Liverpool v Southampton

Southampton were the visitors to Anfield after the defeat in midweek to Tottenham as Liverpool looked to bounce back and push up the table.

The naming of Lucas Leiva in the starting lineup was a welcome sight for the home fans and also the inclusion of Jonjo Shelvey in the eleven was well deserved after a string of good performances as a substitute.

Liverpool started well and could have taken the lead in the 10th minute when Glen Johnson latched on to a Suarez cross at the front post but the shot spun wide.


Shelvey seemed to have settled well in the advanced role alongside Suarez and Sterling and had two good chances to break the deadlock, the first forcing a save from Gazzaniga and the second smashed against the inside of the post.

Liverpool had a penalty shout when Suarez was pulled back in the box but he hung on and got a shot on goal but failed to hit the back of the net. The net did bulge in the 43rd minute after a superb free-kick from Suarez pinged off the crossbar to reach Johnson who swept in a wondrous cross which was met by the head of Daniel Agger who headed home to give the home side the lead into the break.

Southampton came out and pushed for the equaliser which saw Lucas show why he was missed so much while injured as he held the midfield line well to deny the Southampton attacks.

Enrique could have sealed the game after bursting into the box and receiving a nice pass from Suarez but missed the target with the shot and forced a save from Gazzaniga with 15 minutes to go after a well taken half-volley.

Lucas left the field in the 88th minute to rapturous applause to be replaced by Jamie Carragher and after being out for three months, he did well to last so long while putting in a good performance.

A nice exchange of passes between Johnson, Gerrard and Sterling allowed Suarez to try his luck from close range but his chance went begging after struggling to adjust his position on the ball and he had the final chance of the game but hit the ball wide from 10 yards out.

So Agger's header gives Liverpool a well deserved win and moves them up to 11th  just behind struggling Arsenal who fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to Swansea after a late brace from Michu who joined Suarez at the top of the scoring charts

Next up for Liverpool is the daunting trip to Italy to face Udinese in a game which will hopefully secure the passage into the Europa League last 32 before then travelling to face West Ham at the weekend who shocked Chelsea 3-1 this afternoon after trailing 1-0 at half-time before a scintillating trio of strikes to seal the win.

Tottenham v Liverpool

After continuing the unbeaten run in a hard fought draw at Swansea, Liverpool travelled to Tottenham, looking to keep up the run going and hoping for a win.

Rodgers fielded an unchanged eleven from Sunday but found his side behind as early as the 7th minute after Gareth Bale thundered down the left side leaving Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Joe Allen all trailing behind him before sliding a perfect cross to the unmarked Aaron Lennon who tapped in at the back post.

Liverpool pushed for the equaliser and Suarez tested Lloris in the Spurs goal from the edge of the area but saw his shot saved and within minutes, Liverpool should have been level as Henderson found himself with an open goal to shoot at but from 20 yards out he missed the target after pressure from Walker.

Henderson's miss proved costly as Spurs increased their lead in the 16th minute with another moment of sheer skill by Bale as he glided in a superb free kick which looked to deflect off the wall and leave Reina with no chance of keeping it out.

Liverpool now had a massive task to keep their unbeaten run intact and were denied what looked to be a stonewall penalty as Sandro shoved Gerrard to the ground with the ball rolling to Suarez who had his shot cleared off the line to leave Liverpool still two goals down when they had two great chances in a single attack and the scoreline stayed that way into the break.

In the second half, Liverpool pushed to get back into the game but a series of chances failed to bear fruit and Rodgers brought on Shelvey for Henderson and the substitute had an influence in Liverpool pulling a goal back in the 72nd minute.

 He took the corner which was kept in play by Agger and then Gerrard who hit for goal but the resulting clearance from Lennon ricocheted of Bale's face to fly into the net and leave Bale flat out on the ground after the impact.

Suarez came close to an equaliser with a well taken volley which crept just over the bar after an overhead kick cross by Agger but left Liverpool leaving North London with a loss and with the eight game unbeaten run in tatters.

Next up is a home tie against Southampton, the last meeting between the two was in the year of Istanbul (04/05) which saw a 1-0 win for Liverpool thanks to a Florent Sinama-Pongolle strike.

Swansea v Liverpool

Back to league action and a tough trip to Swansea with Joe Allen and manager Brendan Rodgers going back to their former club.

