Post #17 - Barclays Premier League Review - Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham

The Reds rounded off a rampant March by sending Spurs packing in another fantastic performance at Anfield in the form of a 4-0 win. All season the fans, home and away, have been absolutely superb but before the game today they seemed a colourful and rather energetic voice.

The Kop looked like it did in the great Champions League nights in 2005, of which the best to compare similarities was the Chelsea semi-final at Anfield. All off the signs were there, quite literally! 'Make Us Dream', 'We Love You Liverpool We Do', and 'We Are The Famous The Famous Kopites' were just a few that the Liverpool team entered to pitch to see. The debate as to whether to start Philippe Coutinho or Raheem Sterling ended today as the pair of them made a starting eleven appearance, but keeping them both in the side meant that the change came in the form of the departing Joe Allen who dropped to the bench. 

The familiar sight of Liverpool attacking flair right from the off repeated again today as the start all fans would have dreamed of came true inside just two minutes. Glen Johnson placed a ball across the box in an attempt to search for a red shirt, but the ball was turned in by the white Spurs shirt of Younes Kaboul, 1-0 to Liverpool.

Already the fans were singing "We're gonna win the League!". Watching the game I thought that Liverpool were going to do what they did to Spurs' North London rivals Arsenal last month and absolutely blitz them within the opening minutes of the game. Coutinho almost managed to find joy with an attempted ball through to Suarez while Sterling tried the same but also failed just minutes after taking the lead. Spurs actually had more attempts at goal than Liverpool in this game but I honestly didn't noticed because of the fact that we took our chances and played much better football. Meanwhile Flanagan continued to impress as well and had a brilliant game, putting everything on the line to win the ball. After Suarez hit a free kick just over the bar, an injured Jan Vertonghen was substituted and replaced by Michael Dawson which ultimately changed the game. Just moments later Dawson failed to catch up with a pacey Luis Suarez after Kaboul had gifted the Uruguayan the ball who calmly slotted into the bottom corner to make it 2-0 after 25 minutes.

Kaboul's afternoon got worse when he was yellow carded shortly after a Skrtel superbly blocked a shot from Eriksen. Sturridge too tried to get on the act with a free kick that went just wide of the mark. 

I was very impressed with the defence as well today, because we didn't look as if we were in too much danger throughout the game and that is something we should give great credit to the back four. Agger sniffed out potential danger from Soldado in the opening minutes of the second half, while Flanagan was managing to dig himself out of sticky situations. It took Liverpool only ten minutes of play in the second half to find the net again in this encounter. Philippe Coutinho scored this one and it was a daisycutter too. The Brazilian got himself into a great position at the edge of the box and drilled it into the corner at the Kop End to make it 3-0 in the 55th minute.

The red men could have added more to their lead when a Man of the Match Raheem Sterling played a wonderful one-two with Luis Suarez and should have lobbed it over Lloris. The young English international has really impressed me this season and we have seen him flourish. He is extremely strong and extremely fast, and bullied the Spurs defenders all afternoon. We again saw Henderson working hard to put the opposite players under huge amounts of pressure, with the latest victim of the midfielder's class coming in the form of Danny Rose. It was actually also good to see Gerrard getting a wonderful reception as he left the field as part of a substitution as a lot of us continue to worry about a potential yellow card that would see the skipper get a two match suspension, though the yellow card total gets wiped on the same day that the Reds play Man City at home. Henderson got a goal for himself as he drove the ball into the box and ended up in the back of the net to make it 4-0 in the 75th minute.

The last time Liverpool were top of the tabel was when I was at Anfield for the Cardiff game at home where the fans were chanting 'Liverpool, top of the league!'. So, guess what? Liverpool are top again and two points clear of Chelsea after a dramatic Saturday afternoon that could have seen the title race swing Liverpool's way. Man City have a couple of games in hand but we are the ones with the points on the board with just six games left to play. That also means eight consecutive wins for the Reds which is definitely the form of Champions. So I am definitely believing that a first title in the Premier League era is more than possible. Roll on West Ham next Sunday!

Post #16 - Barclays Premier League Preview - Liverpool v Tottenham

My apologies for the lateness of the preview this week, but was perhaps a blessing in disguise as we have a lot more to talk about after an incredible set of games on Saturday. With Liverpool now entering the type of form of the current European elites such as Juventus and PSG, is it time to really start talking serious with this title?

