Liverpool end season victorius at Anfield

Sports - Football - Premier League - Liverpool 2:1 Newcastle

Liverpool came back from behind to end the season on a winning note, beating 9-man Newcastle 2-1 at Anfield, but with Manchester City's comfortable 2-0 win against West Ham at the Etihad, it meant the title went to the blue side of Manchester for the second time in three seasons.

The Reds started the game a shadow of their usual fiery selves, shaky, wasteful and unable to keep the ball long enough to create a threat.

Star man Luis Suarez did have the ball in the back of the net on 18 minutes, the Uruguayan catching Tim Krul off his line with a quickly taken free kick, but too quickly for referee Phil Dowd's liking, who disallowed the goal as the ball was still rolling.

Seconds later, Anfield was stunned to silence when the Magpies took the lead after Martin Skrtel shinned Youan Gouffran's cross from the left into the back of his own net.

The Slovakian defender now holds the unwanted record of his fourth own goal of the season, taking Liverpool's total conceded to 50 goals in a 38-game top-flight season for the first time since 1914-15.

Gouffran and Shola Ameobi kept working well together for the visitors, pulling a couple of nice stops out of Simon Mignolet, whilst at the other end Suarez and co looked more and more frustrated, not challenging Krul much.

Brendan Rodgers replaced Jon Flanagan with Aly Cissokho after the break, but the frustrating trend of slips and giveaways continued, Glen Johnson being one of the main culprits, and Ameobi not happy with Skrtel's hugs and shirt-rips either.

After the Reds' second change, just before the hour mark, Philippe Coutinho replacing Joe Allen, the game picked up for the home side, and just four minutes later, they were level thanks to Daniel Agger putting in skipper Steven Gerrard's free kick.

That certainly changed the mood at Anfield, and within three minutes, they were ahead after Daniel Sturridge netted another Gerrard free kick.

And things went from bad to worse for Alan Pardew's men when Ameobi was booked and then sent off within quick succession for his protests before the restart. The Nigerian striker went straight down the tunnel after being punished for all his stick and discussions with Dowd.

Newcastle rang in the changes after the dismissal, whilst Liverpool accepted the inevitable, winning here, but with City leading 2-0, the Reds had to concede the title to the Sky Blues.

Raheem Sterling saw his goal disallowed for an obvious offside, before the visitors were reduced to nine men, substitute Paul Dummett seeing red for a stupid lunge on Suarez, the Magpies' fifth dismissal in their last four meetings with Liverpool.

The Reds just ran down the clock after that, ending the game on top 2-1, and the season second on 84 points, five places and 23 points better than last season, their highest finish in five years, and qualified automatically back into the Champions League next season after four seasons away.

Anfield applauded their side and manager, but neither could hide their disappointment after having all their hopes of a first league title in 24 years dashed as Manchester City beat West Ham to be crowned champions. 

Rodgers will have to build around Stevie G. and the SAS/SSS*, especially the back line has to be strengthened after seeing Liverpool be the first team since Tottenham in 1962-63 to score more than 100 league goals and concede 50 goals in the same season.

Mignolet has had a great first season in goal, but the defence has been too shaky and leaked too much and many through. The likes of Skrtel, Johnson, Flanagan, Kolo Toure, and Mamadou Sakho have just not been good enough.

No discrediting the Reds' improvement through, and hopes and chances to challenge at the top again next season, domestically and in Europe. Thanks to BR, SAS/SSS* and Stevie G.! YNWA XxXxX

*SAS/SSS:
*9 - The joint-highest Goal/Assist combinations in the 2013--14 season were Suarez/Sturridge and Suarez/Sterling. (OptaJoe)
*31 - Luis Suarez's goal haul equalled a Premier League record for 38-game season, shared with Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle

Liverpool Goals: 1.: 63' Daniel Agger (5), 2.: 65' Daniel Sturridge (15).

Newcastle Goals: 1.: 20' Martin Skrtel (37) OG.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 38 Flanagan (20 Cissokho 46'), 5 Agger, 37 Skrtel, 2 Johnson; 14 Henderson, 8 Gerrard, 24 Allen (10 Coutinho 59'); 15 Sturridge (21 Lucas 80', booked 89'), 7 Suarez, 31 Sterling. 4-3-3 Subs not used: 1 Jones, 4 Toure, 9 Aspas, 17 Sakho.

