Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Maxi, Mascherano, Gerrard, Babel, Kuyt, Torres. Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Benayoun, Kyrgiakos, Lucas, Ngog, El Zhar.
Sunderland: Gordon, Bardsley, Turner, Cana, Ferdinand,Campbell, Henderson, Cattermole, Richardson, Malbranque, Bent.Subs: Carson, Zenden, Jones, Da Silva, Kilgallon, Mwaruwari, Liddle.
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
Some stats from the patrol sheets ...
• Sunderland have lost usually one of their last 9 joining games but have picked up one win from their last twenty-five afar matches.• Liverpool have won each of the five games that surrogate Alberto Aquilani has proposed in the joining this season, surrender one goal.• Liverpool have strike the idea await fourteen times this season, some-more than any alternative side.• Darren Bent has been held offside 48 times this deteriorate – some-more than any alternative player in the division.• Liverpool have won their last 7 games at home
An email from Gary Naylor: "I cannot hold that The Guardian have allocated this MBM to you, as you are so inequitable opposite Liverpool," writes the fervent Evertonian. "Well finished Guardian - undiluted for the job!" Meanwhile, this from Nick Smith: "Can we have a January Molby endowment for the player that majority resembles a beach-ball during the 90 minutes?" he asks. "My income is on Insua, Kuyt is as well obvious."
Fan criticism news: Having unsuccessful to crack their cowardly American owners by marching from a beer hall they were going to be in any approach to matches they were going to attend anyway, Liverpool"s fans are believed to be formulation a post-match criticism opposite Waldorf and Statler in the belligerent after the last whistle. "Down with this sort of thing!" "Careful now!"
Sky are report an talk with Darren Bent, in that he reveals that he didn"t get a goalscoring reward for the beachball idea he "scored" in the tie in in in in between the dual sides at the Stadium of Light last year. He goes on to show a little nifty fingerwork on the Xbox controller, personification Call Of Duty, a diversion he plays with team-mates Kieran Richardson, Frizer Campbell and Kenwyne Jones.
Aidan Gibson slots home the chastisement kick: "Will the post compare criticism engage the Liverpool fans marching from the belligerent they were going to be in any approach to the beer hall they already proposed at?" he asks. "Maybe they should wear blue and white scarves, the colours of the strange group that copied from Everton."
Not prolonged now: With no Jamie Redknapp or Ruud Gullit in the studio, Robbie Fowler and Super Kevin Phillips are the guest currently and a breath of great humoured, gentle and judicious uninformed air they are too. Their discuss finished, Richard Keys hands over to Martin Tyler and Andy Gray in the explanation box.
The line-ups: Both sides are approaching to line up personification 4-4-2 formations, with everybody personification majority where you"d design to find them. The exception, perhaps, is in the Sunderland ranks, where Kieran Richardson will fool around at left-back, permitting the returning Lorik Cana to container in to the centre of midfield.
1 min: The players go by the pre-match motions, with Liverpool in their prevalent home frame and Sunderland"s players wearing white dress with black sleeves. Liverpool flog off personification afar from the Kop end.
2 min: Malbranque gives afar a poor free-kick on the right side and Steven Gerrard swings the turn opposite the mezzanine of doubt in in in in between goalkeeper and defenders. Agger gets on the finish of his cranky and Gordon is forced to kick afar an differently goal-bound effort.
3 min: Sunderland win a throw-in median inside the Liverpool half and Kieron Richardson flings the turn towards Darren Bent. Glen Johnson heads clear.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Sunderland (Torres Three) That"s a noble idea from Torres. Picking up a punt from Reina on the left wing, he glides brazen past Bardsley, turns Michael Turner inside out and curls a right-footed shot opposite the face of goal, over Craig Gordon and in the tip right-hand corner. That was unstoppable - he placed it perfectly.
5 min: Kieron Richardson scurries down the left side and sends a cranky towards the nearby post. Jamie Carragher hacks the turn in to Row Z. It"s his 620th entrance for Liverpool currently - the same series notched up by Alan Hansen.
7 min: "You are indeed brilliant," writes Michael Ollier. "Can you give me the lottery numbers for subsequent week?" It"s early doors, Michael. Early doors. There"s a lot of football to be played in this diversion yet.
7 min: Good work by Glen Johnson, who goes on a violent run down the right flank, gets in at the at the at the back of of the Sunderland counterclaim and sends in a cranky to the far post. Ryan Babel rises top and knocks the turn down for Dirk Kuyt, but Sunderland penetrate clear.
9 min: A Sunderland clearway drops pleasantly for Javier Mascherano, who tries his fitness with a bombardment from thirty yards. His bid was going far-reaching when Richardson headed clear.