It was quite clear on Wednesday that the nerves were kicking in with regards just how close this Liverpool team are to a title. For anyone that, somehow, doesn't already know title rivals Chelsea were beaten by Crystal Palace in their 3pm kick off at Selhurst Park, which fuels the chatter about the Reds actually being able to lift the Premier League trophy come May. A big problem of course is Manchester City and their games in hand, of which they play in April, but apart from that there isn't really anything or anyone holding teams up in terms of games, we are all, near enough, level! But the 75 minute mark hit Liverpool like a ton of bricks against Sunderland, and they are really starting to believe because title-winning sides usually carve out results like they did in midweek, but as Chelsea know it only takes one bad result for things to change. Interesting words coming from Sky Sports News' Soccer Saturday, with the guests in the studio telling everyone why all the neutrals want Liverpool to win the title, because of the captain, El Capitano, Steven Gerrard. He has won every single big trophy under the sun, except the Barclays Premier League trophy. He is made to lift this trophy as he nears the end of his illustrious and champion-like career, and would probably be the best he's lifted despite the amazing Champions League final of 2005. Surely a potential achievement of eight consecutive league wins is the form of champions, so why keep holding Liverpool back in winning the title, we CAN win it. 

We can go back to the trip to White Hart Lane in a period of games in December that could define our season. We beat them 5-0 at their place! 5-0! We also got their manager sacked too in Andre Villas Boas. That trip I think was the best at defining what we have been about this season, quality throughout the team. Jon Flanagan scored a 'worldie' as his first goal for his team in the second half to secure Liverpool's victory in North London, whilst Suarez continued his amazing form. Can we expect the same thing on Sunday? I don't think so. Spurs can probably take a leaf out of Sunderland's book and sit in and soak up as much pressure and not do stupid things with the ball. I like Tim Sherwood if I'm honest because he is like a managerial version of Suarez for me, because football and winning is so important to both of them. Sherwood is quite animated on the touchline, just like Suarez used to be on the pitch. I think its just a shame what the £100m player investment did for the club and what the former Blackburn man was left with was mediocre. 

Find out the outcome of this one for 4pm, when the game is live from Anfield, and on Sky Sports 1/1HD.  

Post #15 - Barclays Premier League Review - Liverpool 2-1 Sunderland

Barely got through that one in the end, didn't we? Another cracker at Anfield tonight, and I think we could all have been forgiven by saying Liverpool had won the title by the support from the fans outside the ground way before kick off.

Before hand I was a little surprised by Rodgers' decision to keep Philippe Coutinho in the starting eleven, meaning that there was an unchanged side from the win at Cardiff on Saturday. But I was definitely wrong about these feelings as the Brazilian had an excellent game, and will be explained in a little more detail as we go on.

Right from the off I think it was rather clear that Sunderland were there to try and wear Liverpool down and make them string more and more passes together, rather than just being cut open like Arsenal or Everton, for which we should give the opposition and Gus Poyet great credit. The North East side had clearly gone for the same defensive tactics as Cardiff, of which saw the Welsh side take the lead twice, and played five at the back. Efforts from Sturridge and Coutinho edged wide of the target in the early moments of the game, giving the visitors a few little scares here and there, but for me they weren't all that troubled. I think a lot of teams are becoming aware of just what Luis Suarez is capable of from free kicks, but he didn't cause Vito Mannone too much of a threat when he saw his free kick in this one over the bar. Pressure though was gradually beginning to rise as Sturridge fired off target twice while Joe Allen failed to find the net, with a lot of the plaudits going to Coutinho for his attacking flair in the build up, all coming before the game finally turned the home side's way. A potential talking point was brought up after the Black Cats defender Santiago Vergini, on just his second Premier League appearance, brought down Suarez outside the box. The Uruguayan international looked as if he was clean through on goal with only the keeper to beat, though many will argue that Wes Brown started to make a run just as the foul was committed. Kevin Friend, who many Reds fans believe that he is no 'friend' of Liverpool's over the years, decided to give Vergini a yellow card, but to make up for that, Steven Gerrard fired the ball into the top corner just beyond Mannone.

1-0 to Liverpool in the 39th minute, as the skipper ran away in delight before clearly saying to Suarez during the celebrations "No more free kicks!" Hearts were in mouths though as the Reds, who were after a seventh consecutive League win, had some defending to do just before the break after a Connor Wickham shot deflected off Skrtel which forced Simon Mignolet to push the ball wide.

In all honesty, I am getting quite annoyed with our full back Glen Johnson. I and other fans will have put the England international's poor and lethargic start to the season down to a supposed injury that he picked up. But I was quite optimistic when he came back into the side, and to be fair he has done well since his return, but I just feel that he isn't consistent enough. He played a blinder in the game against Cardiff on Saturday, and we saw more of the old Johnson, the one who is always bursting forward, cutting inside and trying to score, whilst still having good control of the ball and good positioning. All of these qualities seemed to be absent tonight, and looked rather tired and lethargic especially in the last quarter of the match, where Liverpool were under the most pressure in the game.