The team saw seven changes from the draw against Young Boys with the surprise of Downing and Henderson retaining their place as opposed to Suso and Shelvey claiming a place after their man of the match performances in midweek.


Both teams started well but it was Liverpool who created the best chance with Sterling smashing a shot on the half-volley from the edge of the area only to see hit crash back off the crossbar. The ball hit the back of the net soon after as Enrique latched onto a Suarez cross only to have his effort chalked off for being in an offisde position.

He should have hit the net again but spurned a great chance from six yards after meeting a great cross from Johnson who himself could have got on to the scoresheet after exchanging passes with Enrique but was denied by the oncoming Tremmel in the Swansea goal who pushed the ball over the bar.

Swansea tested the Liverpool defence as Routeledge powered a shot at Reina who denied him with a reflex save and Pablo Hernandez came close to breaking the deadlock with two good chances from distance but the score remained level going into the break.

Swansea continued their pressure early in the second half as Hernandez hit a free-kick with force but saw it fly into the stands and within minutes, Swansea should have been ahead but luckily for the men in red, former swan Joe Allen cleared Ashley Williams' goalbound header off the line.

Liverpool pushed forward and Suarez forced a save from Tremmel with a fine hit after combining with Gerrard but Swansea seemed to have the momentum as Dyer fooled Downing before being denied by Reina who came to the rescue for his side.



Rodgers rang the changes with the much criticised pairing of Downing and Henderson departing the field to be replaced by the scorers from midweek in Cole and Shelvey.

Liverpool should have taken all three points near the end when Sterling and Suarez found themselves attacking with a solitary defender in their path but Sterling's pass was inaccurate which left Suarez with a tough job to continue the attack and the resulting shot was saved.

Both sides had a final chance to win with Hernandez looping in a free-kick which was saved by Reina and Shelvey forced a save from Tremmel who made sure the score remained goalless.

So another draw for Liverpool in a season where despite being unbeaten in eight league games they still sit in the bottom half of the table as many games have resulted in draws of 1-1 with the previous two with Liverpool coming from behind.

Liverpool v Young Boys

After a well deserved win against Wigan, Liverpool resumed their Europa League campaign at home to Young Boys.

Changes to the previous game included a new three-pronged front line of Shelvey, Cole and Assaidi and the night saw Pepe Reina set a new record for European appearances by making his 81st which broke Ray Clemence's long club record.

Liverpool kicked off knowing a win would seal qualification for the next round after Anzhi's earlier 2-0 win over Udinese but it was the visitors who started the brightest with Zarate hooking over the bar after just nine seconds.

Young Boys pressed further as Nuzzolo tested Reina from the edge of the area which inspired Liverpool to force their own pressure and in the 17th minute, Shelvey put Cole through towards the  goal on the right but his strike flew past the far post.

Wolfli in the away goal made a fine save in the 26th minute from Henderson after being setup by a nice flick by Shelvey.

On the half hour, Gerrard came on to replace Wisdom who departed with a slight injury and the reshuffle saw Henderson move to right-back. The change paid dividends as Liverpool took the lead after Suso and Cole exchanged passes on the edge of the area with the Spaniard lifting the ball above Wolfli to allow Shelvey to head in from a yard out.

Liverpool could have hit two in mere minutes as Skrtel latched on to a goalward punt by Cole only to be denied by a goal line clearance by Nuzzolo. Liverpool were dominating possession and came close to a second just before the interval but Suso shot wide with only the keeper to beat.

Young Boys came out in the second half with optimism that they could equalise quickly and had two good chances, first Farnerud drilled over from close range and Zverotic's shot from distance crept past the post.

Liverpool pushed back with Suso dissecting the defence to pick out Joe Cole but when one-on-one, Cole failed to hit the back of the net. The miss proved to be expensive for Liverpool as within seconds the equaliser came for Young Boys as Farnerud hit a hopeful pass, he picked out Bobadilla just inside the box who then blasted a shot into the far corner past the ailing Reina.


On came Luis Suarez in place of Suso who had given a majestic performance surely making him a candidate for man of the match. Liverpool pushed for a winner and with 18 minutes left, they hit the front, Suarez and Gerrard exchanged passes with Gerrard picking out Cole's run with a pinpoint pass and Cole with his back to goal spun expertly to then release an excellent shot past Wolfli and set of in celebration.