11 min: Jamie Carragher sends a erratic cross-field turn over towards Dernando Torres on the left flank, but a Sunderland player intervenes and puts the turn out for a throw-in.
13 min: Anton Ferdinand is forced to concur a throw-in low inside his own half after Dirk Kuyt takes the turn past Cana. From the indirect throw-in, Michael Turner is forced to offshoot an ungainly Emiliano Insua cranky from the left out for a dilemma to forestall Fernando Torres removing on the finish of it. Turner was confronting his own idea and stretching - that could have left hideously wrong.
14 min: The dilemma is played short and Steven Gerrard tees up Javier Mascherano for an additional shot from distance. The Argentinian"s low expostulate fizzes 3 or 4 feet far-reaching of the left upright.
16 min: After extensive rave fool around from Liverpool, Fernando Torres gets on the finish of a cranky from Steven Gerrard and rifles a shot narrowly far-reaching of the right upright. Sunderland are removing eviscerated here. Liverpool have had 60% of the receive and 6 shots on idea in the opening fifteen minutes.
17 min: Make that seven: Steven Gerrard bursts brazen from midfield, picks up a pass from Maxi Rodriguez and shoots diagonally opposite the face of idea and narrowly wide.
19 min: Actually, that shot took a deflection off Turner and the arbitrate awards a corner. It"s usually half-cleared to Daniel Agger, who shoots narrowly wide. With a bit some-more accuracy, Liverpool could be 4 or five up already. Sunderland are struggling to get out of their own half.
20 min: A free-kick for Sunderland about 45 yards from the Liverpool idea gives the Wearsiders a little much-needed respite. Richardson sends the turn in to the chastisement area, where Liverpool clear.
25 min: Corner for Liverpool. Craig Gordon saves brilliantly from Maxi, who"d rushed to the nearby post and got a crack on Gerrard"s inswinger. It was a involuntary save, one-handed, but his crafty wrist sent the turn over the club for an additional corner.
27 min: Sunderland conflict on the opposite when the turn is lumped down the right channel for Darren Bent to chase. Reina dashes off his line, but Bent beats him to the ball. Support is in short supply, however and he"s in the future swarming out of possession.
30 min: Sundelrand nick up their initial try on goal, when Jordan Henderson sends a bombardment from area well far-reaching of the left upright.
31 min: Liverpool win a free-kick far-reaching on the right, low in Sunderland territory. Gerrard"s smoothness is undiluted and Agger leaps top to send a tasty header over the club from the dilemma of the six-yard box. He should have scored.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland (Johnson 32) That"s been a prolonged time coming. Liverpool won a corner, Gerrard sent it in and the turn was privileged as far as Glen Johnson, a couple of yards outward the chastisement area. He shimmied this approach and that prior to unleashing a expostulate that sailed past Michael Turner and afterwards Craig Gordon.
34 min: Liverpool win an additional free-kick far-reaching on the left. Once again, Steven Gerrard"s smoothness is sublime. He floats the turn diagonally opposite the chastisement area, but 4 of his team-mates have their run to the nearby post, when the turn was vagrant to be headed home at the far one. That"s an additional let-off for Sunderland, who are being ripped detached here. This is as great as I"ve seen Liverpool fool around all season.
38 min: "Congrats to Jamie Carragher notching up the same appearances as Alan Hansen," writes Aidan Gibson. "Lets idea for Christ"s consequence that Carra doesn"t spin a pundit on Motd, with Hansen. The Gerrard love in scale competence soar past 15."
39 min: Liverpool have left roughly five mins but any of their players perplexing a shot on goal. They"ll be unhappy with that.
40 min: The turkey fire continues. Fernando Torres hits the feet of Gordon"s right post from 10 yards out after being teed up by a Babel miscue following great work by Dirk Kuyt. The turn rebounds at the at the back of to him and he fires an additional great possibility wide.
41 min: Kuyt crosses from the right, call an rural clearway from Anton Ferdinand. Sunderland are being forced at the at the back of deeper and deeper and are seeking increasingly desperate. Considering how comprehensively they"ve been outplayed, it"s startling they"re usually 2-0 down.
44 min: "Goal frame?" writes O2 Arena Event Ticketing Manager, Alison Jeeves, suitable my engaging pre-match stats. "Is that what the immature people are job the woodwork these days? Peter Gabriel is personification his new prolonged player here at the O2 today, finish with full band and everything." Event ticketing manager? Is that the immature people are job the turnstile user these days?
