.

This cup tie unfortunately did not provide the same sort of thrills and high octane action as the Spurs match, but Liverpool did dominate throughout, enjoying a remarkable 78% of possession during the opening ten minutes as Alan Pardew’s men decided to play like the away team, sitting deep and absorbing pressure.

However, their negative tactics couldn’t quieten the noisy home fans, who were given something to shout about after quarter of an hour. For all their possession, the best the visitors could produce was a miscued volley from Sturridge and a penalty appeal following suspicions of handball from Pape Souare in the box.

All their good play was undone, though, when defensive ineptitude, conspicuous by its absence in recent weeks, cost Liverpool dear. Skrtel, Mignolet and Can were all at fault as Frazier Campbell gave Palace the lead. The Slovakian centre back dithered with a high ball in behind and his header was weak, allowing Gayle to compete for it with Mignolet, who could have done better with his punch clear. The ball fell straight to
Campbell, who Can had left unmarked, and he swept home from six yards.

It was not nice to watch the return of defensive ineptitude

It was the sort of defensive shambles that made me worry that we were going to witness a return to the dark days of earlier in the campaign, which arguably reached their lowest point with a 3-1 defeat at Selhurst Park in mid-November.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, as Liverpool maintained their dominance and started creating chances as well, Lallana driving wide after some exquisite one touch football, Allen firing inches off target from 20 yards and Markovic striking over following an impressive run from left to right.

Palace’s Joel Ward also somehow managed to avoid handling in the box when Scott Dann blocked Coutinho’s blaster and the ball bounced back out. It looked like Ward had handled, but on closer inspection referee Robert Madley made the right call as the 25-year old remarkably kept the ball between his chest and the floor.

Madley made an error, however, when he somehow failed to award a spot kick following a blatant foul by Souare on Sturridge in the box. It was the sort of tackle that is classified as a foul outside of the box, but never inside the box for some strange reason.

The Eagles’ main threat was Dwight Gayle, who scored twice to end Liverpool’s title hopes last season. Palace’s number 16 was getting underneath the skin of his opponents, diving twice to get Henderson, and almost Sturridge as well, booked.

Additionally, in what was, with hindsight, one of the most important moments of the match, Gayle was denied by a brilliant save by Mignolet with his left ankle when clean through just before half time. Had he scored then, the game would have taken a very different course.

As it was, Liverpool went in at the interval only a goal behind and, after going two up front as Balotelli replaced Markovic at the break, the Reds instantly reaped the rewards, quickly levelling and then taking the lead.

First, Sturridge ran on to a cute chip over the top by Henderson and rifled home a wonderful left footed volley on 49 minutes.

The pre-match practice...

...clearly paid off!

Mignolet immediately then had to turn away Gayle’s low shot, before Lallana gave Liverpool the lead just under ten minutes after Sturridge had equalised.

The slowly improving Mario Balotelli was involved, crashing a 20-yard free kick through the wall after being fouled following clever link up play on the edge of the box. Speroni couldn’t hold the Italian’s strike and Lallana was first to react, steering home superbly from close range to put the Merseysiders in the driving seat.

Perhaps the most pleasing thing to see was Balotelli with a smile as wide as the Mersey as he celebrated with his teammates. It was a sign that Mario is beginning to enjoy his football a bit more, and a happy Mario is much more likely to make me and most other Liverpool supporters eat humble pie than a miserable Mario.

A happy Mario is a super Mario!

The match then died down a little, as Liverpool dominated, keeping the ball for so long at one point that the travelling Kop began chanting ‘ole’ after every completed pass. The Reds were content to control the game and keep hold of what they had; replacing Sturridge with Lambert and Coutinho with Lovren thirteen minutes from time in what were far from like-for-like changes!

All Palace could produce was a free kick in injury time, which Gayle blasted well over the bar from a promising position on the left wing. Apart from that, Mignolet was unthreatened, and Liverpool’s progress to the quarter-finals was never really in doubt.

With Arsenal and Manchester United the only big names left in the competition, Liverpool have every chance of reaching Wembley. In fact, I’m starting to believe that our name is on the trophy.

YNWA

Super Mario strike secures crucial win

Liverpool emerged from a thrilling game against top four rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a crucial 3-2 win at Anfield last night.