Time went on and again Young Boys pushed for an equaliser and to stop Liverpool from qualifying with a game to spare, their luck came in the 88th minute as Zverotic blasted home from the edge of the area and meant the game ended level at 2-2.

With Udinese away in a fortnight's time, Liverpool know a win is essential to qualify for the last 32 but can got through via a draw if Young Boys fail to get a result against already qualified Anzhi Makhachkala.

Liverpool v Wigan Athletic

After a midweek break due to the international matches,Liverpool resumed their Premier League season by hosting Wigan Athletic with the Latics coming to Anfield looking to win for the second year in a row after a 2-1 victory last March began their run to survival from relegation.

Liverpool welcomed back stalwart Jose Reina between the sticks but other than his return it was business as usual with the trio of Suarez, Suso and Sterling up top.

The home side came out of the traps first with Enrique trying his luck after earning possession deep in the Wigan half but his shot in anger flew wide of the target but showed Liverpool's intent for the game.

Suso showed his silky skills by making the most of playing just behind Suarez as he took the ball past his marker to then swish past a further two defenders but when taking the chance at goal was blocked just on the edge of the area.

As is the trend with Liverpool this season, there was massive intent early on but no breakthrough and Wigan saw this as a chance to create an opening in the 15th minute as a well worked attack allowed Arouna Kone to put in Ben Watson but Watson's shot cannoned over the bar.


Wigan pushed again as Kone shimmied past Allen and tried for goal but his shot caused no trouble for the returning Reina. Liverpool pushed back with chances for Agger and Suso, the Dane's connecton from a corner went off target and the Spaniard forced a save from Al Habsi with a strong drive as the ante was increased.


In the 25th minute, a 50-50 aerial challenge between Sterling and Watson saw Watson come off worse and leave the field in pain to be replaced by David Jones. Suso continued to impress with some good pressure down the left side by Johnson giving the 18 year old a chance to head for goal but his header went over in what was his last contribution to the game as in the 35th minute he left the field to be replaced by Jordan Henderson.

 Liverpool ended the half with a chance to go in ahead as Gerrard's control put Suarez through but he then attempted to setup Enrique only for Al Habsi to collect the ball and ensure that the half ended with both teams level.


From the restart, Liverpool continued their pressure and within two minutes it paid off as an exceptional interception allowed Sterling to break down the right side and cut back into the path of Suarez who swept the ball home to send the home fans into a roar and Liverpool into the lead.

Suarez added to his tally in the 58th minutes after Enrique collected the ball on the left and advanced on the Wigan defence before sliding an intricate pass to Suarez who ran on and slipped the ball past the oncoming Al Habsi with a truly calming finish.

Liverpool were in the mood to silence the doubters of their lack of goals and Suarez came close to an hat-trick as he burst past the defence but a defection took his shot into the side netting.

Wigan were now pushing to stay in the game and in doing so led to another struggle against the new trio of Enrique, Suarez and Sterling who exploited the visitors' for a third time in the 65th minute as Sterling created a one-two with Suarez who collected the final pass to deliver to the far post and in ran Enrique to tap home into an empty net and all but seal a win for Liverpool.

Wigan were carved open again through Johnson but luckily for them his effort found the wrong side of the post and Suarez was denied his hat-trick after being put in by Enrique but failed to find the net.

The final whistle sounded and Liverpool claimed a win which kept up an unbeaten run which spans seven games while Suarez took his seasonal tally to 13 and became the first player to hit double figures in the League with his 9th and 10th today.

Next up for Liverpool sees Swiss side Young Boys visit Anfield on Thursday hoping to avenge their 5-3 defeat to a young Liverpool side in Bern earlier in the season.

Chelsea v Liverpool

After defeat to Anzhi on Thursday in the Europa League, Liverpool looked to bounce back away to Chelsea.

A stronger team than usual took to the field as Liverpool craved a win despite being unbeaten for five matches.

Chelsea nearly opened the scoring in the sixth minute as Joe Allen gave up possession in the centre w Hazard claimed the ball and put Juan Mata on a clean path to goal with Mata denied by excellent defending by Wisdom.

Liverpool played with three in the centre-back line and dominated the possession but as is the story with the Reds, possession always seems to lack a goal threat which Chelsea had in their locker.

