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Three Points Against Wigan, Just

Liverpool are 11 games into their season in all competitions. Rafa Benitez has made 57 squad changes in those 11 games, 7 of them coming yesterday against Wigan as Liverpool were really made to work for the three points. Fair enough, Yossi Benayoun bagged himself another decent goal for Liverpool, but yesterday’s performance should have yielded a lot more against Wigan. Finishing lacking a clinical style, Torres at points opting for a bit too much flair when he could have made things easier for himself - noting his overheard kick in the first half.

For his part though, Chris Kirkland did well enough against his old club, keeping Dirk Kuyt out of the goal within the first quarter of an hour, Skoko denying Kuyt in the second half, stepping in front of Kirkland who was caught off his line.

Whatever was said in the Wigan dressing room at half time riled them up, Marcus Bent finding the net early in the second half, unmarked and firing past the helpless Pepe Reina only for a very late flag by the linesman. The call was a little suspect but Liverpool got away with it in the end, Wigan firmly letting the Reds know there were going to be a threat for the remainder of the game.

Liverpool’s breakthrough finally game inside the last quarter of the game, Yossi Benayoun collecting the ball at the edge of the box, turning one, twice around Titus Bramble and firing low and beyond Chris Kirkland, a terrific solo effort in rare moment of a focused Liverpool attack.

A hard fought goal, but a goal - and three points - all the same. So long as we don’t wind up playing like Chelsea and grinding out ugly 1-0 victories then I’ll be ok.

On another note, you would have to feel sorry for Reading. After going down 4-2 to Liverpool during the week they’re shunted 7-4 by Portsmouth yesterday in an eleven-goal marathon of a game. Ouch.

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Video: Fernando Torres Hat Trick vs Reading

Get it while it’s still online.

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Torres The Hat Trick Hero, Liverpool Advance

Liverpool advanced into the fourth round of the League Cup last night after a 4-2 win over Reading which saw Fernando Torres bag not one, or two - but three goals for himself. Payback for not starting against Birmingham?

Yossi Benayoun scored a right screamer in the first half, 23 minutes in, dipping past two defenders on the right-edge of the box to rifle the ball beyond the keeper and into the top of the goal. Terrific solo effort by the Israeli international. It didn’t take long for Reading to catch up, Bobby Convey smashing home past Itandje in the Liverpool goal, from equal distance. Here we go again? (says he flashing back to last season).

Torres put Liverpool back in the lead five minutes after the break, matching the Reading defense with strength, edging out in pace to race into the box and fire low into the bottom right corner, great finisher. But, turn the clock on another 15 minutes or so and it’s back level at 2-2, John Halls getting the better opportunity out of a messy situation in the Liverpool box to tap home Reading’s second and tie up the game.

Not to be outdone though, Torres was firing on all cylinders at this point, his second goal lifting the roof of the net while his third showed complete calm and control. Torres raced through a high Reading backline, acres of space to take on the ‘keeper in a one-on-one situation, taking the ball to the ‘keepers left to slot home for his hat trick.

Terrific night for Fernando Torres, hopefully more of the same when we return to Premier League and European action next week. Torres to start against Wigan away this Saturday? Rafa says nobody is guaranteed a start, but after last night’s performance you’d have to wonder. Mind you, given the way Reading were flying in with the tackles, its amazing that both Torres and Crouch walked away without injuries, the striking duo targets last night for a lot of hefty challenges.

Onwards to Wigan.

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Live: Liverpool 0 - 0 Birmingham (27 minutes)

About 27 minutes or so gone in the game, nothing too much to write home about. Kuyt has had one or two chances in the game thus far. Bora Oubinja was taken off within the first quarter of an hour for Birmingham and replaced by Gary McSheffrey.

Nothing threatening goal-wise from either side and Liverpool are going to have to bag a goal in the first half to make some kind of a difference, seriously up the tempo on home ground.

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Live: Liverpool 0 - 0 Birmingham (Team News)

The game has just kicked off… here’s how the team shapes up.

Pepe Reina, Alvaro Albeloa, John Arne Riise, Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher, Javier Mascherano, Steven Gerrard, Ryan Babel, Jermaine Pennant, Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin. I figured we’d see Mascherano start with Xabi Alonso out and Sami Hyypia retains his place in the centre in the absence of Daniel Agger. On the bench are Itandje, Steve Finnan, Momo Sissoko, Peter Crouch and Fernando Torres.

Would have like a Torres / Voronin combo to start, guessing we’ll see the Spaniard in the second half.

