First-half goals from Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres helped Liverpool maintain the pressure on the top four as Rafa Benitez's men beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Anfield.Gerrard opened the scoring through a wonderfully flowing move which he started and finished although Rovers then stunned Liverpool by equalising from the spot thanks to Keith Andrews after a Jamie Carragher handball.
However, a close-range finish from Torres just before the break gave Liverpool the lead again and they managed to
hold on to it the second time although Rovers pushed them close towards the end as Liverpool got more nervous as the encounter went on.
However, they hung on for the victory to now sit just a point behind Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
REACTION:
Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce defended his recent comments regarding Benitez in a post-match press conference that was as ill-tempered as his side's showing.
Rovers got well and truly stuck in at Anfield and left with five bookings and even fewer friends but Allardyce
shrugged aside any criticisms of his side's forceful performance.
Blackburn's display has driven an even larger wedge between Allardyce and Benitez, who fell out spectacularly last year when the Rovers manager claimed Benitez disrespected him with a gesture during Liverpool's 4-0 win.
Allardyce had a go at Benitez earlier this week with comments critical of Liverpool's style of play and it became clear afterwards that neither man is prepared to patch up their relationship just yet.
Allardyce said: "I only (criticise Liverpool) because Liverpool have a go at me and only because I'm entitled to
respond when I get criticised by Rafa Benitez.
"I'm entitled to respond to that so if you don't understand that over the last few years then you must be deluded.
"Many other times I've been criticised personally by the manager so I feel I have the right (to criticise) back. We
had five bookings and 25 fouls against us and that was not a fair reflection of how we played.
Benitez was satified with the victory but felt Rovers had been too physical during the match and he also let fly at
Allardyce after the game for the example he is setting for others.
He mocked: "I think he's a model for all the managers around the world. I'm sure he's a model. His style of
football, his behaviour, everything. He's the perfect for all the kids.
"Their style of football ... I think Barcelona are thinking of copying the style.
"If they are pleased with the way they play under this manager then that's their decision. We prefer to try and win
by trying to play well. Sometimes you cannot."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Torres may have been absent for six weeks with a knee injury but he slipped straight back into top gear with the
winning goal in this lively encounter. Liverpool had a sluggish start and Rovers could have taken an early lead when Chris Samba rose highest to nod an El Hadji Diouf corner goalward but Reina saved comfortably. A further opportunity for Nikola Kalinic underlined that they had the better of the opening exchanges but that all changed when Gerrard opened the scoring with a brilliant goal on the 20-minute mark.
The Liverpool skipper received the ball in midfield, played a quick one-two with Dirk Kuyt, sprayed the ball wide to Yossi Benayoun before he charged into the box, waltzed around Samba and then lifted over Paul Robinson.
It was the beginning of a period of mini-dominance for Liverpool as they took the game by the scruff of the neck and they should have scored again but Kuyt missed a point-blank header. And they were left to rue that miss when Jamie Carragher committed a howler to let Blackburn back into the game as half-time approached.
Kalinic dribbled into the box and after Carragher went to ground to try and tackle him he handballed which allowed Keith Andrews to step up from the spot and slide the ball under Reina for the equaliser. However, Liverpool were not finished there though as just moments before the break, Torres arrived from nowhere to grab what turned out to be the winner. Lucas slid the ball through to him and although Samba looked to have done enough to block the pass, Maxi Rodriguez refused to give up the chase and it paid off spectacularly.
He managed to keep the ball in and then slotted an inch-perfect cross into the six-yard box and Torres snuck the
ball over Robinson to give Liverpool the lead again. After the break, Rovers failed to maintain their temper and they left their self-discipline in the changing rooms as they fouled repeatedly at the expense of generating any pressure. Diouf, Steven Nzonzi, Michel Salgado, Martin Olsson and Kalinic all went into the book as the match turned nasty. Liverpool did themselves no favours by sitting back too much and that gave Rovers half a chance of finding an equaliser. Blackburn's best chance came in injury-time when Samba again rose highest but Reina produced another save to deny the giant defender and Liverpool managed to hold on.
WHAT IT MEANS:
This win keeps Liverpool in the race for a Champions League place. Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 win over
Everton earlier in the day meant Benitez's men had to win here to still be in with a realistic shout of overtaking
Harry Redknapp's men as well as Manchester City into the top four. They now have 48 points - just one behind both of those rivals and that means the run-in is still wide open and one of the most exciting in recent memory. Rovers' season is pretty much done and dusted already as they sit comfortably in mid-table. They have little to play for, they are in no real danger of going down while a Europa League spot is too far ahead of them meaning that this loss has little real impact on their ambitions for the season.
QUOTABLE:
"You will probably all disagree with that but never mind."
- Allardyce reckons the media will not agree with his assessment that his side were worthy of a point.
LIVERPOOL 2 (Gerrard 20, Torres 44) BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 (Andrews 40)
PLAYER MARKING:
Liverpool(4-5-1): Reina 6; Mascherano 7, Carragher 6, Agger 6, Aurelio 6 (Aurelio 38,6); Benayoun 7 (Babel 81, 7), Gerrard 7, Lucas 7, Maxi 6, Kuyt 7; Torres 7 (Ngog 89).
Subs (not used): Cavalieri, Aquilani, Kelly, Ayala.
Blackburn (4-5-1): Robinson 6; Salgado 6, Samba 6, Givet 6, Olsson 6 (Chimbonda 51, 6); Hoilett 7 (Roberts 65, 6), Nzonzi 7 (Grella 60, 5), Andrews 6, Pedersen 6, Diouf 6; Kalinic 6.
Subs (not used): Brown, Emerton, Dunn, Di Santo.
ATTENDANCE: 42,795
NEXT UP:
- Liverpool v Wigan Athletic (a), Premier League 08/03, 2000 GMT
- Blackburn v Tottenham Hotspur (a), Premier League 13/03, 1245 GMT
MAN OF THE MATCH:
Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool): He worked tirelessly all afternoon for his side and offered the odd glimpse of inspiration as well.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
With his track record re squandered resources benitez is not in a position to critise anyone