Ivanovic tested the Liverpool barrier with a hit from 30 yards which flew over,  this was a warning which proved decisive in the 20th minute as Juan Mata swung in a corner which allowed Terry to connect at the near post and put the home side ahead.

The game could have been sealed in the 27th minute as Hazard ran clear of Allen before setting up Torres, but the former Liverpool hero tried to place a shot and was denied by Jones who allowed Hazard to rebound but his shot failed to add to the score.

In the 35th minute the game came to a startling halt for 10 minutes as Suarez and Terry collided after Suarez evaded a challenge only to crash into Terry who came off worse as his leg bent backwards and meant he left the field via a stretcher to be replaced by Cahill.


Terry's absence failed to affect Chelsea's attacking flow as just before the break, Mata spurned a glorious chance while one-on-one with Jones but he directed the ball over the bar.

Liverpool needed to perk up and get back into the game but just like in the first half, Chelsea continued their attacking pressure but Mata's long-range effort narrowly missed the target.

 Rodgers changed the Liverpool setup with Suso replacing Sahin and just like last week, the Spaniard was involved in the equaliser as he swung in a corner in the 72nd minute which glanced the head of Carragher and flicked towards goal only to be put in by Suarez who reacted quicker then Ramires to nod in from a yard out and celebrate rapturously in front of the travelling supporters.

Both teams chased a winner with Liverpool looking the most likely after resorting to a back four and Suso had a great chance from a Sterling cross but his shot lacked the required composure to trouble Cech.

Suarez unleashed an effort from just inside the Chelsea half which caught Cech off guard but stayed out and Ivanovic came close with a header from a corner.

The end neared and both had enough time for a final chance each with Hazard angling a shot just wide of the top corner before a golden chance or Liverpool as Suarez slipped a pass to Enrique on the left edge of the box but Enrique's shot at the bottom corner was well saved by Cech as the final whistle went.


Another draw for Liverpool but a positive one against a very tough opposition and signs that the win they crave is on the horizon, next up is the hosting of Wigan with Liverpool hoping to exact revenge for the defeat at the back of last season which fell during a blessed spell for the Latics as they beat Arsenal and Man Utd as part of an amazing run.

Anzhi Makhachkala v Liverpool

A tough trip to Anzhi saw the tie played at a neutral ground in Moscow due to Anzhi's home stadium being based in 'dangerous' Dagestan.

Surprisingly Brendan Rodgers fielded a very weak side while Suarez and Gerrard were not even included in the travelling squad.

Anzhi created the first opening as Tagirbekov's left foot shot across goal attempted to test Jones in the Liverpool goal but the shot was wayward.

Liverpool should have opened the scoring in the 23rd minute as Morgan put Henderson through on goal but rather than take the chance to score, Henderson attempted a pull back and was intercepted by Carlos in the Anzhi defence.

Eto'o tested Jones from 12 yards after Zhirkov stole possession from Andre Wisdom and from there both sides failed to create chances until just before the break when Traore's ingenious flick and spin combo fooled Coates and set himself in on goal but as Jones came out to meet him, Traore lofted the ball over the ailing keeper and put the Russian's ahead at the break.

Liverpool came out pushing for an equaliser and Morgan struck the side netting after being released by Cole and Jones narrowly stopped Traore from bagging a second goal after a hit from 20 yards out.


On the hour mark, the Spanish duo of Pacheco and Suso entered the fray in place of Morgan and Coady and Suso's entry provided a different way of attacking for Liverpool and he was in place for the best chance of the night for the visitors in the 77th minute. He shimmied just outside the box to create some space for a shot but the shot was spilled by Gabulov in the Anzhi goal and as Cole went to tap in he was thwarted by Gabulov.



Traore again came close to his and Anzhi's second and a sure winner as Liverpool pushed for an equaliser, spaces began to appear and a fast counter-attack saw Traore in on goal but saw his resulting shot drift wide.

Liverpool tried to level up but their efforts proved to be in vain as Anzhi held on for the win. Next up is the current European champions in Chelsea, a tie that in recent years has seen Liverpool be the victors on many occasions in the League only to suffer defeat when it really mattered in the FA Cup Final in May.

A win is sorely needed in what is fast becoming a below average season and one which currently will be remembered for Liverpool's failure to put the ball in the net.