44+1 min: The arbitrate decides to take empathize on Sunderland and decrees that there"ll usually be one notation of combined time.
Half-time Sunderland go in at the mangle advantageous to be usually 2-0 down. They"ve been since a footballing doctrine this afternoon. Torres non-stop the scoring with a late contender for Goal of the Month, prior to Glen Johnson doubled their lead. If I was Sunderland physical education instructor Steve Bruce, I"d have use of the mangle to chaperon my players on to the group train and sequence the motorist to hightail at the at the back of to Wearside.
Half-time analysis: "By my tab Agger has had some-more shots on idea this half than Voronin managed in his complete Liverpool career," writes Dave Evans. "By the approach Barry, don"t be so tough on yourself with courtesy to predictions: any one who came out of this year"s Cheltenham Festival less than �1 down can"t be you do as well badly."
"As a Sunderland fan I determine with your criticism about removing on the train out of there ASAP," writes Tony Burn. "I can"t see it finale up less than 4-0 , or 5-0? I"d take 4 as it stands." Agreed. There"s no contrition in utilizing afar when you"re removing a pasting identical to Sunderland are this afternoon. Hanging around for an additional 45 mins of this low mark is usually great and masochistic.
"Surely one of the safest bets one could ever have is that Carra will not be posterior a career in punditry," writes Marie Meyer, all the approach from Santa Fe in New Mexico. She"s probably right. If Carra did take up punditry, usually dogs would be means to listen to him.
Second-half: Liverpool have come out of the sauce room, but there"s no pointer of Sunderland"s players yet. Perhaps Steve Bruce has taken my advice.
46 min: Sunderland get the second half underway, carrying in the future emerged from the sauce room in dribs and drabs; it"s roughly as if they don"t wish to play. Bruce has motionless to try and hold what he has - a 2-0 improved - and has brought on Paraguayan defender Paulo César da Silva Barrios for midfielder Lee Cattermole.
47 min: Ship-steadier Da Silva slots in to the heart of Sunderland"s counterclaim to one side Turner and Ferdinand, whilst Fraizer Campbell moves at the at the back of to midfield, withdrawal Bent alone up front.
49 min: Sunderland get out of their own half and fibre five - five! - passes together around the edges of the Liverpool chastisement area prior to Jordan Henderson gives the turn afar to Steven Gerrard. Sunderland"s usually conflict of note in the diversion so far ends in an additional Liverpool try on goal, with Ryan Babel banishment high and wide.
CORNER! In a marvellous spin of events, Sunderland win their initial dilemma of the diversion ... from that zero comes.
52 min: Sunderland substitution: a mightily relieved seeking Steed Malbranque off, a frightened seeking Kenwyne Jones on.
53 min: Torres goes close again after great work from Glen Johnson down the right. Liverpool win a free-kick about twenty-five yards out, right of centre. Steven Gerrard drives the turn in to the wall.
54 min: Jordan Henderson takes a shot from distance. Bah!
55 min: "Turnstiles?" writes Event Ticketing Manager Alison Jeeves from the O2 Arena in Greenwich. "This is the world"s majority renouned song venue, we are as well grand for turnstiles. Its all involuntary doors and club formula scanners turn here. You contingency be treacherous us with Charlton Athletic"s ground; they are usually down the highway after all."
56 min: Sunderland are display gloomy signs of hold up in this half. They"re essentially enjoying a decent volume of possession, despite but seeking identical to you do anything so in advance as utilizing it to measure a goal. Pepe Reina contingency be wearied to tears.
59 min: In the centre-circle, Kenwyne Jones gives the turn afar cheaply, permitting Gerrard and Torres to couple up and enter upon on a counter-attack.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Sunderland (Torres 60) In a swarming chastisement area, Fernando Torres wrong-foots the complete Sunderland counterclaim prior to quietly slotting the turn in to an dull goal. Anton Ferdinand had unsuccessful to transparent a high turn scrupulously and it forsaken for Johnson on the dilemma of the chastisement area. He slpped a crafty pass to Torres, whose finish from eight or 9 yards was excellent.
62 min: On the left flank, Ryan Babel leaps in the air and chests down a prolonged turn from Emiliano Insua, determining it brilliantly. He cuts inside, takes the turn around Phil Bardsley and tries a shot from the dilemma of the chastisement area. It"s blocked.
64 min: The pessimist in me reckons that the hop competence be up for Sunderland here. Still, 3 late goals would consequence them a much-needed point.
64 min: Kuyt has to melt his physique to try and get on the finish of a low Babel cranky that he"d have been improved off withdrawal to Maxi Rodriguez. The Argentinian was utilizing on to Babel"s pass and ideally placed to pound it over Gordon in the Sunderland goal. On the stretch, Kuyt succeeds usually in skewing a shanked bid high over the bar.