Markovic opened the scoring early on, before the prolific Harry Kane levelled for Spurs on the half hour mark. Gerrard put the Reds ahead again from the spot after the break, but Dembele controversially equalised soon after for Mauricio Pochettino’s men. With time running out and a draw not good enough for the hosts, remarkably substitute Mario Balotelli popped up to net the winner from close range, which takes Liverpool within a point of Spurs and only three off fourth spot.

With Lucas Leiva out for a month and Raheem Sterling also injured, Steven Gerrard began alongside Henderson in midfield, while Daniel Sturridge, starting his first game since returning from injury, formed a front three alongside Markovic and Coutinho. Ibe also deservedly retained his starting position at right wing back after impressing in the Merseyside derby on Saturday.

The match started surprisingly open, with both teams creating chances right from the off. Although Harry Kane probably should have been awarded a penalty on nine minutes after going down under a risky challenge from Mignolet, Liverpool were in the ascendancy and warranted their early lead when it arrived after a quarter of an hour.

Sturridge had been denied twice by Lloris, Gerrard had sent a 25-yard free kick inches over the bar and Markovic had volleyed off target before the 20-year old Serbian linked up with Sturridge to open the scoring. The England international plucked the ball out of the air and found Markovic in plenty of space. He advanced on goal before finishing low into the right of the goal, beating Lloris, who should have done better, and netting the opener.

Unfortunately, the seemingly unstoppable Harry Kane was in confident mood, as evidenced by his ambitious Alonso-esque attempt from the halfway line, and soon levelled for Spurs with a little help from Mamadou Sakho. The French defender, whose form has dipped slightly after previously putting in many good performances, slipped at the crucial moment, affording Kane the room to finish through Mignolet’s legs after receiving the ball from Lamela.

Markovic opened the scoring...

...but Kane quickly equalised

Spurs’ main threat and talisman, Kane continued to cause the Reds’ defence all sorts of difficulties, seeing Mignolet make a good save when he was one-on-one with the Belgian, although he’d already been incorrectly flagged offside. He even also tracked back to tackle his opposite number Daniel Sturridge as he ran goalwards, showing exceptional work rate and desire and a tackling ability that some defenders would be envious of!

Not one to be overshadowed by Kane, Sturridge almost produced a piece of magic to give the Merseysiders the lead in first half injury time. Ibe reached the by-line and cut the ball back for Sturridge, who hit the post with an ingenious improvised back flick from six yards out. If he’d scored, it would have been a fitting way to mark his return to the starting line-up, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

Liverpool’s number 15 was involved, however, when their second goal arrived eight minutes after the restart. Twisting and turning in the area, Sturridge was felled by Rose and referee Phil Dowd rightly pointed to the spot. Steven Gerrard stood up and coolly scored his tenth goal of the season.

Gerrard made no mistake from the penalty spot

Frustratingly, what Dowd gave with the one hand, he took away with the other, and, after Mignolet made a magnificent save to tip Lamela’s piledriver over the bar, Liverpool suffered from some shoddy officiating.

First, Gerrard was harshly booked for bringing down Kane with what would have been considered a brilliant tackle only a few years ago. Kopites’ annoyance at that decision was only magnified when Dier produced a very similar tackle on Sturridge in the penalty area seven minutes later but no penalty was given.

Then, the linesman failed to notice that Kane was in an offside position, allowing the striker to square to Dembele after Mignolet had done well to palm away Eriksen’s effort on goal. The former Fulham midfielder turned the ball into the back of the net from close range under pressure from Emre Can.

Dembele's goal shouldn't have stood

The German utility player, who could do nothing to stop Dembele levelling, was moved into his preferred midfield position with 20 minutes remaining as Lovren replaced skipper Steven Gerrard, who was struggling with a hamstring injury.

The change was inspired, as Can put in a fantastic performance in the middle of the park, releasing the pressure with a marauding run on 73 minutes that culminated in him being fouled by Walker, who also sneakily kicked Can after he went down. Can, who seems to be a target of thugs who want to kick opponents while their lying helpless on the turf, did well to not react to the provocation or exaggerate the injury to get Walker sent off.

When Mario Balotelli entered the fray with 15 minutes left, replacing Sturridge, it was billed as his ‘make or break’ moment for the umpteenth time. I must admit, when he came on I proceeded to rant about the folly of giving him another chance and expecting him to finally come good. I was delighted when he well and truly made me eat my words on 83 minutes.