Newcastle Team: 1 Krul; 19 Haidera, 27 Taylor (18 de Jong 73'), 2 Coloccini, 6 Williamson, 26 Debuchy (booked 35'); 11 Gouffran (booked 65') (28 Ameobi 78'), 24 Tiote (36 Dummett 82', sent off 87'), 8 Anita (booked 63'), 7 Sissoko; 23 Ameobi (booked 66', sent off 66'). 5-4-1 Subs not used: 3 Santon, 13 Yonga-Mbiwa, 21 Elliot, 37 Satka.

Opta Match Stats: Liverpool-Newcastle

(Attack)
Attempts: 13-8
On target: 5-2
Blocked: 5-3
From outside the box: 7-3
From inside the box: 6-5
Shot Accuracy: 62.5%-40%

(General Play)
Possession: 66.2%-33.8%
Duels won: 52.6%-47.4%
Aerials won: 56.6%-43.5%
Interceptions: 11-16
Offsides: 3-2
Corners: 6-2

(Distribution)
Total Passes: 673-333
Long Passes: 79%-15.6%
Passing Accuracy: 89.9%-78.4%
Pass. Acc. Opp. half: 83.9%-63.6%
Total Crosses: 22-12
Successful: 22.7%-25%

(Defence & Discipline)
Tackles: 15-19
Won: 80%-94.7%
Clearances: 25-26
Fouls conceded: 8-16
Yellow Cards: 1-3
Red Cards: 0-2

Referee: Phil Dowd
Attendance: 44,724
Man of the match: Raheem Sterling

Palace fight back shatters Reds' title chances

Sports - Football - Premier League - Crystal Palace 3:3 Liverpool

Liverpool's star striker Luis Suarez was left in tears at the final whistle at Selhurst Park, after seeing his side throw away a three-goal lead against a defiant Crystal Palace side, the Reds' defence and title chances crumbled to bits with the 3-3 draw and two points dropped.

Brendan Rodgers' men had bossed the game for about 70 minutes, before the London side turned the match on its head, cracking for all neutrals and football fans watching.

The visitors took the lead in the 18th minute, Joe Allen heading in his first Liverpool goal off a corner. Selhurst Park stayed loud and defiant, but the Reds kept control till the break.

And the game looked all but over, when Daniel Sturridge at the edge of the box, made, turned, shot and deflected a shot in to double the lead, followed by Suarez, who made no mistake off Raheem Sterling, netting past a stunned Julian Speroni, to make it 0-3 within under two minutes.

The Eagles were rewarded for the noise and defiance, when Damien Delaney smashed a cracker of a shot past a helpless Simon Mignolet to make it 1-3 and kick-off a great comeback.

Seconds later, Philippe Coutinho missed a chance before Palace hit back on the counter attack, with a great break and run by Yannick Bolasie, leaving sub Dwight Gayle with an easy finish, to make it 2-3 with under 10 minutes to go, turning on the crowd even more and louder.

It was all Palace in the end, and Liverpool crumbled to bits, caved in under all the pressure. Mignolet made some strong stops, but was well beaten when Gayle slid a shot under him to double his tally and make it 3-3, completing Liverpool's heartbreak in the final minutes.

Tony Pulis can be proud of his side and job, not just in this match, but in the last few weeks. From relegation destined and written off, to mid-table comfort and delight for the London side.

The Reds meanwhile, were devastated the opposite way, not just in this match, but in the title race. As Martin Tyler said, it went from all right to all wrong for Liverpool, as their title chances are now in Manchester City's control, after this reverse deja vu of the 2005 Champions League final (Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan, three goals in nine minutes for the Reds). 

Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool

Crystal Palace Goals: 1.: 78:19 min Damien Delaney (27), 2.&3.: 80:18 & 87:24 min Dwight Gayle (16).

Liverpool Goals: 1.: 17:44 min Joe Allen (24), 2.: 52:45 min & 3.: 54:43 min Luis Suarez (7).

