Premier League - Kuyt wins it for Liverpool

Eurosport - Mon, 06 Oct 11:35:00 2008

Dirk Kuyt scored another late winner as Liverpool fought back from 2-0 down to beat Manchester City 3-2 in an entertaining clash at the City of Manchester Stadium.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League Liverpool Dirk Kuyt - 0

The Reds needed two second-half Fernando Torres strikes to get back on level terms after a goal from the in-form Stephen Ireland and a Javier Garrido free-kick had given City a two-goal cushion at the break.

The home side had full-back Pablo Zabaleta sent off for a lunging tackle on Xabi Alonso and were hanging on at the death as Liverpool pushed hard for a late winner - with Kuyt firing home from close range in extra-time to maintain Liverpool's impressive start to the season.

It was Kuyt's first league goal of the season, but matched his dramatic late winner in the Champions League qualifiers when he fired his side past Standard Liege with a 118th-minute goal.

The Dutch international had a golden chance to open the scoring for Liverpool when Alberto Reira - Liverpool's chief attacking threat - pulled the ball back to him, only for the Dutchman to balloon his shot on the spin over the bar from eight yards out.

And City made the breakthrough just a minute later when Shaun Wright-Phillips cut the ball back from the by-line; Jamie Carragher blocked Robinho's stabbed effort, but the ball fell to Ireland, who rifled home an unstoppable shot.

With Liverpool getting plenty of players forward and putting plenty of pressure on City, it looked like the home side would need a second goal - and they got it just before half-time through the unlikely source of full-back Garrido.

Wright-Phillips won the free-kick 25 yards out with a typically mazy run, but even the most staunch City fan wouldn't have expected the Spaniard to curl a stunning effort into the top corner to earn a mobbing from his team-mates.

The visitors came out flying at the start of the second half, and it came as no surprise when they cut the deficit as Torres bundled home Alvaro Arbeloa's low cross from close range after the overlapping full-back had been played in by Steven Gerrard.

Robinho, who had a quiet game and was bundled off the ball a number of times by combative Liverpool challenges, should have restored City's two-goal lead just after the hour but he somehow conspired to send the ball over the crossbar from five yards out after Wright-Phillips had out-paced his marker down the right.

City's job was made harder when they lost Zabaleta to a red card, the full-back diving in recklessly on Alonso in midfield, with the referee pulling out his card with no hesitation.

With relentless pressure on the City goal, the Liverpool equaliser was inevitable. It came on 73 minutes when Torres lost his marker to meet a Gerrard corner with a glancing header at the near post to beat Hart.

The visitors continued to push foward in search of a winner, with Torres missing a fantastic chance for his hat-trick when he matched Robinho in sliding the ball over the crossbar from three yards after meeting substitute Robbie Keane's low cross.

But Kuyt was on hand to spare his blushes and win the points that keep Liverpool in the top two, turning home the rebound after Torres had seen a shot blocked by his own player, Keane, on the edge of the six-yard box.

Alex Sharratt / Eurosport

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  1. JIM V you talk about we cannot win if Torres or Gerrard are injured but without them we beat Man utd easily. so ur nxt @#$% bak is????....

    From Suzy, on Wed 8 Oct 3:37PM

  2. You can look at it any which way you like and try to dress it up diffrently but the fact REMAINS.

    Skrtel is nothing but a dirty thug and should have been SENT OFF for his Kung Fu imitation on JO.

    Karma ?? - you betcha.

    From D, on Mon 6 Oct 11:36PM

  3. city are the only team to give the pool a decent game so far..really thought city had it.if robinho had to leave the ball for ireland who was in a better position to score they game would being wrapped up..but he didnt he blasted it over..great game though..city will still do well this year

    From www.corsten, on Mon 6 Oct 10:37PM

  4. Liverpool
    To win the title, a team must win when playing badly. Liverpool have done that. To win the title, a team must win from the jaws of defeat. Liverpool had done that even before this weekend (scoring twice in the final five minutes against Middlesbrough in late August). To win the title, a team must be lucky. Liverpool were very lucky at City (their comeback not possible without the incredible miss of Robinho and the dismissal of Pablo Zabaleta six minutes before Fernando Torres' equaliser). But sorry, Liverpool never ever win EPL this season (im forget looserpool never win EPL Trophy)

    From aj85553, on Mon 6 Oct 9:28PM

  5. MANY LOOSERPOOL FANS THINK THEY CAN WIN EPL THIS YEAR AFTER DEFEAT 10 MAN MANC CITY....SO I ALSO AGREE CHELSEA BETTER THAN LUCKY LIVERPOOL COZ 10 MAN CHELSEA BEAT MANC CITY 3-1 THERE..SEE U AT STAMFORD BRIDGE

    From aj85553, on Mon 6 Oct 8:52PM

  6. True enough brill game! But lets get wise on this. Its far too early to start talking about the league. Take the stoke game. They came to anfield with one intention. To get as many men behind the ball as possible. no intention of scoring any. Its these lower clubs that will be a banana skin to us.