Brendan Rodgers must work wonders with his half time team talks, because since the turn of 2014, Liverpool have looked stronger in the second half and this was noticeable in the Cardiff game when Skrtel came up with an instant impact after the break. It was also noticeable in this game, as after a Suarez effort curled just outside of the goal, Daniel Sturridge took a shot that curled into the corner via a Wes Brown deflection - and ultimately 2-0 to Liverpool in the 48th minute.

Sturridge's goal also meant that he alongside Suarez became one of just six Reds pairings to get at least 20 goals each in one season, with the last one being Ian St John and Roger Hunt in the 1963/64 season. The Merseysiders were far from done in this encounter, as shortly after as Sturridge thought his attempt at goal was drilled into the bottom corner, but he was denied by Suarez who got in the way and pretty much summed up his night in front of goal.

 After a brilliant spell in the first half, Ki was brought on for Sunderland and he changed the rest of the game. Liverpool looked rather flat after Coutinho again tried to find the net, but they didn't help themselves by passing the ball along the back line rather than advancing the ball into midfield more often. Even Gerrard said to Sky Sports after the game that "We [Liverpool] should have passed the ball better". The Reds were rattled in the last fifteen minutes of this one, and the nail-biting began when Lee Cattermole was given far too much space to get a shot away but only onto the crossbar. The home side have been poor in their defending of corners all season, and this got worse as Agger failed to block a delivery into the area from a corner that was eventually met by the head of the substitute Ki, who was arguably Sunderland's Man of the Match. 2-1 in the 76th minute. Liverpool looking rather nervy.

A Bardsley cross deflected across the box before hearts were in mouths just before the end when Adam Johnson's free kick was met by the head of O'Shea who glanced it wide of the mark.

My words have nothing on the visual reality of it all in the final minutes of the game. Sometimes you have to win ugly, and this was one of those times. Potentially, the holding on of the lead here could be a sign of champions, but the skipper repeats that "nothing is won yet". But that's now seven league wins on the bounce, and only Man City have achieved a higher winning streak this season with eight consecutive wins. We have to believe! Until next time folks when I will be previewing Liverpool v Spurs.

Post #14 - Barclays Premier League Preview - Liverpool v Sunderland

Just before I start the preview of LFC's next match, may I express my greatest condolences to the families and friends of those who were on Flight MH370, this according to the recently sad news that we have all received with regards the evidence in the past hour of writing this. 

It was another great away day for Liverpool on Saturday, and the past three games have all been away days so it makes a change that the Reds return to Anfield to play Sunderland on Wednesday night. It seems like it has been ages since their 4-3 victory over Swansea City at the end of February, but now it is up to the fans to welcome their side back into their stadium with immense passion and wonderful support. The first fixture of two against the Black Cats saw the return of Luis Suarez to Barclays Premier League football after his ten match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea at Anfield at the end of last season. How far the Uruguayan has come on since that day is unbelievable, but yet still not a surprise because of his qualities as a player and as a person. We have all come to agree as fans that he will, quite literally, do anything to win games for Liverpool, and never intended to win his side any less than three points.

He scored two goals on his return in September and has since added 26 more goals to his tally, with the latest coming in the form a hat trick against fellow relegation rivals Cardiff City. The manner in which he goes about dealing with decisions that don't go his way has changed only in a way that benefits himself and the team around him, without losing that great desire to see his side do well all of the time. 

Again the cliche of every game being treated like a cup final really does need to ring true because of how close it is between all of the teams at the top end of the table, and that means that now, for Liverpool, there are eight cup finals left to play. Speaking of cup finals, we all know that our North East opponents participated in one in the shape of the Capital One Cup final a few weeks ago. That day really does show the ups and downs of Sunderland this season and emphasizes their unpredictability.  I'm looking forward to see how the table shapes up come the end of Wednesday night mainly because I will be paying as much attention to the number of matches all of the sides in the League have played, as well as just the points on the board.

The participation of Premier League teams in the latter stages of the FA Cup and League Cup means that teams such as Liverpool have played less games than others, or far less games if you are Manchester City. This has caused much confusion among supporters of top flight clubs because their teams have played more or less games than other teams, some of which are rivals for higher places in the League. The Reds were due to play this home fixture Sunderland after Southampton, which would have broken up the away day schedule into two, but was postponed because of the Mackem's cup final duties. This though perhaps was a blessing in disguise as Brendan Rodgers has sent his warriors around the country to show that his side are a real force, and have every intention of winning every game, proven even more so by their 12 goals in their three away games. 

