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. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    im gna be a hundred million years old before liverpool­ fans stop referring to past glories. get fucken real­ you bunch of amateur historians with benitez ur goin­ nowhere cfc 4 the quad

    From robierto87, on Mon 6 Oct 12:43AM

  2. F*** u stephen.sullivan1 ur a w*****

    From Ripster, on Mon 6 Oct 12:36AM

  3. note to gordon.merk.
    What chances have liverpool­ got?
    The last time they won something was the fa cup in­ 2006 against west ham and that is a long bloody time­ ago

    and pff! come on any club can beat west ham

    From Ripster, on Mon 6 Oct 12:34AM

  4. the most succesful team in britain ever i rest my case

    From stephen.sullivan1, on Mon 6 Oct 12:31AM

  5. chronic*high Wan***

    From stephen.sullivan1, on Mon 6 Oct 12:26AM

  6. spknott wan***

    From stephen.sullivan1, on Mon 6 Oct 12:25AM

  7. TO all the Liverpool critics: there is more room for­ improvement left than I would like, but they possess­ the qualities of true champions. Defence and midfield­ is good and usually very strong and solid, creating­ chances works well. If they get the finishing touches­ sorted - the 'leathal kiss' - they can make it.­ They need time (e.g., Keane, Riera), and if Babel is­ let loose, he'll be very influential. Yes, Chelsea,­ ManU, and Arsenal - let alone some other strong teams­ (notably Hull!) - are top, yet one lesson all should­ take to heart as shown once again today against­ ManCity: NEVER EVER WRITE OFF LIVERPOOL. I dare say­ they do have chances for the title this year, but I­ wouldn't predict they will make it already. Benitez­ works for the long term, so let's wait and see -­ never to write them off, never! My prediction: they­ will win the Premier League within the next three­ years, and have good chances in Europe. COMMON REDS,­ restore former glory!

    From gordon.merk, on Mon 6 Oct 12:24AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    @#$% liverpool makes nothing

    From Ripster, on Mon 6 Oct 12:00AM

  9. Chronic* - If you can't talk proper shut ur mouth!­ Spit that gravel out of ur gob before speaking!­ It's rude to talk with ur mouth full (of @#$%!)­ You're the one who's retarded in thinking­ I'm a utd fan! I'm a blue and I made this fact­ very clear in stating it pains me to say that utd will­ win the league if Chelsea don't! U MONG! Your team­ won't win it, that's for sure!! As for dirty­ t#@t Skrtel, he knows that playing in a "big­ 4" team, committing such fouls quite often go­ unpunished because refs are biased in favour of the­ conspirators of the Premier League!

    From Stephen, on Sun 5 Oct 11:41PM

  10. Spknott,are you really that retarded?lol,why would he­ intentionally kick the guy infront of the reff,near to­ his goal,it was just a very stupidly executed­ challenge.something you'll be used to seeing if­ your a red manc,with rooney.
    We showed our character­ today,we deserved to win,so what the F*ck are you­ crowing on about,are you just pissed we are still ahead­ of you in the league and joint top

    From !, on Sun 5 Oct 11:10PM

  11. Skrtel got his just-desserts with his injury! His­ karate kick in Jo's back was appalling, with­ intention to hurt the Brazilian. I hope he's out­ for the season! Anyway, it won't matter coz champs­ will be Chelsea or (it pains me to say) utd. Liverpool­ are miles from these two, take my word for it!!!

    From Stephen, on Sun 5 Oct 10:32PM

  12. MARK W - thanks for proving how STUPID you are.

    Manure­ fan?

    Lol...you muppet, I clearly support MCFC !!

    From D, on Sun 5 Oct 10:24PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    LIVERPOOL MINUS TORRES IS RELEGATION !!!! 5 GOALS­ LIVERPOOL 4 GOALS TORRES...

    From Olugbayi, on Sun 5 Oct 9:56PM

  14. come on liverpool

    From eugene, on Sun 5 Oct 9:51PM

  15. its a game of 90 mins ...........city lost ...a good­ team scores in the last gasp ..

    From DAVID, on Sun 5 Oct 9:49PM

  16. for all of u who think liverpool were lucky: r u­ jealous? or r u just f***** fed up becoz u're team­ is so d*** unlucky?

    From etu, on Sun 5 Oct 9:41PM

  17. MichaelM you have ordasity to make comments on this­ blog about a team who won fair and square, but then­ again i have come to expect nothing less than the foul­ and abusive language put on by mindless foulmouthed­ braindead morons like you, Oh by the way which are you­ Chelsea or Man U?

    From john g, on Sun 5 Oct 9:26PM

  18. Ingsmill22 you comments are laugthable.

    From Rey, on Sun 5 Oct 9:25PM

  19. LFC lucky, I thought it was a 90 minute game including­ injury time!
    Here's why Liverpool were not lucky,­ let it speak for itself!
    Head 2 head
    May 4, 2008 ­ Premiership Liverpool FC 1 - 0 ­ Manchester City FC

    From jasonglidden1966, on Sun 5 Oct 9:16PM

  20. Well done liverpool, but watch out 4 we blues.Enyinna­ 4rm ph

    From onyeukwu, on Sun 5 Oct 9:16PM
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