Thursday, 2 February 2012
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Happy anniversary for Carroll as Liverpool maul Wolves, Wolves 0-3 Liverpool
The striker joined Liverpool from Newcastle United for 35 million pounds ($55.2m) on transfer deadline day 12 months ago and he repaid another small portion of his transfer fee with a close-range finish to open the scoring in the 52nd minute.
Craig Bellamy curled home Liverpool's second nine minutes later and Dirk Kuyt wrapped up the points with a low strike in the 78th minute at the end of a sweeping counter-attack.
Liverpool coach Kenny Dalglish made five changes from the team that knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup as he took the decision to rest skipper Steven Gerrard.
Glen Johnson, Jay Spearing, Charlie Adam, Bellamy and Kuyt were all recalled, with Martin Kelly, Stewart Downing and Jamie Carragher dropped to the bench, while Maxi Rodriguez was left out completely.
Mick McCarthy made one change from the Wolves team that lost to Aston Villa last time out as Eggert Jonsson came into the centre of midfield for the suspended Karl Henry.
Liverpool created an opening in the third minute when Bellamy's cross from the left was flicked on by Carroll into the path of Kuyt inside the six-yard box, but the Dutch striker was unable to control a difficult ball.
Wolves' best early chance came in the 12th minute when Kevin Foley delivered a dangerous curling ball from the right but David Edwards failed to make clean contact with a shot that went straight into the arms of Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina.
Edwards headed high and wide from an unmarked position three minutes later when he was picked out by Michael Kightly's free-kick as Wolves responded to Liverpool's positive early intent.
Liverpool began to turn up the heat on Wolves and felt they were denied a penalty in the 36th minute when Emmanuel Frimpong appeared to nudge Adam from behind but referee Anthony Taylor waved away the appeals.
The lively Bellamy forced Wales compatriot Wayne Hennessey to make a diving save to his left shortly before half-time, while Kightly saw his shot from the edge of the box whistle past the post after a neat one-two with Steven Fletcher.
Liverpool seized the initiative after the interval when they took the lead through Carroll after the visitors caught the Wolves defence off guard.
Bellamy took a quick throw-in near the 18-yard box and Adam whipped an inch-perfect cross from the left that found Carroll, who escaped the attentions of Jonsson to prod the ball past Hennessey.
Liverpool added a second when Bellamy cut inside from the left and took the shooting opportunity afforded to him as the Wolves defence backed off by bending a low shot into the bottom-right corner.
Dalglish's side were now firmly in control and Kuyt forced Hennessey to tip a rasping shot over the bar shortly after with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box.
The Dutch international had his goal in the 78th minute though, as Liverpool punished Wolves on the counter-attack started by a cross-field pass from Luis Enrique.
Kuyt exchanged passes with Adam before smashing a low shot across goal and past the despairing dive of Hennessey.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Monday, 30 January 2012
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Liverpool 2 Manchester United 1
LONDON: A last-gasp goal from substitute Dirk Kuyt saw Liverpool snatch a 2-1 victory over Manchester United on Saturday as the Merseysiders booked their place in the last 16 of the FA Cup.
Kuyt punished poor Manchester United defending in the 88th minute, lashing a low shot past David de Gea to send Anfield into raptures after United had failed to deal with a Pepe Reina goal kick.
The Dutch forward's late winner was the dramatic final act of a largely trouble-free first meeting between the clubs since the acrimony of the Luis Suarez racism affair earlier this season.
The game had seemed set for a replay at Old Trafford after South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung had swept in a deserved equaliser for United to cancel out Daniel Agger's opener for Liverpool.
"It's been a fantastic week for the players. Everyone realises the history of the football club and the players want to be part of it," said Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, whose side had reached the League Cup final on Wednesday.
"It was a magnificent effort from them. After the game on Wednesday, to come back on Saturday morning and win showed tremendous commitment and great heart.
"United might have been the better side and had more possession but other than them hitting the woodwork once Pepe (Reina) didn't have that much to do."
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was adamant his side had not deserved to lose. "I don't know how we lost it," Ferguson said. "But I think in the context of an FA Cup game it can happen. One bad breakaway and you can lose a game.
"It was a bad goal because we didn't deserve to be beaten. We were the better team. But that's FA Cup football. It can happen."
The build-up to the match had been marked by appeals for calm from both Dalglish and Ferguson.
United captain Patrice Evra, who Suarez had been found guilty of racially abusing during their league game in October, was booed relentlessly throughout.
But the contest was played out in a good spirit, with referee Mark Halsey brandishing only one yellow card throughout.
Liverpool had taken the lead on 21 minutes when a corner from Steven Gerrard was nodded home by defender Agger.
United's Spanish goalkeeper de Gea was at fault for the goal, stranded in no-man's-land as Agger headed in.
But United, who dominated possession throughout the opening half, drew level six minutes from half-time.
A deft flick from Antonio Valencia released Rafael down the right who crossed for the byline for Park, the midfielder driving in a low shot first time to beat Reina for 1-1.
With a replay looming, Reina launched a hopeful long goal-kick forward. Andy Carroll got the flick-on and Kuyt pounced to rifle home only his second goal of the season.
Kuyt punished poor Manchester United defending in the 88th minute, lashing a low shot past David de Gea to send Anfield into raptures after United had failed to deal with a Pepe Reina goal kick.
The Dutch forward's late winner was the dramatic final act of a largely trouble-free first meeting between the clubs since the acrimony of the Luis Suarez racism affair earlier this season.
The game had seemed set for a replay at Old Trafford after South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung had swept in a deserved equaliser for United to cancel out Daniel Agger's opener for Liverpool.
"It's been a fantastic week for the players. Everyone realises the history of the football club and the players want to be part of it," said Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, whose side had reached the League Cup final on Wednesday.
"It was a magnificent effort from them. After the game on Wednesday, to come back on Saturday morning and win showed tremendous commitment and great heart.
"United might have been the better side and had more possession but other than them hitting the woodwork once Pepe (Reina) didn't have that much to do."
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was adamant his side had not deserved to lose. "I don't know how we lost it," Ferguson said. "But I think in the context of an FA Cup game it can happen. One bad breakaway and you can lose a game.
"It was a bad goal because we didn't deserve to be beaten. We were the better team. But that's FA Cup football. It can happen."
The build-up to the match had been marked by appeals for calm from both Dalglish and Ferguson.
United captain Patrice Evra, who Suarez had been found guilty of racially abusing during their league game in October, was booed relentlessly throughout.
But the contest was played out in a good spirit, with referee Mark Halsey brandishing only one yellow card throughout.
Liverpool had taken the lead on 21 minutes when a corner from Steven Gerrard was nodded home by defender Agger.
United's Spanish goalkeeper de Gea was at fault for the goal, stranded in no-man's-land as Agger headed in.
But United, who dominated possession throughout the opening half, drew level six minutes from half-time.
A deft flick from Antonio Valencia released Rafael down the right who crossed for the byline for Park, the midfielder driving in a low shot first time to beat Reina for 1-1.
With a replay looming, Reina launched a hopeful long goal-kick forward. Andy Carroll got the flick-on and Kuyt pounced to rifle home only his second goal of the season.
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