Liverpool overcame a stubborn Portsmouth 1-0 at Anfield in Tony Adams's first match in charge to maintain their three-point lead at the top. More
- Liverpool maintain their three-point lead at the top of the table from Chelsea, who beat Hull City tonight. Their title credentials survive another test.
90+3' The final whistle sounds!! Liverpool have the win!!
90+2' Liverpool change: Keane on for Gerrard.
85' Pompey change: Utaka replaced by Defoe. Is there time for him to threaten?
80' Pompey change: Richard Hughes on for Diarra - still no Defoe, surprisingly.
74' Belhadj and Bouba Diop are both booked for dissent.
74' GERRARD TUCKS AWAY THE SPOT-KICK!! Into the bottom corner, just out of the reach of James as he dives to his right. The Kop go mad.
74' PENALTY FOR LIVERPOOL!! BOUBA DIOP HANDLES!! What was he doing - he leapt and threw both hands at it. Stupid defending.
73' Aurelio smashes a shot at goal that James parries away - great stop!!
71' 'Pool change: Albert Riera on for Babel.
64' Portsmouth change: Traore replaced by Niko Kranjcar.
64' Babel will get to the ball first ahead of Kaboul... the Frenchman takes some skin off his knee with a studs-up challenge!! That was naughty - but no yellow card, bizarrely.
63' Liverpool change: Yossi Benayoun on for Pennant.
52' Gerrard sprints to the right side of the area to hook a cross between James and his defence... Kuyt is a yard behind it! A great opportunity for Liverpool.
48' Gerrard fouled a couple of yards outside the box on the left. Great position for a free-kick... Lassana Diarra booked for the challenge.
46' The second half begins, Pompey now kicking to our left - the Reds attacking the Kop.
45+2' The half-time whistle blows: goalless at the break. Pompey had a good spell, but it is Liverpool that should be ahead. Perhaps we will see Keane for most of the second half.
45+1' Arbeloa shoots from the right edge of the penalty area after a short corner by Pennant... it dips over James's outstretched hand and just past the far post!! A great effort, so close.
44' Babel and Gerrard work to earn a chance for the skipper - he shoots low and James parries it... no one following up! That is where they could do with a second striker.
39' Kuyt controls, spins and shoots as he welcomes a Gerrard pass into feet following a strong run in from the touchline - into the side-netting!! A lovely effort. For me he is a real threat when picked in an outright attacking position.
35' Two players down after an aerial challenge near the touchline: Bouba Diop and Babel.
25' Papa Bouba Diop with a free header on the edge of the six-yard box!! He was left alone by Hyypia and Carragher and directed the chance straight at a grateful Jose Reina!!
10' Lucas, completely unmarked in a central position, meets a Gerrard corner - but can only direct his header over the crossbar!! He should have hit the target - and perhaps scored.
9' Alvaro Arbeloa attacking down the right as Liverpool pile forward... he finds Kuyt, who shoots low - OFF THE POST!! James tipped it up with a hand and it came off the upright and ricocheted to safety.
1' The match begins, Liverpool in all red kicking from right to left. Portsmouth in all blue.| Liverpool | Stats | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| 57% | Possession | 42% |
| 19 | Shots | 5 |
| 5 | Shots on target | 1 |
| 1 | Saves | 1 |
| 7 | Corners | 1 |
| 12 | Fouls | 13 |
| 4 | Offsides | 5 |
| 0 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 30 | Tackles | 31 |
| 454 | Accurate passes | 316 |
| 67 | Bad passes | 42 |
| G | S | SoT | F | FW | O | A | AP | BP | T | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Jose Reina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | Jamie Carragher | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 3 | 1 |
| 12 | Fabio Aurelio | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 18 | 4 |
| 17 | Alvaro Arbeloa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 7 |
| 4 | Sami Hyypia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 6 | 1 |
| 19 | Ryan Babel | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 9 | 0 |
| 21 | Lucas Leiva | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 6 | 9 |
| 14 | Xabi Alonso | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 7 | 2 |
| 16 | Jermaine Pennant | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Steven Gerrard | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 5 | 2 |
| 18 | Dirk Kuyt | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 4 | 2 |
| 5 | Daniel Agger | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Alberto Riera | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | Andrea Dossena | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Javier Mascherano | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Diego Cavalieri | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Yossi Benayoun | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | Robbie Keane | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | S | SoT | F | FW | O | A | AP | BP | T | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David James | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 0 |
| 39 | Nadir Belhadj | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 10 | 3 |
| 16 | Noe Pamarot | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Armand Traore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| 15 | Sylvain Distin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | Younes Kaboul | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 4 | 3 |
| 8 | Papa Bouba Diop | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Sean Davis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 3 | 1 |
| 17 | John Utaka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Lassana Diarra | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 8 |
| 9 | Peter Crouch | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
| 14 | Jermain Defoe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Nwankwo Kanu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Richard Hughes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 7 | Hermann Hreidarsson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Jamie Ashdown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Niko Kranjcar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | Arnold Mvuemba | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Liverpool maintain their three-point lead at the top of the table from Chelsea, who beat Hull City tonight. Their title credentials survive another test.
74' GERRARD TUCKS AWAY THE SPOT-KICK!! Into the bottom corner, just out of the reach of James as he dives to his right. The Kop go mad.
74' PENALTY FOR LIVERPOOL!! BOUBA DIOP HANDLES!! What was he doing - he leapt and threw both hands at it. Stupid defending.
73' Aurelio smashes a shot at goal that James parries away - great stop!!
52' Gerrard sprints to the right side of the area to hook a cross between James and his defence... Kuyt is a yard behind it! A great opportunity for Liverpool.
45+1' Arbeloa shoots from the right edge of the penalty area after a short corner by Pennant... it dips over James's outstretched hand and just past the far post!! A great effort, so close.
44' Babel and Gerrard work to earn a chance for the skipper - he shoots low and James parries it... no one following up! That is where they could do with a second striker.
39' Kuyt controls, spins and shoots as he welcomes a Gerrard pass into feet following a strong run in from the touchline - into the side-netting!! A lovely effort. For me he is a real threat when picked in an outright attacking position.
25' Papa Bouba Diop with a free header on the edge of the six-yard box!! He was left alone by Hyypia and Carragher and directed the chance straight at a grateful Jose Reina!!
10' Lucas, completely unmarked in a central position, meets a Gerrard corner - but can only direct his header over the crossbar!! He should have hit the target - and perhaps scored.
9' Alvaro Arbeloa attacking down the right as Liverpool pile forward... he finds Kuyt, who shoots low - OFF THE POST!! James tipped it up with a hand and it came off the upright and ricocheted to safety.
LiverpoolCaptain: Steven Gerrard
PortsmouthCaptain: Sylvain Distin
90′
63′
71′
85′
80′
64′