Without trying to jump the gun or jinx anything before this one, it does seem as if Gus Poyet's men have deteriorated since the defeat at the hands of Man City in the League Cup final, having also had any hope of a Wembley return this season ended by Hull City in the FA Cup Quarter Final, as well as still being stuck in a relegation scrap. What is very good for Liverpool for two reasons is that one man that has been significantly influential for Sunderland this season is the Reds' loaned-out Italian, Fabio Borini.

It will be good to see him in the squad next season because of his performances this season for one reason, and the other is that he is cup tied, or of an 'ineligible state' for this game because he is still a Liverpool player,  and therefore won't cause his employers any damage on Wednesday. The young man was sent on loan by Rodgers in an attempt to see him get regular Premier League football, and the Northern Irishman discussed this in detail in a Monday Pre-Match Press Conference at Melwood.

"Fabio went out to get games, go on loan and play more regularly than he was playing here. He has done that and showed with some of the goals he has scored - particularly against the big teams - the qualities that he has. The goal he scored in the Capital One Cup final was a fantastic goal."

Certainly one to look forward to as Liverpool look to getting a seventh consecutive win in midweek. It is live from Anfield on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD on Wednesday night. Lets hope we win!

Post #13 - Barclays Premier League Review - Cardiff City 3-6 Liverpool

'Nothing short of incredible' are my words to describe Saturday's Barclays Premier League matches, and as it turned out, perhaps Chelsea's 6-0 demolition of title rivals Arsenal was a catalyst for Liverpool as they faced Cardiff City in South Wales. The Reds got six goals for themselves in this one, but it doesn't reflect the tough times they had this afternoon. Brendan Rodgers seems to be switching between Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling in the Starting XI, having dropped the England international in favour of the Brazillian. This however was the only change to an away side that was bang in form and seeking a sixth consecutive League victory.

Liverpool got off to a very shaky start as Cardiff pressed them high up the field within the first few minutes, while Steven Gerrard also picked up a yellow card for a challenge on Frazier Campbell. The former Man United man had caused the Reds a lot of problems throughout the first half, starting with a pass that turned out to be an assist as he found Jordan Mutch who fired it into the bottom corner to put the home side 1-0 up in the 9th minute.

Watching this match, I could clearly see that some more character would be needed in order to keep themselves in this one, and we all know that the Reds have character as they have had to come from behind before in this campaign. They notched up the pace and created some problems for themselves and got an equaliser in the 16th minute. Jordan Henderson sliced the Cardiff defence in two as he found Glen Johnson, who calmly rolled it into the box for a Luis Suarez tap in it in to make it 1-1. That goal also meant that the Uruguayan was on 26 goals in total for this season and was the 77th Liverpool goal this season, equaling their best ever Premier League goal tally, which is amazing especially because there are still games to come. Cardiff came back with their own response soon after in the 25th minute as Campbell passed Daniel Agger with ease and saw his effort fly past Simon Mignolet and into the net to make it 2-1. The heartache that I felt at points in the game at Craven Cottage last month were certainly revisited again today as the Welsh side threaten to deflate the in-form visitors.

Frustration began to build as Gerrard conceded a free kick and a potentially scary moment once again for the Liverpool defence. A fantastic bit of play from the Reds, not for the first time, granted them another lifeline as Skrtel got on the end of a fantastic ball by Coutinho to make it 2-2 just before the break.

The first half was poor though for Liverpool and again more defensive problems too, but I was also disappointed with some of the play on the left side and to be perfectly honest the game was calling for Raheem Sterling, who I think should of started the game again today. 

Liverpool came out for the second half a completely different team however and it started off when Suarez had a chance to score from a free kick on the edge of the box, but failed to score. They took their chance shortly after though when the Reds cleverly used the fact that Cardiff were down to nine men to their advantage, when the corner that followed was delivered into the box, Martin Skrtel got on the end of it to make it 3-2.

Theophile-Catherine and Mutch were receiving treatment from both the Cardiff and Liverpool medical staff, who indicated that both players should be taken off momentarily and in the end the Liverpool corner resulted in a goal. Seven minutes later the Reds added to their lead as Luis Suarez bagged his second of the day, Sturridge with a piece of unbelievable skill and use of ability when he didn't even need to look where the Uruguayan was to back heel into his path and let the League's top scorer put it in the back of the net to make it 4-2. There was more joy to come as Daniel Sturridge got his reward for his link up play when he got his goal 15 minutes from time, scoring one of the easiest goals he will ever score after getting on the end of a Suarez cross to make it 5-2. 