Fellow substitute Adam Lallana was put through by Ibe down the right and the former Southampton skipper squared to Balotelli, who completed the relatively simple task of turning home unchallenged from four yards out before ‘celebrating’ in his characteristically nonplussed manner.

Better than Aguero and Rooney? Maybe not

It was the Italian’s first Premier League goal since November 2012 but, spun in a more positive light, he has now scored more Premier League goals in 2015 than Aguero and Rooney combined!

Whether or not Balotelli has turned a corner still remains to be seen, but it is beyond question that Liverpool have recovered from their early season plight and now are back on track for a successful season. The Reds have lost just one game in 21 in all competitions now and are firmly in the fight for fourth spot. It is crucial that they beat another competitor for Champions League qualification next time out in the League at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium.

YNWA

Goalless at Goodison for Gerrard's final derby duel

The 224th Merseyside derby, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard’s last one in a Red shirt, proved an underwhelming affair as it ended goalless at Goodison Park.

The skipper, so used to performing at the top of his game and scoring vital goals against the Toffees, was unable to produce a memorable moment during his final match against Liverpool’s local rivals, while his teammates also failed to do enough to secure three points that would have done Brendan Rodgers’ side a world of good in the race for Champions League qualification.

In a surprise move, the Liverpool manager handed youngster Jordon Ibe a rare start at right wing back in the main team news. The fearless 19-year old, who was recalled from a loan spell at Championship side Derby County in January, impressed throughout and went closest to grabbing a winner with a shot that hit the post midway through the first half.

His unexpected inclusion was a wise move from Rodgers, as Everton had clearly prepared to combat the threat posed by Coutinho and Sterling and had not accounted for the possibility of Ibe giving their left back Bryan Oviedo a torrid time.

Buoyed by their late comeback against Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup in midweek and on the back of an encouraging run of good form, the confident visitors began the better, Sterling striking into the side-netting after beating Robles to Coutinho’s through ball and Gerrard calling the keeper into action with a curled 25-yard free kick in the opening ten minutes.

With Liverpool dominating possession and Everton happy to sit back and absorb pressure, the away side never really looked like coming under any serious pressure. However, at the same time, they struggled to break down the Toffees’ stubborn and well organised defence.

If anyone was going to put an end to the goalless gridlock at Goodison, it was Ibe, who went close on two occasions in ten minutes midway through the first period. First, Robles did well to deny him from close range as he looked to tap home Sterling’s deflected effort. Then, he embarked on a remarkable mazy run from inside his own half that culminated in him rattling the frame of the goal with a thunderous effort from 20 yards that would have gone down in Merseyside derby history had it snuck in.

This shot would have gone down in derby history had it found the net

Coutinho then tried to replicate his goal against Bolton but saw Robles pluck his curled effort out of the air ten minutes before the break. For Everton, meanwhile, Steven Naismith squandered their only real goalscoring opportunity, his poor first touch preventing him troubling Mignolet after the out of sorts Can allowed a right wing cross to float over his head at the back post.

The German international was slightly off form yesterday, as was the nervous looking Sakho; only Martin Skrtel’s excellence and the Toffees’ impotent strike force ensured the Reds’ sheet remained clean.

Liverpool came out of the blocks quickly after half time, Coutinho assisting Sterling for two shots on target, while Steven Gerrard almost grabbed the headlines with a spectacular acrobatic effort from a corner kick that would have found the net but for a deflection off Naismith.

A great effort on goal from Gerrard

However, once Coutinho was replaced by Sturridge on 55 minutes, the Reds’ attack was less penetrating. Although it was probably right to introduce Sturridge, the wisdom of taking off Coutinho must surely be questioned. After all, the diminutive Brazilian has been at the heart of everything good about the team during its recent revival following a woeful start to the season.

In Coutinho’s absence, Ibe appeared to provide the necessary creative spark, beating Oviedo for the umpteenth time and delivering a good cross into the area with 20 minutes remaining. Sturridge’s resulting effort was blocked in the goalmouth area and, after the ball was cleared and then worked back into the danger area by the persistent Can, Moreno eventually blasted wastefully over the bar.

