The Reds moved decisively into third on the EPL league table yesterday with a comprehensive 3-0 win over bottomdwelling Charlton. Alonso opened with a third minute penalty kick after former LFC man Djimi Traore put his boot into Jermaine Pennant’s forehead inside the box and then Craig Bellamy and StevieG went net twice in the last 10 minutes for a quality road win. Eleven goals in their last three league games with none allowed.
Arsenal could have stayed a place ahead of us but gave up two early goals to Portsmouth and had a scramble to manage a point at home. Gunners’s results have been far below par since they beat us 3-0 five weeks ago, winning three, drawing three and losing four matches; in fact, that was the last time Liverpool allowed a goal in a league match. They are missing star striker Thierry Henry through injury, and he’s not likely to return until after the new year.
The stage is set, then, for a major clash Tuesday night when Arsenal visit Anfield in a Carling Cup quarterfinal match. In the last round Rafa fielded more of a reserve squad, with Dudek, Paletta, Peltier, Agger, Warnock and Fowler getting starts and beating Birmingham 0-1; Arsene Wenger put a similar type of lineup out, with Almunia, Song, Walcott, Song, Denilson, Traore and Aliadere getting chances to feature, and they beat a full strength Everton 1-0 on a late goal from Emmanuel Adebayor.
Different managers have different practices, and both teams have injuries and tight scheduling, so I can’t say what the starting XIs will look like. Benitez has let the reserves take them team as far as they’re able the last two seasons so I wouldn’t be surprise to see most of the same side from the Birmingham match though Zenden and Sissoko are of course unavailable through injury and Bellamy may be replaced by Crouch and Gonzalez by Guthrie due to changes in regular first team selections.
The teams meet again the first Saturday of the new year, this time in the FA Cup, and Henry says he’ll be ready for it.
Note: Gerrard was made an Honorary Freeman of the borough of Knowsley this week, for his outstanding contribution to national and international football, the first such award in nearly 20 years. A key benefit of the title is that Steve can run his flock of sheep through the town’s roads. Baa-aa-aa!
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