The Liverpool fans were on their feet throughout the second half. "We're gonna win the league" and "We are Liverpool" belted out proudly from the section of travelling Kopites, who were travelling to their sides third consecutive away game. Somehow the scares weren't over though as Cardiff gained some momentum after Kenwyne Jones nodded the ball to Mutch who found the net to make it 3-5 in the 88th minute. But it proved to be too little too late as Suarez bagged his hat trick and his 28th goal of the season, equaling Robbie Fowler's record set back in the 95/96 season to make it 6-3 to Liverpool.

The Uruguayan held off Cala and was square on, and even with Sterling screaming at him ready for a tap in, there was no doubt that the in form striker was going to get the match ball. What an afternoon!

So they did get their sixth consecutive win, didn't they?! Just incredible, and what a way to seal their third win of three consecutive away games, of which was always going to be a big ask, but they managed to collect all nine points, scoring an incredible 12 goals along the way. The 12 goals are just a handful out of the magnificent 82 goals that Liverpool have scored this season, and you would think that there is still more to come with eight games still to play. Why can't we win the title? A game in hand on the leaders and still to play Chelsea at home, at this stage is definitely something to think about. What more do you want me to say! I will leave you with the fact that Liverpool are second and are four points behind Chelsea who are first, oh and also this is what Brendan Rodgers said after the game. 

"We were probably a little bit too deep in the first half; we gave too much space to their players that were a threat - Fraizer Campbell and Craig Bellamy did very well in the opening period of the game," he reflected.

"We lost the ball once or twice too cheaply. But we were still an offensive threat; at half-time we just shortened the pitch a bit more and reinforced our idea to dominate the ball. Obviously that led to our creation of chances.

"We showed great resilience today, mentally, and again showed our offensive power. We all stayed very focused and composed.

"It was an outstanding result for us. Some elements of our game were very good today, against a newly-promoted team, which are always difficult to play against."

Post #12 - Barclays Premier League Preview - Cardiff City v Liverpool

I suspect that we are all still recovering after an unforgettable afternoon at Old Trafford on Sunday, and in the blink of an eye, Liverpool have another challenge waiting for them in South Wales when they take on Cardiff City.

The loud and proud Cardiff fans
 at Anfield back in December. © 2013 Dan Rimmer

I attended the reverse fixture between the two sides at Anfield back in December and I gained my own first hand experience of the Reds beginning to look like a real threat as they went to the top of the table in that lunchtime Kick Off. In fact, Liverpool are only one place below what they were in that encounter just before Christmas and that gives me great belief because we have managed to maintain a good position in the League since that day. 

But first to the home side in this fixture, and I think it is quite debatable whether or not Cardiff are a different team, better off or more worse off, since they lost to Liverpool. They sit second from bottom while the visitors sit second from top, and have looked deflated for the most part under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They will take great confidence from their last home win against Fulham and their first home win of the season against the Reds' title rivals Manchester City, although that day they were under the reign of Malky Mackay. It still proves that they can compete against teams bigger than themselves, having also gained a point from Manchester United and three points from their local rivals Swansea City, all too at the Cardiff City Stadium. I hate their owner Vincent Tan with all that is in my body and have a huge lack of respect for him because of his general arrogance as well as his decision to remove one of the most respected top-flight managers in recent times in Mackay as his team's man in charge. I and all other Liverpool fans respected the Cardiff fans at Anfield for their support of the Scotsman, as all you could hear coming from the away end on that day was "Don't sack Mackay".

The new signings that he brought in back in January are still questioned by many as to whether they are good signings, but having said all of this about the Malaysian owner, it is still his money. With the former Man United man at the helm, do Cardiff pose a threat? Of course they do, but the Norwegian has a significant lack of experience in Premier League management compared to Brendan Rodgers, who's tactical prowess has impressed many this season.

Liverpool are bidding for a magnificent sixth consecutive win in the Barclays Premier League, after recently, and quite literally, demolishing both Southampton and United. The Northern Irish boss in his Thursday Press Conference at Melwood, brought up how even more impressive it was of his side to not concede a single goal in two of the most difficult away games and therefore keeping two consecutive clean sheets. 

"We've done really well on difficult grounds. At Old Trafford, Manchester United had just one shot on target, which I think is their lowest in five seasons."

 It baffles me how some football fans are only just realising that Liverpool are genuine contenders for the title considering the quality of the players in the squad. When you have the quality of players like Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in the side, surely you always have a chance of winning anything.