Crystal Palace Team: 1 Speroni; 2 Ward, 27 Delaney, 6 Dann (booked 67'), 3 Mariappa (booked 30'); 8 Dikgacoi (11 Ince '85), 15 Jedinak; 7 Bolasie, 28 Ledley, 13 Puncheon (16 Gayle 65'); 29 Chamakh (17 Murray 71'). 4-2-3-1
Subs not used: 4 Parr, 12 O'Keefe, 19 Gabbidon, 26 Hennessey.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 38 Flanagan, 17 Sakho, 37 Skrtel (booked 63'), 2 Johnson; 21 Lucas, 24 Allen (booked 25'), 8 Gerrard; 15 Sturridge (12 Moses 86'), 7 Suarez (booked 50'), 31 Sterling (10 Coutinho 78'). 4-3-3
Subs not used: 1 Jones, 4 Toure, 5 Agger, 9 Aspas, 20 Cissokho.

Opta Match Stats: Crystal Palace-Liverpool
(Attack)
Attempts: 10-26
On target: 6-8
Blocked: 1-9
From outside the box: 6-10
From inside the box: 4-16
Shot Accuracy: 66.7%-47.1%
(General Play)
Possession: 34.9%-65.1%
Duels won: 53.8%-46.2%
Aerials won: 41.5%-58.5%
Interceptions: 18-11
Offsides: 0-3
Corners: 7-7
(Distribution)
Total Passes: 295-608
Long Passes: 13.9%-6.7%
Passing Accuracy: 73.6%-88%
Pass. Acc. Opp. half: 60.8%-79.9%
Total Crosses: 28-14
Successful: 14.3%-35.7%
(Defence & Discipline)
Tackles: 19-16
Won: 78.9%-93.8%
Clearances: 21-28
Fouls conceded: 7-12
Yellow Cards: 2-3
Red Cards: 0-0

Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Attendance: 25,261
Man of the match: Dwight Gayle

Reds stay top after hard-fought win at Norwich

Sports - Football - Premier League - Norwich 2:3 Liverpool

Liverpool recorded their eleventh consecutive Premier League win for the first time, keeping them five points clear at the top and favourites in the title race, after beating Norwich 2-3 in a tense encounter at Carrow Road.

Raheem Sterling gave the Reds the lead after just four minutes, with an unstoppable strike from outside the box.

Moving on from scorer to provider, the young English striker played part in a lovely buildup, to set up Luis Suarez for his 30th Premier League goal of the season, an easy tap-in finish to make it 2-0 in the 11th minute.

After a comfortable first half for the Reds, who were missing injured Daniel Sturridge and suspended Jordan Henderson, the game became more frantic after the break.

Brendan Rodgers men gave the home side too much time and space to play, which led to an error when a high cross by Robert Snodgrass was punched away by Simon Mignolet, only to come of Martin Skrtel and find Gary Hooper, who made no mistake of slotting it home to make it 1-2, his first goal since Boxing Day.

But Sterling regained the two-goal cushion, seeing a lucky deflection in and past John Ruddy, after a great individual run, with just under half an hour to go.

Neil Adams' men hit back again though, thanks to a Snodgrass header in the 77th minute, to keep the Red nerves boiling for the last ten+ minutes.

Mignolet reacted nice and quick to deny substitute Ricky van Wolfswinkel late on, condemning the Canaries to their fourth consecutive league defeat, which leaves them hovering just two points above the relegation zone in 17th.

The Reds meanwhile, stay top, five points clear of Chelsea in second after their first home defeat against Sunderland.

Jose Mourinho's men will be coming to Anfield next Sunday, which, depending on Manchester City's results, could be a title decider.

Three games to go!!!
XxXxX

Norwich 2-3 Liverpool 

Norwich Goals: 1.: 53:35min Gary Hooper (11), 2.: 76:49min Robert Snodgrass (7).

Liverpool Goals: 1.: 3:39min Raheem Sterling (31), 2.: 10:14min Luis Suarez (7), 3.: 61:25min Raheem Sterling (31).