Despite the admittedly dull football on display, the derby retained its intensity, with the customary handbags resulting in bookings for Naismith and Henderson following Besic’s nasty challenge on Ibe. Lambert then came on for the ineffectual Sterling, seeing Robles save a relatively tame shot from a chance that he would have converted in a Southampton shirt two minutes after entering the fray.

Lambert isn't the same striker as he was at Southampton

Meanwhile, Ross Barkley finally came on for Everton with five minutes left after appearing set to replace Naismith towards the end of the first half. Martinez must regret not introducing the England international earlier, as he was the catalyst behind the Toffees’ improvement late on.

First, he picked out Coleman in space with a wonderful cross field pass. Only an excellent save from Mignolet prevented the Irishman netting the winner with the hosts’ first and only shot on target. Then, he sent Lennon in with an incisive reverse pass, but thankfully Mignolet caught his dangerous looking cross.

Gerrard also curled wide for Liverpool in the closing stages, but neither side really put the other under a sustained period of intense pressure at the end and, on balance, a draw was probably a fair result. If it was a boxing match the Reds would have won on points, but they never delivered the knockout blow that was required to take home all three points.

With Tottenham beating Arsenal in the other derby of the day, it’s becoming congested in the places surrounding fourth spot. Spurs and United are on 43 points, while the Gunners have 42 and Liverpool have three fewer than Wenger’s men.

It’s now crucial that Liverpool somehow find a way to stop the prolific Harry Kane and beat Tottenham at Anfield on Tuesday night; if they do, then a derby draw won’t seem so bad, but at the moment it’s certainly a case of two points dropped, not one point gained for Liverpool.

YNWA

Liverpool late show keeps Cup dream alive

Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho scored spectacular late goals to secure progression to the fifth round of the FA Cup at the expense of Bolton Wanderers in dramatic fashion at the Macron Stadium last night.

Neil Lennon’s men had taken the lead thanks to a harshly given but clinically dispatched Eidur Gudjohnsen penalty on the hour mark. However, the dismissal of Neil Danns with 25 minutes remaining after his second rash challenge on Joe Allen changed the game, and the Reds’ best two performers this season produced the goods when it mattered most to keep the Merseysiders’ Cup dream alive.

Skipper Steven Gerrard returned to the starting line-up to make incredibly his 700^th appearance for the Reds, becoming only the third player in Liverpool’s illustrious history to achieve the remarkable feat. He played in the centre of midfield alongside Joe Allen, as Henderson and Lucas were rested. Returning slowly to action after injury, Daniel Sturridge started on the bench once again, while Balotelli was thankfully nowhere to be seen.

700 not out for the skipper

With both teams mirroring each other’s formation and adopting an attacking approach, the opening stages were unusually open, with the frequent occurrence of counter attacks producing an enjoyable contest in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the FA Cup.

Rodgers’ men were slightly in the ascendancy, Gerrard side-footing straight at Lonergan, who also denied Sterling and saw Coutinho drag an effort from range wide in the opening 15 minutes. The hosts more than held their own, however, and maintained an attacking threat, Gudjohnsen blazing over when well placed in a manner reminiscent of the goal-scoring opportunities he spurned at Anfield and Wheater calling Mignolet into action with a downward header from Feeney’s free kick.

The best chance of the half came on the hour half mark when Sterling hit the woodwork. Moreno had squared the ball to Lallana, who spun on the edge of the box and then played in Sterling. The youngster cleverly worked some space for himself by adjusting his feet, but agonisingly saw his bending right footed shot bounce back off the post with the keeper beaten.

It was a great effort on goal but Liverpool just lacked that bit of luck that you need sometimes. At times, it felt like bad fortune was going to cost the Reds dearly last night, as not only were they repeatedly denied by the woodwork, they were also on the receiving end of some poor decisions from the match officials.

At the end of the first half, Raheem Sterling was wrongly flagged offside when clean through on goal and also inexplicably refused a free kick when quite clearly clipped by Bolton defender Dorian Dervite as he embarked on a similar run down the centre. Worst of all, referee Roger East awarded the Championship side a highly questionable spot kick 13 minutes after the restart.

19-year old Zach Clough knocked the ball past Martin Skrtel and then went to ground under the slightest of touches from the Slovakian centre back. Contentiously, East pointed to the spot and Gudjohnsen did the rest, calmly converting past Mignolet from 12 yards.