I'm hoping that all in football now think that Jordan Henderson is a wonderful player and can achieve great things in the future. He works hard for the team and surely his England call up wasn't just for nothing and should prove his doubters wrong. The banner that the travelling Kopites held up in the away end on Sunday, saying "Make Us Dream" certainly reminded me of the same words held up in the Kop against Juventus at Anfield in 2005. I think the glory days are certainly on the horizon and as fans, surely we have to dream that our team can achieve success in any competition we play in. Even though it is so cliche, because of how tight it is at the top, you really do have to "take each game as it comes". As fans, all we can do is get behind the team as we have done all season and hope that the great run continues. It may seem that I haven't written as much on Liverpool as I have on Cardiff City, but it's because I've simply run out of words to describe them at the moment.

The Reds are the only unbeaten team in 2014, as Chelsea lost to Aston Villa on Saturday. Will they continue the great run and pull one off against Cardiff City? Find out on Saturday as Liverpool take on the South Wales side in the 3pm Kick Off at the Cardiff City Stadium. 

Post #11 - Barclays Premier League Review - Man Utd 0-3 Liverpool

Liverpool's trip to Old Trafford was the second of three consecutive away Premier League matches, having beaten Southampton and a visit to South Wales to play Cardiff City to look forward to. Another great game for the Reds and a very comfortable one too, in all areas of the field. There was just one change to the side that won 3-0 on the South Coast two weeks ago, as Raheem's 'Sterling' performances against Southampton and for England against Denmark had earned him his place in the Starting XI, replacing Philippe Coutinho. 

There wasn't that much between the two sides and it was a rather flat first 20 minutes for the forwards of both United and Liverpool, with the ball stuck in the midfield.

It turned into a rather feisty encounter however as Jon Flanagan, with all of his desire to win the ball in 50/50 challenges, earned him as well as Manchester United's Rafael a yellow card after several challenges that referee Mark Clattenburg had totted up.

The referee himself had an extremely busy afternoon, that started when he gave Liverpool a penalty through a handball from Rafael after Luis Suarez controlled a ball beautifully from a switch of play by Daniel Sturridge and was about to drive past the full back. Perhaps a sense of déjà vu as Steven Gerrard readied himself, as he did to seal a victory against Southampton a fortnight ago, and in the 34th minute the skipper placed the ball into the bottom right hand corner to make it 1-0 to his side. The Red Devils tried to force a response before the break and made Simon Mignolet make a great save from a lively Wayne Rooney, while the goalscorer in Gerrard was also forced into a yellow card before hand. 

I and many other Liverpool fans would have loved the sarcastic banner held up by the away supporters at the Theatre of Dreams that read "David Moyes is a football genius", and it seemed as if the banner was going to ring true again as the Reds were in pole position to take another three points from Manchester United.

The second half was barely a 60 seconds old when Joe Allen was blatantly pushed over by Phil Jones, as Clattenburg was forced into awarding the visitors their second penalty of the match. Again, it was the inevitable outcome that was a Gerrard goal in the 46th minute to give his side a 2-0 lead, as the captain repeated his celebration of a penalty in their 4-1 win in 2009 by kissing the nearby camera. I would be wrong to say that United really gave Mignolet and his back four a lot of work to do after Liverpool's second goal, which is a great credit to the defence, as Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney often found themselves in offside positions and firing shots over the bar, while Adnan Januzaj's pace did however at times give the Redmen something to think about.

However it was Liverpool who continued to dominate, and perhaps would have got a third or fourth goal had Suarez had managed to find Sturridge instead of managing to find the goal on a few occasions. 

Raheem Sterling was taken off by Brendan Rodgers, who despite holding a 2-0 lead was the first of the two managers to make a sub, as Brazillian Philippe Coutinho entered the field of play. There were a lot of penalty shouts by many managers and players across the country in Saturday's round of Barclays Premier League matches, however none were given. But somehow we ended up with three penalties in one match in this fixture as Nemanja Vidic saw his last game against Liverpool cut short after he was given his marching orders by the referee after a rather soft and potentially non-existent challenge on Sturridge. That was to be the Serbians fourth and final red card shown to him against the Merseysiders, as Gerrard stepped up to the penalty spot in an attempt to bag himself a hat trick in front of the travelling Kopites. Unfortunately he failed to convert after he was denied by the post, which meant that the score was kept at 2-0. The skipper said after the game that he was "happy to get the two goals" but admitted that he was "a little cocky" as he approached the ball for the third penalty. The failure to score a third was short-lived however as Suarez finally managed to score against the Manchester side in the 84th minute to make it 3-0 and rounded off a wonderful afternoon in style.

The Uruguayan's specially knitted boots clustered up a lovely finish after he took advantage of a blocked shot from Sturridge that ended up in a wonderful and inviting position to stroke the ball into the corner. The Reds' five year wait for an Old Trafford victory ended as the home side were left humiliated and their supporters out-sung by the loud and proud Liverpool fans. 