Norwich Team: 1 Ruddy; 23 Olsson, 6 Turner (booked 45'), 2 Martin, 3 Whittaker; 8 Howson (booked 72'), 10 Fer (31 Murphy 78'), 4 Johnson; 7 Snodgrass (booked 29'); 11 Hooper (9 van Wolfswinkel 78'), 22 Redmond. 4-3-1-2
Subs not used: 13 Bunn, 15 Gutierrez, 18 Garrido, 24 Bennett, 27 Tettey.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 38 Flanagan (booked 79'), 17 Sakho, 37 Skrtel (booked 65'), 2 Johnson; 10 Coutinho (12 Moses 76'), 21 Lucas, 8 Gerrard, 24 Allen (5 Agger 81'); 7 Suarez, 31 Sterling. 4-4-2
Subs not used: 1 Jones, 4 Toure, 6 Luis Alberto, 9 Aspas, 20 Cissokho.

Opta Match Stats: Norwich-Liverpool
(Attack)
Attempts: 13-14
On target: 5-6
Blocked: 6-2
From outside the box: 4-3
From inside the box: 9-11
Shot accuracy: 71.4%-50%
(General Play)
Possession: 42.4%-57.6%
Duels won: 45.5%-64.5%
Aerials won: 45.5%-54.5%
Interceptions: 18-17
Offsides: 0-1
Corners: 8-3
(Distribution)
Total Passes: 362-538
Long Passes: 13%-7.4%
Passing Accuracy: 76.5%-86.4%
Passing Accuracy opp. half: 64.8%-76.2%
Total Crosses: 38-4
Successful: 21.1%-25%
(Defence & Discipline)
Tackles: 22-36
Won: 72.7%-75%
Clearances: 9-53
Fouls Conceded: 16-10
Yellow Cards: 3-2
Red Cards: 0-0

Referee: Andre Marriner
Attendance: 26,857
Mon of the match: Raheem Sterling

Liverpool thrash woeful Tottenham to go top

Sports - Football - Premier League - Liverpool 4:0 Tottenham

Liverpool went top of the table for the first time since Christmas after recording their eighth successive Premier League win thrashing Tottenham 4-0 at Anfield.

Before the game, manager Brendan Rodgers told the Kop to stay calm, but that didn't last long as the Reds took the lead after just 97 seconds thanks to Younes Kaboul back-heeling in Glen Johnson's cross.

After a nightmare start for Tim Sherwood's men, things did not get better. Halfway through the first half, Jan Vertonghen was injured and replaced by Michael Dawson, who seconds later gifted the ball to Luis Suarez for the Uruguayan to break clear and double the home side's lead.

And it should have been 3-0 before the break, both Daniel Sturridge and Suarez missing close calls before Simon Mignolet denied Spurs a breakthrough goal with a brilliant save, punching away a fine Roberto Soldado curl.

Any second half comeback the visitors hoped for was quickly nullified when Philippe Coutinho made up for Jordan Henderson's miss. 

The Brazilian finished off a fine breakaway drilling the ball into the back of the net to make it 3-0 ten minutes after the break.  

Spurs made a double-substitution with half an hour to go, but if anything, the only thing it changed was the pace of the game, as both teams slowed down, Liverpool keeping fine control even with their changes.

And the Londoners were just looking on when Henderson's low slide free kick found the back of the net, Suarez pointing out to his team mate to confirm the scorer.

With that goal Liverpool have broken Manchester United's Premier League record by scoring four or more goals in a game on 11 occasions.

The win took Liverpool top of the table as Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City all dropped points in the title race and if the Reds win their remaining six games, just as they have done the last six, they will win the league and end their 24-year drought!

It is in their hands!

Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham

Liverpool Goals: 1.: 1:37min OG Younes Kaboul (4), 2.: 24:02min Luis Suarez (7), 3.: 54:49min Philippe Coutinho (10), 4.: 74:17min Jordan Henderson (14).

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 38 Flanagan, 5 Agger, 37 Skrtel, 2 Johnson; 10 Coutinho (24 Allen- 64th min), 8 Gerrard (21 Lucas- 70th min), 14 Henderson; 15 Sturridge, 31 Sterling (12 Moses- 83rd min), 7 Suarez. 4-3-3

Subs not used: 1 Jones, 9 Iago Aspas, 17 Sakho, 20 Cissokho.