Gudjohnsen converts a controversial penalty

It was an unbelievable decision and one that could have proved particularly costly, but, to be fair to East, he made a correct and important call five minutes later, as he showed Danns a second yellow for his second dangerous challenge on Joe Allen of the match. Admittedly, the referee had no choice as, despite Neil Lennon’s ludicrous post-match protestations, Danns clrearly had to be sent for an earlier bath. However, considering his performance up to that point, it wouldn’t have been entirely surprising if he’d been unduly lenient on Bolton’s number 18.

Unexpectedly, immediately after the sending off Bolton had two great opportunities to score a second and give Liverpool a mountain to climb. First, Clough ran the length of the pitch but fired just wide. Then, Gudjohnsen’s header from Feeney’s fantastic cross was weak and thus unable to trouble Mignolet from close range. The Icelandic striker really should have done better, and will be ruing his inability to direct a decent header goalwards today.

With time running out, Rodgers went all out for victory, sending on Fabio Borini and Daniel Sturridge and pushing Emre Can higher up the pitch as Liverpool pressed the matter in order to keep their Cup dream alive. Thankfully, the strategy eventually paid dividends, although travelling Kopites suffered some nervy moments as the clock ticked down and the visitors continued to be frustrated by a combination of good defending and bad luck.

Henderson’s deflected strike hit the post and Can’s curling effort was brilliantly tipped on to the bar by Lonergan, while Sterling was denied by excellent last ditch defending by Dervite as the Reds wondered whether it was just not going to be their night.

To Rodgers’ relief, the breakthrough finally came with four minutes of normal time left. The superb Can dinked a wonderful pass over the top and into the path of Sterling, who peeled away from his marker and magnificently struck a first time volley through Lonergan’s legs and into the net with his weaker left foot.

A superb finish from Sterling

It was an excellent goal, but not enough to satisfy Liverpool, who tasted blood and wanted to kill off Bolton and win the tie without the need for extra time. Borini’s tame header was saved by the keeper and Gerrard’s shot from the edge of the box was blocked, before Philippe Coutinho produced a magical goal worthy of winning any Cup tie in the first minute of injury time.

Cutting in from the left, the diminutive Brazilian fired a stunning strike that flew in off the bar, giving the goalkeeper absolutely no chance. Critics say that Coutinho’s main weakness is his lack of an end product, and that was only his third goal of the season, but if he can keep up his current form and give us more moments like that, then he’ll justify the new and improved contract he recently signed and put himself in contention for Liverpool’s player of the season prize.

The match-winner Coutinho is mobbed by his teammates

It might have seemed in doubt at some stages last night, but Liverpool’s dream of seeing skipper Steven Gerrard lift the FA Cup at Wembley on his birthday after his final game in a Red shirt is still alive thanks to the brilliance of Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho.

Perhaps just as importantly, the Merseysiders’ momentum has been maintained ahead of crucial upcoming League matches against local rivals Everton and fellow contenders for Champions League qualification Tottenham Hotspur.

YNWA

Sterling and Super-sub Sturridge see off Hammers

Liverpool supporters were hoping for big things from Daniel Sturridge when he finally returned from a lengthy absence through injury, and they weren’t disappointed yesterday afternoon, as the 25-year old England striker scored the Reds’ second against West Ham United only 12 minutes after coming on as a sub at Anfield.

Adding to an earlier strike from Raheem Sterling, the goal sealed three points that elevate the Merseysiders up the table above their opponents and perhaps marks the tantalising start to a new ‘SAS’ partnership that will fire in the goals that have been the only thing lacking from Liverpool’s play during their recent upturn in form.

Left out of the squad altogether against former employers Chelsea, Sturridge began on the bench as Brendan Rodgers sensibly eases the long term injury casualty back into the side. He may be chomping at the bit to get back in and amongst the goals and make a contribution to the team again, but his boss recognises that it is essential that Sturridge is managed properly now and stays fit for the rest of the campaign.

The main team news surrounded who wasn’t even sitting on the bench, namely Steven Gerrard and Mario Balotelli. The former was rested after playing 120 minutes in midweek and ahead of the FA Cup fourth round replay at Bolton next Wednesday, while the latter was dropped after failing to seize the opportunity afforded him once again in the League Cup semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge. He only seems set to stay on Merseyside this January because Liverpool cannot shift him, not because the club wants to keep him.