It wasn't a bad weekend overall, despite Manchester City and eventually Arsenal managing to collect three points at Hull and Tottenham respectively. But a shock defeat for Chelsea at the hands of Aston Villa on Saturday evening meant the Reds retained their second place position in the table and leaving themselves just four points short of and a game in hand over the West London side.

Next up for Liverpool is Cardiff City, and another away challenge awaiting for us in South Wales in the 3pm Kick Off on Saturday, and I will leave you after an unforgettable afternoon with the Northern Irish manager's comments in the Post Match Press Conference.

"We will just focus on our next game, that's Cardiff. I'm only focusing on our next game and looking to get three points. All the teams will drop points; we may well drop points, we may not. I can only look at our next game, I've done that since I've walked in the door. I'm not going to change now."

Post #10 - Barclays Premier League Preview - Man Utd v Liverpool

Like myself on this blog, Liverpool have been out of action and without football on the field for a fortnight but the return to Premier League duties lights up a fixture of real history and tradition. If you haven't yet guessed, even without looking at the title of the post, it is of course Manchester United against Liverpool and sixth against second. On any given year in the past you might expect that the second place team going into this one is United, but instead it is Liverpool who will take to the Old Trafford pitch knowing that they have taken 11 more points than their rivals who lie in sixth place in this campaign. 

This is the stage of the season when Domestic cup fixtures and European matches take a place more to the centre of it all, leaving teams that have failed to progress in other competitions without matches to play, causing a lot of confusion among fans. To try and put all of this simply and state the main facts, Manchester City, who the Reds are still to play at Anfield next month, have played only 26 league games - the joint lowest amount out of all of the sides along with Sunderland. Without trying to steer away from the match on Sunday, I mentioned previously that all eyes would be on City with the fixtures that they had. They beat Sunderland in the Capital One Cup Final the day after Liverpool's victory against Southampton as the redmen launched themselves into second place. But since City's victory over the Black Cats, it has been a real struggle that began with a shock FA Cup Quarter Final defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic.

The Sky Blues were also dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by the almighty Barcelona, leaving many thinking that their League Cup win will be the only trophy in the Manchester side's cabinet this season. I say all this because many have also said that this title is theirs to lose because of the quality of the squad, but Reds fans could and should relish the possibility of the absence of Sergio Aguero from upcoming matches due to a hamstring problem. I also say all of this because Liverpool are certainly still in the title race and have proved that they have a good enough squad to compete with the rest. Man City are the team that require the most catch up, meaning that they are also under the most pressure, with their title rivals having putting points on the board since their last league match. 

But now to the Reds' next encounter against Manchester United, and to a potential fifth consecutive victory in the Barclays Premier League should the away side be successful at the weekend.

The lethal partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have lead some to think of the possibility of the deadly duo firing more goals between them than any other partnership in Premier League history, and beating Andy Cole and Peter Beardsley's 55 goals in one season. The main main up front for the Reds have netted 42 goals between them so far, and with only ten games to go, all fans of the Merseyside club should be open to the possibility of breaking records while trying to compete for the Premier League crown. I personally loved the optimism of Brendan Rodgers in Friday's Press Conference at Melwood, where he stated that his side had not beaten Tottenham and Southampton for a very long time away from home. The Northern Irishman now thinks that they have a real chance of their first victory at the home of the Red Devils since the 4-1 win in 2009 and go into the battle as favourites to win. 

"It'll be another marker for us. We've had a number of those statistics this year. We hadn't won away at Tottenham for quite a while and we performed there. We hadn't won at Southampton, which is a real tough away game, for 11 years and we won there. We'll take the very same approach going into this game."

Liverpool are almost perfect now as far as injuries go, as their were appearances for Lucas and Mamadou Sakho in the U21 fixture in midweek as BR gave the green light to the duo to return to the squad for the visit to United on Sunday, leaving only Jose Enrique out of the squad.

One has to congratulate the pair for their hard work in their recovery that was proven even more so by their wishes to stay behind and work that little bit harder whilst the rest of the first team took a break. The boss was the first to praise the two as he reiterated his delight in being able to easily prove that his team works hard and never look to take the easy way out. We can't forget the victory earlier on in the season at Anfield as Sturridge headed into the back of the net in the 1-0 victory back in September, and it is debatable whether Manchester United have improved in any way since then, despite a recent 3-0 victory against West Brom.

We also can't forget the Reds defeat at the hands of the Champions in the Capital One Cup Thid Round that saw the return of Luis Suarez from his 10 match suspension and saw the sparks starting to light up at the beginning of the season.

