Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea
Liverpool heap pressure on Mourinho
Liverpool heaped further pressure on Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho with a 2-0 victory over the champions at Anfield on Saturday.
Two excellent first half strikes from Dirk Kuyt and Jermaine Pennant did the damage as Chelsea were outplayed and outfought in the first half, and though they improved after the break, Liverpool passed up a number of chances to increase their lead.
With Ricardo Carvalho having fallen ill during the night, Paulo Ferreira was deployed as a makeshift centre back by Jose Mourinho, and Liverpool wasted no time in attacking the champions at their weak point.
While Michael Essien, Ferreira's fellow emergency defender was unable to deal with the aerial threat of Peter Crouch, it was Ferreira's failure to deal with the big striker's knock down in the fourth minute from Jamie Carragher long ball that led to the opening goal.
The Portuguese appeared at first hesitant, and then off-balance as Kuyt stole in to sidefoot the ball calmly beyond returning goalkeeper Petr Cech from close range.
A defensive lapse from Geremi then allowed Jon Arne Riise to steal in from the left, leaving Cech exposed again, but the tireless full back fired his shot straight at Cech as the Chelsea defence exchanged nervous glances.
Liverpool kept up their pressure on the visitors, and they were two goals to the good on 18 minutes thanks to a stunning volley from Pennant.
A long ball from Steven Gerrard was glanced square by Peter Crouch to the winger, who took one touch before unleashing a fierce volley that crashed in past Cech off the underside of the bar at the far post.
Chelsea tried in vain to force their way back into the game before half-time, though Didier Drogba appeared isolated in attack, and the loss of Arjen Robben to an injury on 21 minutes deprived them of their most creative player.
Though Mourinho's men showed genuine desire to haul themselves back into the game in the second half, Liverpool remained the better side.
They would have been two on two against the Chelsea defence had Kuyt not failed to control Riise's neat through ball on the hour mark, and the Norwegian rattled the crossbar with a superb drive from all of 45 yards just two munutes later.
Michael Ballack fed the impressive Shaun Wright Phillips on 64 minutes, though once again the Blues failed to genuinely test Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal.
Andriy Shevchenko was finally brought on in the 73rd minute in place of Jon Obi Mikel, though once again his impact was negligible, and it was Liverpool who finished the match passing the ball confidently around the pitch to the cries of "Olé" from the jubilant Anfield faithful.
source: eurosport.com
Other results:
Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United
Middlesbrough 5-1 Bolton Wanderers
Premiership standings:
1. Manchester United 57/24
2. Chelsea 51/24
3. Liverpool 46/24
4. Arsenal 45/24
5. Bolton Wanderers 40/24
Liverpool heaped further pressure on Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho with a 2-0 victory over the champions at Anfield on Saturday.
Two excellent first half strikes from Dirk Kuyt and Jermaine Pennant did the damage as Chelsea were outplayed and outfought in the first half, and though they improved after the break, Liverpool passed up a number of chances to increase their lead.
With Ricardo Carvalho having fallen ill during the night, Paulo Ferreira was deployed as a makeshift centre back by Jose Mourinho, and Liverpool wasted no time in attacking the champions at their weak point.
While Michael Essien, Ferreira's fellow emergency defender was unable to deal with the aerial threat of Peter Crouch, it was Ferreira's failure to deal with the big striker's knock down in the fourth minute from Jamie Carragher long ball that led to the opening goal.
The Portuguese appeared at first hesitant, and then off-balance as Kuyt stole in to sidefoot the ball calmly beyond returning goalkeeper Petr Cech from close range.
A defensive lapse from Geremi then allowed Jon Arne Riise to steal in from the left, leaving Cech exposed again, but the tireless full back fired his shot straight at Cech as the Chelsea defence exchanged nervous glances.
Liverpool kept up their pressure on the visitors, and they were two goals to the good on 18 minutes thanks to a stunning volley from Pennant.
A long ball from Steven Gerrard was glanced square by Peter Crouch to the winger, who took one touch before unleashing a fierce volley that crashed in past Cech off the underside of the bar at the far post.
Chelsea tried in vain to force their way back into the game before half-time, though Didier Drogba appeared isolated in attack, and the loss of Arjen Robben to an injury on 21 minutes deprived them of their most creative player.
Though Mourinho's men showed genuine desire to haul themselves back into the game in the second half, Liverpool remained the better side.
They would have been two on two against the Chelsea defence had Kuyt not failed to control Riise's neat through ball on the hour mark, and the Norwegian rattled the crossbar with a superb drive from all of 45 yards just two munutes later.
Michael Ballack fed the impressive Shaun Wright Phillips on 64 minutes, though once again the Blues failed to genuinely test Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal.
Andriy Shevchenko was finally brought on in the 73rd minute in place of Jon Obi Mikel, though once again his impact was negligible, and it was Liverpool who finished the match passing the ball confidently around the pitch to the cries of "Olé" from the jubilant Anfield faithful.
source: eurosport.com
Other results:
Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United
Middlesbrough 5-1 Bolton Wanderers
Premiership standings:
1. Manchester United 57/24
2. Chelsea 51/24
3. Liverpool 46/24
4. Arsenal 45/24
5. Bolton Wanderers 40/24
Well said.
Posted by
Anonymous |
3:12 AM