The competitive match began brightly, with both teams going for it. For Liverpool, Sterling and Coutinho, at the heart of their attack, were massively influential, while Andy Carroll, returning to the club who spent £35 million to acquire his services four years ago to the day, was the Hammers’ focal point going forward.

£35 million worth of 'talent'....

After Markovic saw his close range shot blocked and Lallana drilled a 30-yard volley way off target, the aforementioned Coutinho and Sterling combined wonderfully, the number 31 back-heeling the ball beautifully to the number 10 to complete a clever one-two. Unfortunately, Coutinho’s low shot was saved by Adrian at the near post.

Carroll headed two corners wide and into the arms of Mignolet respectively as Sam Allardyce’s side responded, but it was Liverpool who ended the first 45 minutes in the ascendancy, creating the best chance of the period during first half injury time.

Firstly, Liverpool should have clearly had a penalty as Joey O’Brien had his hands all over Sterling as he spun the 28-year old in the box. Unbelievably, referee Andre Marriner awarded the Reds nothing. Play went on, though, and the Hammers failed to clear the danger, the ball eventually falling perfectly for Markovic, who could only fire wide when well placed.

The Reds in general, and Raheem Sterling in particular, started where they left off after the interval. Full of energy and running, Sterling was causing West Ham’s defence all sorts of problems, floating a brilliant cross to Moreno, who sliced a volley well wide, and then snatching at a long range effort after linking up well with Markovic.

His endeavour was eventually rewarded on 51 minutes, however, as a fluid Liverpool move culminated with his fine finish breaking the deadlock. Sterling chested down Moreno’s cross to Coutinho, who subsequently sent Sterling through on goal with a delightful first time pass. The 20-year old did the rest from five yards out.

Sterling peals off in celebration after opening the scoring

Coutinho nearly got in on the goalscoring fun himself fifteen minutes later, but Adrian saved his low shot well after the Brazilian skipped past three defenders. On 68 minutes, the moment everyone inside Anfield had been waiting for arrived, as Daniel Sturridge replaced Lazar Markovic to make his first appearance in a Red shirt since the third League game of the season at White Hart Lane.

It only took him twelve minutes to make an impact. Receiving a neat pass from Coutinho, he took a lovely touch before drilling it low beyond Adrian to the delight of Kopites everywhere. Daniel Sturridge is back, and he promises to be better than ever.

Oh, we've missed this stupid celebration

West Ham appeared to admit defeat at that point, and although O’Brien found the net from a corner kick deep into injury time, he couldn’t prevent Liverpool keeping their third consecutive clean sheet in the League for the first time since the start of the 2013/2014 season because Nolan was penalised for blatantly fouling Mignolet.

All in all, it was a great day to be a Liverpool fan. With Sterling, Coutinho, Lallana and Sturridge all on top form and performing in unison, Sakho, Skrtel and Can somehow forming a rock solid back three and Mignolet improving with every game, optimism abounds among Kopites who widely expected to endure, rather than enjoy, this season.

Beat Bolton in midweek and then emerge victorious from next Saturday’s Merseyside derby, and Liverpool will really be cooking.

YNWA 

Reds rue missed chances as Chelsea reach final

Liverpool were left disappointed after an entertaining evening of football packed with controversial incidents and talking points ended with them cruelly exiting the League Cup at the semi-final stage.

The Reds managed to take the Blues to extra time after it somehow ended goalless after 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge. However, the away goal they required during the additional half an hour proved frustratingly elusive, and Branislav Ivanovic headed home the winner on the night, although it mattered very little as Mourinho’s men would have reached the final anyway on away goals.

Brendan Rodgers stuck with the same team that performed so well in the first leg at Anfield a week earlier, with the main team news being the absence of Daniel Sturridge from the squad despite hopes that we might see the England striker sitting on the substitutes’ bench. Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, made nine changes to the team that suffered what the Portuguese described as a ‘disgraceful’ giant killing at the hands of Bradford City in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.

The end-to-end match was played at a frenetic pace and, with tensions running high, the players’ passions frequently boiled over. Diego ‘the Elephant Man’ Costa was, predictably, at the heart of the controversy once again, with the first of two stamps from the Spanish striker coming after just 12 minutes when he quite clearly and deliberately stamped Emre Can on the ankle while getting back to his feet from a challenge.

Stamp number one...

