Liverpool 1-0 Anzhi Makhachkala
After finally getting that illusive first home league win
of the season against Reading, Liverpool welcomed Russian super-spenders Anzhi
Makhachkala to Anfield in the Europa League. Brendan Rodgers recognized the
strength of the Dagestan outfit and fielded a strong line-up of his own
including the likes of Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Steven Gerrard and Luis
Suarez.
The Reds were on the front foot for most of the first
half but struggled to make a breakthrough. Jonjo Shelvey missed an excellent
opportunity to give Liverpool the lead but could only scoop his shot over the
bar from 18 yards with only the keeper to beat after great work from Suarez.
Liverpool were also denied a host of penalty appeals, the most forceful being
when Glen Johnson was tripped from behind just as he was about to pull the
trigger from six yards out.
In the end the goal came from an extremely unlikely
source, Stewart Downing. What made the goal even more remarkable was that the
winger scored after he had been moved to left back as Johnson went off at
half-time carrying a knock, and that left-footed Downing had lashed the ball in
from 20 yards with his right foot.
From there on out Liverpool were relatively comfortable
and could have added a few goals but failed to do so. Instead Anzhi came back
in spurts with Eto’o having the sides’ best chance but could only fire straight
at Brad Jones.
Another three points for the Reds as they look to move on
from the group stage of the Europa League, which was desperately needed after
the disappointing capitulation against Udinese.
Everton 2-2 Liverpool
The season’s first Merseyside Derby was eagerly
anticipated with both teams coming into the game in good form. Rodgers
continued to rely on youngsters Andre Wisdom, Suso and Raheem Sterling as Liverpool
faced Everton in the cauldron of Goodison Park.
The Reds got off to a dream start as Suso released the
re-called Jose Enrique into the left hand side of the penalty area, who drove
the ball across goal and amid penalty appeals for a shove on Sterling, Suarez
picked up the loose ball and lashed the ball in via a massive deflection of
childhood Red, but current Blue, Leighton Baines. The maverick striker
celebrated by diving right in front of the Everton dug-out and manager David
Moyes, who had attempted to influence the referee prior to the game using
comments regarding Suarez’s tendency to go to ground too easily.
It took only six minutes for the Uruguayan to be involved
again, this time glancing in a perfect delivery from a Gerrard free-kick to
double Liverpool’s lead after only 20 minutes. But while the Reds were in
dreamland, Everton suddenly woke up.
Hometown Evertonian Leon Osman quickly reduced the
deficit with a deflected strike after Jones could only punch the ball straight into
his path following a corner kick, and the comeback was complete when Marouane Fellaini
knocked a low cross into the six yard box, and with Enrique ball-watching,
Steven Naismith stole in to smash home his first goal for the club. Now it was
Everton in the ascendancy with Belgian international Kevin Mirallas causing
Wisdom all sorts of problems and Liverpool were ultimately happy to hear the
half time whistle.
Rodgers shuffled the back over the break, with Sebastian Coates
coming on for Suso and Shelvey coming on for Nuri Sahin. This also meant a
shuffle in formation as the Reds went with three at the back to combat Everton’s
aerial prowess. It proved to be a tactical master-class from Rodgers as Everton
were significantly less threatening in the second half.
In the end it was Liverpool who should’ve returned across
Stanley Park with the three points as Suarez knocked in a perfectly legitimate
goal in the 94th minute, only for the linesman to flag him offside.
From a Gerrard free-kick nobody was offside, and Coates nodded the ball down to
Suarez who was also not offside to tap in the winning goal. Liverpool left
Goodison feeling robbed and rightly so.
Liverpool 1-3 Swansea
The Reds next game saw them welcome both Rodgers’ and Joe
Allen’s former club Swansea to Anfield in the Capital One Cup. Liverpool once
again made several changes to the line-up from the weekend game against Everton
with Jones and Allen the only players to keep their place in the side. It was
however a second successive start in the competition for German youngster Samed
Yesil, and a rare appearance for former England international Joe Cole.
Liverpool started well but after struggling to carve out
any clear cut chances Swansea took the ascendancy and deservedly took the lead
before half time through Chico Flores’s header.
Rodgers, clearly alarmed at his sides’ failure to get a
foothold in the game threw on Gerrard and Suarez at half time in an attempt to
salvage the game. The changes worked as the pace was increased dramatically in
the second half and Liverpool looked far more of a threat going forward with
Gerrard hitting the post from distance and Downing skewing the rebound wide.
Unfortunately they looked equally as frail at the back and moments after the
Reds almost found an equalizer, Swansea counter-attacked lethally resulting in
Pablo Hernandez sliding the ball across to Nathan Dyer to tap into an empty
net.
It took only four minutes for Liverpool to respond though
as all three substitutes combined. Sterling won a free kick which Gerrard
delivered perfectly onto the head of Suarez who glanced in his second goal in
as many games. The Reds began to push harder and harder for an equalizer but
never managed to properly test stand-in keeper Gerhard Tremmel. In the dying
moments the Swans sealed the win with another breakaway goal as Jonathan de
Guzman tapped in a low cross from an extremely impressive Michu.
Rodgers admitted after the game that his current side had
been outclassed by his former side, and bemoaned the lack of depth in the
squad. It was a competition Reds fans would have liked to have done well in
considering they are the reigning champions, but many others will consider it a
nuisance and not nearly as important as the Premier League or the Europa
League.
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