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Bring On Birmingham

Liverpool face Birmingham today with Steve Bruce’s side on their first trip to Anfield since making their return to the Premier League for 07/08. No word on the team yet but it’s a given that Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger will both be missing, the duo also likely to miss the next 4-5 games.

It has been over 18 months since Liverpool last hosted Birmingham at Anfield, the game ending in a 1-1 draw, both goals coming from Liverpool. While a draw would maintain Liverpool’s unbeaten start to the season I reckon we’ll be seeing a Liverpool win today. Home soil, fired up after missing out on a win against Porto, Birmingham with one win out of three (two defeats) on the road this season.

Roll on 3pm, audio coverage on LiverpoolFC.tv if you’ve an e-season ticket.

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No Surgery, But Alonso, Agger Out For Next Month

Its a good thing there’s more depth to the Liverpool squad this season as news breaks earlier this morning that both Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger will be missing for the next 4-6 weeks, both players arriving back from international duty with foot injuries - scans revealing that both have suffered stress fractures on their respective metatarsals, Xabi on his left foot and Agger on his right foot.

Talk rears its head again about compensation for players coming back injured from international duty, especially with Liverpool looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season and Xabi having been in good form of late.

The injury to Alonso means that both Javier Mascherano and Momo Sissoko will see more pitch time, Mascherano over Sissoko I reckon for this weekend, while Sami Hyppia will keep his spot in the defence.

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Liverpool Draw In A Rough Night On English Teams

It was going to be tough for Liverpool last night, going down to this season’s fourth penalty against the club within 8 minutes against Porto. Going down, yes, but out - never, as Dirk Kuyt rallied to head home just ten minutes later and set up a great battle of a game which would see the clubs taking a share of the spoils.

A slippery pitch made life tricky in the early stages of the game as Porto piled on the pressure, going non-stop for the opening minutes before Pepe Reina was judged to have pulled down Sektioui in the box. Porto’s skipper Lucho Gonzalez had no problem in approaching the spot and converting, kicking straight up the middle and over Pepe Reina. Mistakes were plentiful in the first half but Liverpool turned it around in a flash on 17 minutes, Sami Hyypia directing Steve Finnan’s free kick over to Dirk Kuyt who did the honours and nodded into the Porto goal to draw the sides level.

That would be it for goal action but a battle would ensue on the pitch, both teams gunning for three points. While both sides tried however, most of the action lay in the middle of the park with both teams enjoying their fair share of play.

Liverpool were a changed side in the second half, a bit more “pep in their step” but Jermaine Pennant’s dismissal put the Reds back under pressure, playing with ten men for the last half hour of the game. Pennant had been booked midway through the first half for a challenge on Quaresma before he lost the head altogether, going in on a needless challenge against Fucil when he had no chance of winning the ball. The tackle would have been fine but he left the leg in, cleaned Fucil out of it and left the referee with no option but to issue a second yellow and give Pennant his marching orders.

No late minute winners, no last gasp goals, but the game turned around to provide a decent performance by Liverpool. Overall not good enough on the night, they should never have been in a position to give away a penalty in the opening stages of the game but what can you do - they battled back, Kuyt grabbed a goal, defended well with 10 men and came out unbeaten.

Skip over to Chelsea and they had a rough ride of it too, midway through the first half Rosenborg took the league when a free kick from the left of the area found the foot of Norwegian Miika Koppinen to poke the ball past Petr Cech and shock Chelsea into action. They couldn’t do the deed either though, coming away with a 1-1 draw with Andriy Shevchenko pulling one back for Chelsea in the second half.

Celtic too had a rough night of it, Gordon Strachan’s side going down 2-0 on the night in the Ukraine and in fairness it could have been worse for them. The loss last night makes it 13 away defeats for Celtic in Europe.

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Live: Porto 1 - 1 Liverpool, Aurelio Returns For Liverpool

Six minutes to go and Ryan Babel is making way for Fabio Aurelio. Delighted to see the Brazilian back in action, fair play to him. Rough season last year with injuries and first game back in action since April for the Reds.

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Live: Jermaine Pennant Sent Off Against Porto (58 min)

Well that was a bit silly by Jermaine Pennant, hacking down the defender when he really, really didn’t need to. The ball was going out of play, Pennant chasing down Mascherano’s long pass along the ground, obviously under control from a Porto point of view but Pennant lashes in with a late tackle, cleaning Fucile out of it altogether.

The result is a second yellow card, dismissal, Liverpool now playing with ten men and Rafa Benitez visibly annoyed.

Annoyed is just me being polite.

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