Referee Michael Oliver scandalously didn’t even book the thuggish striker, who then complained vociferously after being refused a penalty following a clumsy challenge in the area by Skrtel. Admittedly, it probably should have been a spot kick, but Costa shouldn’t have even been on the pitch by that point.

Putting the handbags to one side, Chelsea had the better of the game during the first 45 minutes, but Liverpool crafted far more clear-cut goalscoring opportunities and should have entered the interval in the lead.

Philippe Coutinho was the Reds’ creative heart, taking four Chelsea defenders out of the game with a wonderful run which opened up the goal for him on the half hour mark. Unfortunately, Courtois stuck out a leg to make a fine save at the critical moment. Moments before, Courtois had also denied Moreno after Gerrard’s incisive pass had put the Spaniard in on goal, while Kurt Zouma was also called upon to make an outstanding tackle to stop Sterling after he’d sped into the Chelsea box.

The closest Chelsea came to breaking the deadlock was a 25-yard free kick that Oscar steered wide of goal five minutes before the break. Apart from that, the hosts produced very little, as borne out by the statistics. During the first half, the Blues had four shots to the Reds’ six, and none of their efforts were on target.

After the break, though, Chelsea stepped up a gear or two, although some things never change, as Costa stamped on another Liverpool player, this time landing his boot on Martin Skrtel’s shin ten minutes after the restart. Remarkably, he got away scot free once again, avoiding even a yellow card.

...stamp number two. Six more and Costa will get a free coffee!

As the Blues pressed harder and gained greater inroads into Liverpool’s defence during the second half, Simon Mignolet stood up to the plate and produced a couple of world class saves that perhaps point to the much maligned Belgian keeper turning a corner.

First, he excellently kept out Costa’s deflected strike with his legs. Then, he made a tackle that Jamie Carragher would have been proud of to stop Costa in his tracks after he’d inadvertently been put in on goal by Henderson’s sliding clearance.

It was sensational stuff from Mignolet, who put in a fantastic performance overall and deserves plenty of praise. If he can keep this form up, he’ll make a lot of Liverpool fans eat their words.

A tackle Carragher would be proud of from Mignolet

In contrast, Mario Balotelli did nothing to prove his detractors wrong last night. Brought on for Markovic with 20 minutes remaining, he produced little of note and was to blame for Ivanovic’s goal. His body language was also awful, heading straight down the tunnel upon the final whistle. Adam Lallana surely should have been introduced instead of the lazy and ineffective Italian.

Gerrard and Sterling shot into the stands; while Costa saw a strike blocked by Johnson in the closing stages as the 90 minutes ended with neither side able to add goals to a game that otherwise had everything. Heading into half an hour of extra time, Liverpool knew that they needed to score as away goals now came into play.

When Branislav Ivanovic lost Balotelli and rose highest to head home Willian’s free kick three minutes into extra time, it didn’t really change a great deal. Liverpool still needed to score, although their reward would now be a penalty shootout rather than outright victory.

Ivanovic's goal made little difference in the grand scheme of things

Unfortunately, though, the goal seemed to deflate the tired Merseysiders, who never really put their hosts under a sustained spell of pressure during extra time and only managed to produce one gilt-edged opportunity to equalise.

On 100 minutes, Sterling cleverly worked his way down the left wing and sent a brilliant cross into the box for Jordan Henderson, who somehow directed his header wide from close range when he just had to score. Sterling subsequently sent a tame shot rolling wide and Lambert blazed over the bar, but Liverpool seemed a defeated side in the second half of extra time, while Chelsea are the experts at closing out matches, and that’s exactly what they did on this occasion as well.

Although Kopites can have legitimate complaints about the stamp-happy Costa remaining on the pitch, at the end of the day Liverpool have nobody to blame for failing to reach the League Cup final but themselves. They were the better team over the two legs and Courtois’ stunning form is the main reason Chelsea are heading to Wembley and not the Reds, but you simply cannot afford to miss that many chances against the best team in the country.

Until they get a striker who can take these chances, Liverpool are going to struggle when it matters most.

YNWA

Reds held at home to Bolton

On a day of Cup shocks, Liverpool had to settle for a replay after Bolton held them to a goalless stalemate at Anfield.