    From Bootlicker54, on Mon 6 Oct 5:51PM

  7. we hate ALL mancs

    From kathleen.39@..., on Mon 6 Oct 5:36PM

  8. I think Liverpool played some good stuff yesterday, but also think, they are not firing on all cylinders yet! Coming back from 2-0 down shows the determination and hunger for Premier success this year, by grinding out a result, something we haven't had for a few years. Fortress Anfield are the words ringing in my head and come Christmas all these sad MUFC, Chel, Arse fans will be eating their words. Once Keano and Reira settle into the fold properly, watch LFC take all... I truely beleave this is OUR season and not just the premiership!!!! COME ON THE REDZ

    From craig, on Mon 6 Oct 4:12PM

  9. Even our fans out voiced the Man City Fans,Prepare for A New Premier League Champion,as now The Liverpool Team start to Move Up A Gear,No Money can Buy What We Have,The Greatest Supporters In The World,That Is A Fact.

    From owner20071963, on Mon 6 Oct 2:12PM

  10. Liverpool were good yesterday, but for the second week running needed the Ref to help them by sending off an opponent. Oh by the way United's first goal should have been disallowed for the elbow on Brown. but we played alot better and Rooney's goal was just superb and was good enough to win the game as Blackburn were no way to be seen. I am a Utd fan aswell.

    From Steveh, on Mon 6 Oct 1:26PM

  11. Oh and Aston Villa for the tricast!!!

    From Triple X, on Mon 6 Oct 1:18PM

  12. It our year and i see all ya man u fans doubting us hey look at your team must feel bad that low down lol doubt your own team!! at least chelsea games worth the watch!! Well Done Gerro and co.

    Ladbrokes 8-1 Liverpool good odds for an obvious premier winner this year and put chelsea as forcast to come second.

    1500-1 Manu To get relegated hehe also another good bet!!

    From Triple X, on Mon 6 Oct 1:16PM

  13. Dare we start to dream. Mighty Liverpool up at the summit without playing consistently well. Just wait till we really start firing!!!

    From sirstevenforeman, on Mon 6 Oct 12:22PM

  14. Up Liverpool. Is this the season(come May) when I'll be drunk round the clock celeberating the return of the title to its natural home? Rafa am sure knows that there are certain areas he must improve on.
    Agreed that you can play well & yet lose so you need a bit of luck on your side & like Man utd a few Refs also.

    From patrick d, on Mon 6 Oct 11:57AM

  15. yes it has to be agreed that liverpool are the form team at the momemt and have that forward momentum in October.They play good football score great goals and are very reminiscent of a one Newcastle team of the mid nineties.Yes this is the Liverpool of old all dash and swagger , but there is one crucial difference there are too many other strong teams with stronger financial muscle and topclass squads.Come May it will be very interesting to see the complexion opf the table.

    From real football fan

    From borza, on Mon 6 Oct 10:25AM

  16. lets not get carried away...aurellio and kuyt need a bomb up them as for their first touch and it was a fantastic display but don't gloss over the below par merchants hiding in the team

    From steviecalrow, on Mon 6 Oct 9:12AM

  17. rha_580 its not a liverpool forum u tit

    MCFC

    From daniellatarrant, on Mon 6 Oct 9:07AM

  18. olugbayiA you prat how can ya say that the pool would be relegated without torres let me fill in that space between your ears rondalo 42 goals last season where would ave utd finished without them but then ya have rooney's 10 prem goals to win sumtin with haha
    then ya have chelsea when they were winnin sumtin who was scoring all there goals? drogba of course where would they have been without him but then like utd they had there 30 millon man (shev) to bang in loads of goals for them hahaha arsenal what wud they have done without henry goals my point most teams rely 2 much on 1 player and at least now ya can say you know somethin about football that's if ya can read hahaha up the real reds

    From John F, on Mon 6 Oct 8:46AM

  19. Liverpool made me a happiest and proudest man in the world yesterday. That is wat we call liverpool and history agrees.

    From Benedicto, on Mon 6 Oct 8:08AM

  20. where did all the rafa-bashing go? not hearing any, at least stateside

    From christ, on Mon 6 Oct 8:00AM
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