Premier League - Liverpool beat Bolton to go top
Liverpool went top of the Premier League table after beating Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at the Reebok Staduim.
Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard both scored to send the visitors three points clear of Chelsea ahead of the west London side's evening match at West Brom.
Liverpool put together a 20-pass move midway through the first half as they probed from right to left searching for an opening which culminated with Fabio Aurelio's cross being met by Kuyt at the far post, the Dutchman nodding a header back across goal and past Jussi Jaaskelainen for his sixth of the season.
Gerrard doubled the lead with 15 minutes to go. Substitute Fernando Torres lost Andy O'Brien with a neat turn at the byline and his cross was glanced in by the Liverpool captain to put the match beyond doubt.
Liverpool's lead in the first half was well-deserved, but Bolton had the ball in the back of the net just before half-time.
Gavin McCann's corner was headed in by defender Gary Cahill, but referee Rob Styles had already blown his whistle for Kevin Nolan's obstruction of Liverpool keeper Jose Reina.
Liverpool began the match with Torres on the bench, despite the Spaniard starting in the midweek Carling Cup defeat at Tottenham.
Lone striker Robbie Keane missed a clear chance to double Liverpool's lead two minutes after Kuyt's goal, but the Irishman somehow managed to miss a ball played across the six-yard box.
Torres replaced Keane on the hour mark, and within moments he was fed down the right channel by Xabi Alonso, and his ball across goal was met by Steven Gerrard, but the Liverpool captain failed to steer a shot past Jaaskelainen as he slid in.
Bolton were made to look second best for much of the match, but Liverpool's misses kept them in the game until Gerrard scored the second.
In the first half, McCann lifted a ball over the Liverpool defence for Johan Elmander. The ball sat up nicely for the Swedish striker - who has not scored since the opening day of the season - and his well-struck half-volley was saved at the near post by Jose Reina.
Ricardo Gardner came on for Fabrice Muamba at half time, but he may wish he had stayed on the bench as he was guilty of missing two excellent chances.
Five minutes after coming on he found himself one-on-one with Reina. The Jamaican took the ball around the Spanish keeper but his left-footed shot struck his standing leg and went out for a goal kick.
Then, five minutes from time, Gardner again found himself in front of Reina, but this time he lifted an effort over the onrushing keeper but also well over the bar. |
發表於 2008-11-16 12:33 AM
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