It is sometimes said that the last thing that Liverpool want in this situation is a replay because it would simply add to their already hectic schedule. However, as the alternative was crashing out of the competition to a Championship side and ending the dream of seeing Steven Gerrard lifting the FA Cup at Wembley on his 35th birthday for his final match in a Red shirt, Kopites will take a fourth round replay.

The 5:30pm kick off came at the end of a day of thrilling giant killings, as Chelsea spectacularly let a two-goal lead slip at home to Bradford, losing 4-2 to the League One outfit in the story of the day, while their fellow  title challengers Manchester City lost 2-0 at home to Championship side Middlesbrough.

With Tottenham and Southampton also exiting the competition at the fourth round stage, some at Anfield were anxious that Liverpool would be the latest giants to be slain on what was a black day for the Premier League. At the same time, however, victory promised to elevate the Reds to the status of one of the favourites for the trophy.

Brendan Rodgers rotated his squad with the second leg of the League Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Tuesday in mind, but Liverpool’s starting eleven was still strong, containing the likes of Sterling, Lallana, Coutinho and Henderson. Johnson and Allen returned from injury to start, while Gerrard and Skrtel were left out of the squad altogether. Mario Balotelli was also not in the 18, but for a lack of endeavour in training, rather than because he required a rest. His days on Merseyside certainly seem numbered.

Gerrard watched from the stands as his teammates tried to keep his Cup dream alive

Bolton began the better, enjoying a bright opening quarter of an hour in which they troubled Liverpool’s defence, particularly from corner kicks. However, the Trotters’ attacking duo Emile Heskey, returning to the club where he played over 200 matches, and Eidur Gudjohnsen perhaps unsurprisingly lacked the pace to seriously worry the Reds’ backline. The pair with a combined age of 73 were relatively well controlled, failing to register a single shot on target.

However, at the same time Liverpool were nowhere near as good as they were against Chelsea on Tuesday, and patently lacked a cutting edge up front. Furthermore, they also came up against Bolton’s goalkeeper Adam Bodgan, who was in inspired form between the sticks, denying Lallana, Coutinho and Johnson during the first 45 minutes.

The best chance of the half fell to Dean Moxey on the half hour mark, who was inches away from giving the visitors the lead when he sent a swerving crisp left footed half volley just wide of Mignolet’s right hand post from 25 yards out. It was a magnificent strike worthy of breaking the deadlock but thankfully it wasn’t to be.

At the interval, Rodgers replaced the dire Jose Enrique with 20-year old Lazar Markovic on the left hand side. The Serbian was far sprightlier than his Spanish teammate, and should have been awarded a penalty three minutes after the restart when Bolton captain Matt Mills took him down in the box, but frustratingly referee Kevin Friend was having none of it.

Bodgan then produced another top save to keep out Coutinho’s strike, with Manquillo reaching the loose ball but slicing a shot wide when well placed, before Gudjohnsen squandered two superb chances to open the scoring just past the hour mark.

First, the Icelandic striker side footed Tim Ream’s assist wide from 16 yards when he really should have hit the target. Then, he fired Josh Vela’s cutback into the Anfield Road end when he had the freedom of Merseyside to take his time and pick his spot.

They were the sort of chances that the goal machine that is Emile Heskey would have easily taken. Thankfully, by that point he was warming the bench after receiving a great reception from the Kop when he was replaced by Conor Wilkinson on 56 minutes.

It was great to see Emile Heskey back at Anfield

That was the peak of the game for Bolton, who then came under a substantial amount of pressure during the closing stages and were therefore happy to hold on for a draw and take a replay. To force the matter, Rodgers made a double swap, introducing Lucas and Borini to the action with just over 20 minutes remaining.

The latter immediately rounded off a good move by testing Bogdan and then had the best chance to score an arguably undeserved winner in the first of four minutes of injury time. Jordan Henderson’s free kick was cleared back out to him, but he picked out Borini with his second cross. Agonisingly, the Italian headed narrowly wide with Bogdan rooted to the spot.

There was still time for Lucas to fire straight at Bodgan, but it just wasn’t to be. Despite enjoying 68% of possession and having 24 shots, nine of which were on target, Liverpool weren’t good enough to beat Bolton and therefore must try again at the Macron Stadium at the start of February.

Credit to Neil Lennon’s men, they performed well and deserve a replay, but Liverpool really should have done better and got the job done first time around. Hopefully it will be a case of better late than never.

YNWA