Will the Reds be able to get that fifth consecutive league victory against their rivals? Find out on Sunday in their 1.30pm Kick Off at Old Trafford, where the match will also be live on Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 1 HD and Sky 3D.

Post #9 - Barclays Premier League Review - Southampton 0-3 Liverpool

It was another win for Liverpool in this evening's Barclays Premier League encounter against Southampton on the South Coast and at Saint Marys, where they have failed to win in the last 3 visits. Perhaps a bit of a shock for fans before kick off when it was announced that a very in form Raheem Sterling was left out of the Starting XI in place of Joe Allen. However the confidence was high as Daniel Sturridge looked to score for the 9th consecutive match, up front of course with Luis Suarez. The news had probably broke to the players that Jonathan Walters' penalty won Stoke the game against Arsenal, meaning that a win for the away side would definitely take them into second place.

Right from the kick off, Liverpool burst forward with Philippe Coutinho trying to find Suarez before being knocked off the ball by Lovren, the scorer for Southampton at Anfield in September. Jon Flanagan looked a little shaky on the right side in the first half, but this didn't surprise me as Sterling would usually be the one to chase for the ball and help the full back stop the Saints' attacking threat. Liverpool did get forward for themselves soon after, with Sturridge coming in from the left side and certainly knocking on the door. Suarez hadn't scored since his side's Merseyside Derby victory at the end of January before this evening, but in the 16th minute, the Uruguayan stroked the ball in to the corner to make it 1-0. The striker fired in brilliantly after the ball took a wicked deflection off of Jose Fonte, setting it up perfectly to tuck it in to the net. Suarez then could have doubled the lead with a free kick just on the edge of the area, but only managed to steer the ball over the bar.

Liverpool were very poor after the goal though, and were breached several times by Southampton. Coutinho played poorly throughout his spell in the game, looking rather lethargic and lost, while also taking too much time to try and keep possession. Luke Shaw, still buzzing after his England call up, was causing havoc on the wing too and looking for an equaliser within minutes of the visitor's opener. Glen Johnson struggled on his return to the Liverpool side last weekend, but there was no sign of any struggle today and started what was great game for him by managing to heroically block a Chambers cross. It seemed that every time Liverpool managed to win the ball back, they lost it again within a matter of moments, as a counter attack was broke down by Fonte. But, all in all it was the Reds who went into the break with the advantage and needed a spirited speech from Brendan Rodgers to pump some urgency back into his side's play. Eventually, Raheem Sterling came on to replace Coutinho in what was an inevitable substitution just before the hour mark.

The youngster was another of those called up to the England squad, and pumped life back into his side's football by making an instant impact and slotting the ball past Arthur Boruc to double the Reds' lead (2-0). The young man got on the end of a Suarez cross after the Uruguayan left his marker for dead, leaving the away side looking a lot more comfortable than they did in the first half. 

It was a bit of a shock, but a good shock it was when I was watching this match and watching a Reds back line that performed very well throughout the encounter. Skrtel made the correct decisions in the second half and didn't look under too much threat when Southampton had set pieces. We also saw a bit of the old Daniel Agger, with the Dane trying to show his attacking side by carrying the ball forward to the midfield and advancing play superbly. Steven Gerrard struck from distance and it looked as if his effort was sailing into the corner, denied only by a smart save from Boruc. Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports after the game that his side could have had 4 or 5 goals today with the amount of good chances they failed to take. Jordan Henderson failed to find his goalscoring ability by firing over the bar after Suarez had a clear chance at goal before failing to find Sturridge in the area, leaving the ball for the midfielder in the perfect place to shoot. In the latter stages, Suarez was fouled by Victor Wanyama who came through the back and seemed to caused a knock to the League's top scorer, and left many fans, such as myself, scared that the knock may be serious. It was obvious that he fought on because of the war horse he is, and was tripped up inside the box by Fonte and conceding a penalty in the process. This could only go one way, with skipper Gerrard poised to give Liverpool a 3-0 lead in the 94th minute. And in typical Gerrard fashion, he fired the ball into the top corner, and put the icing on the cake and rounded off a great all round performance.

So they did manage it. I didn't think they would, but Arsenal's failure to gain points from the Britannia meant Liverpool went into second place, four points behind Chelsea, who beat Fulham in a West London Derby earlier in the day. They are level on points with the Gunners but are ahead on goal difference, while the Reds are also two points clear of Manchester City, who do however have the chance to return to the top with their two games in hand, as the eyes of football fans lie on the Manchester side's involvement in the Capital One Cup Final at Wembley on Sunday.