66 min: Michael Turner wins a 50-50 turn in a scuffle with Javier Mascherano. Small victories ...
68 min: Kieran Richardson prompts a carol of wolf-whistles from the Kop when a shot from approach out, that was as desirous as it was optimistic, sails high over the bar.
69 min: Phil Bardsley concedes a corner, that Steven Gerrard asks Ryan Babel to take. Liverpool"s skipper patently fancies his chances of removing on the scoresheet. Babel sends in the turn from the right and Sunderland clear.
71 min: "World"s majority renouned song venue, eh?" writes Dave Meehan. "I thought the own 02 in Dublin was some-more popular?" Liverpool substitution: Dirk Kuyt off, Alberto Aquilani on.
72 min: Alberto Aquilani jogs on and takes up on all sides in at the at the at the back of of the front two, forcing Steven Gerrard to move at the at the back of a bit deeper than he"s been personification so far.
74 min: Liverpool win a free-kick about 4 yards outward the Liverpool chastisement area on the right flank. Darren Bent blazes the turn over the bar. I idea his target is some-more correct on Call Of Duty.
75 min: Another dilemma for Sunderland. Reina flaps the indirect inswinger out for a throw-in, from that zero comes.
77 min: "From what you have been describing I would indicate 3 late goals would consequence Sunderland a revisit from the Pope for a spectacle identical to Jesus"s Easter antics," writes Brendan Large.
78 min: Liverpool substitution: Fernando Torres off, David Ngog on. The Spaniard goes off to a rousing acclaim from the home support. Sunderland substitution: Jordan Henderson off, Bolo Zenden on.
79 min: Javier Mascherano gets requisitioned for tripping Darren Bent, surrender a free-kick on the sward in in in in between chastisement area and touchline in the process. The free-kick is churned in to the gloved hands of Pepe Reina.
80 min: Liverpool substitution: Steven Gerrard off, Nabil El Zhar on. Kieran Richardson and Alberto Aquilani move saves out of Pepe Reina and Craig Gordon respectively with long-range diasycutters.
83 min: It seems to be eerily still in Anfield, that is probably unsurprising saying as this diversion finished as a competition in usually underneath 3 minutes. Perhaps the fans are readying themselves for their post-match protest, when they"ll show their restlessness with their American owners by withdrawal their seats, marching to the exits, streaming out of the track and going to the beer hall for a couple of pints or home for their dinner.
85 min: Daniel Agger and arbitrate Phil Dowd have a straightforward sell of views when the central penalises the Liverpool defender for a tainted on Zenden. Sunderland get a free-kick about twenty-five yards out, that Richardson blasts high and wide. In integrity to him, there wasn"t anything identical to 10 yards in in in in between him and the Liverpool wall.
87 min: Liverpool are usually utilizing down the time here and Sunderland appear sincerely calm to let them do so. They"ll be gay to get out of Anfield on the wrong finish of a 3-0 scoreline. But for the open-handedness of various Liverpool players, they could have shipped 10 or eleven this afternoon.
90 min: Babel, Ngog and Aquilani ping the turn around the dilemma of the Sunderland chastisement area, acid for an opening. The Italian in the future curls a shot goalwards, that Gordon saves.
90+1 min: Bolo Zenden shoots from area and his bid looks to be streamer for the bottom left-hand dilemma until Reina intervenes with a excellent save.
90+2 min: David Ngog misses a decent possibility to bombardment Liverpool in to a 4-0 lead, attack uninformed air from about 6 yards as a pass from Aquilani forsaken over his right shoulder. That"s great headlines for reader Dave Hancock, who claims to have gamble on a 3-0 scoreline. "Starting to hold now," he says. "Hope usually dual mins combined time max."
Dave Hancock can go and collect. It"s all over - Liverpool have won comfortably. If anything, the scoreline flatters Sunderland, who were utterly outplayed in each department. They rallied somewhat in the second half, but were still really advantageous to usually lose 3-0. Liverpool leapfrog Manchester City to go in to fifth place, 4 points at the at the at the back of of Tottenham Hotspur carrying played one diversion more. Sunderland sojourn mired in mid-table "meh!".
Finally, I"ve motionless to endowment Nick Smith"s January Molby Award for the player (or manager) who majority resembles a beach turn to Sunderland trainer Steve Bruce, right away that the flush red of annoyance has rendered his big head uncelebrated from the inflatable turn that dismissed Sunderland to feat in the analogous tie at the Stadium of Light.
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