Tottenham Team: 25 Lloris; 3 Ross, 5 Vertonghen (20 Dawson- 24th min), 4 Kaboul (booked 33rd min), 16 Naughton; 22 Sigurdsson (booked 46th min), 42 Bentaleb (19 Dembele- 60th min); 23 Eriksen, 21 Chadli, 7 Lennon (17 Townsend- 60th min); 9 Soldado. 4-2-3-1

Subs not used: 24 Friedel, 30 Sandro, 37 Kane, 62 Winks.

Opta Match Stats: Liverpool-Tottenham

(Attack)

Shots: 11-15

On Target: 5-4

Blocked: 0-5

From outside the box: 6-8

From inside the box: 5-7

Accuracy: 44.5%-40%

(General Play)

Possession: 58.6%-41.9%

Duels Won: 58.1%-41.9%

Aerial Duels Won: 44.4%-55.6%

Interceptions: 10-9

Offsides: 2-1

Corners: 5-7

(Distribution)

Total Passes: 527-364

Long: 11.8%-10.2%

Accuracy: 86.3%-82.1%

Opp. Half: 72.1%-71.9%

Total Crosses: 11-16

Successful: 25%-31.3%

(Defence & Discipline)

Tackles: 24-11

Won: 58.3%-81.8%

Clearances: 21-23

Fouls Conceded: 9-10

Yellow Cards: 0-2

Red Cards: 0-0

Referee: Phil Dowd

Attendance: 44,762

Man of the Match: Luis Suarez

Suarez hat-trick sinks Cardiff in 9-goal thriller

Sports - Football - Premier League - Cardiff 3:6 Liverpool

A Luis Suarez hat-trick plus Martin Skrtel double and Daniel Sturridge goal all added up to Liverpool sinking Cardiff City 3-6 in a nine-goal thriller in Wales.

The Bluebirds took the game to the Reds from kick-off and were rewarded early on, taking the lead after just nine minutes thanks to Jordon Mutch punishing former Swansea midfielder Joe Allen for his giveaway with a low, left-footed drive past Simon Mignolet.

But it didn't take long for Brendan Rodgers' men to hit back, as Glen Johnson's cross found Suarez, who made no mistake of beating David Marshall from close range to level the score 1-1 in the 16th minute.

Nine minutes later, Fraizer Campbell took advantage of a slow Red defence with loads of space from nearly the same spot as Mutch scored to make it 2-1 and turn Cardiff City on top and loud again.

However, Skrtel's clinical finish off Philippe Coutinho's cross put the scores level at 2-2 and Liverpool back in the game just before the break.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his men were left stunned eight minutes into the second half, seeing Coutinho's cross off a corner headed in by Skrtel to make it 2-3, whilst the homeside were down to nine men, with Kevin Theophile-Catherine and Mutch receiving treatment on the side-line.

The Reds took over the game from there, the SAS proving themselves as lethal once again, Sturridge sending through a pass for Suarez to net before the Uruguayan returned the favour and set up the former Chelsea striker for a simple tap-in to make it 2-5 with 15 minutes to go.

Poor marking from the visitors left City sub Kenwyne Jones free to head one in to make it 3-5 and give the home side some faint, if-not-false hope,

But after sub Wilfried Zaha's hesitant giveaway, Suarez selfishly ran on and clear, with all the time and space to tease keeper Marshall before beating him to make it goal number six for LFC and hat-trick number six for himself.

Thereby the Urugayan equalled Robbie Fowler's 28-goal club-record for a Premier League season, six away from Andrew Cole's and Alan Shearer's joint Premier League record of most goals in a season.

The win keeps Liverpool in second, four points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand and two points ahead of Manchester City, who have an extra game in hand.

And with the Reds still to play both blue sides at Anfield, the title race is wide open and will be a nail-biter-and-a-half that could grind down to the final seconds of the season!

Cardiff City 3-6 Liverpool

Cardiff City Goals: 1.: 8:28min Jorden Mutch (18), 2.: 24:52min Fraizer Campbell (10), 3.: 87:15min Jorden Mutch.

Liverpool Goals: 1.: 15:47min Luis Suarez (7), 2.&3.: 40.11 & 53:04min Martin Skrtel (37), 4.: 58:44 min Luis Suarez (7), 5.: 74:25min Daniel Sturridge (15), 6.: 95:27min Luis Suarez (7).

Cardiff City Team: 1 Marshall; 42 John (29 Daehli- 65th min), 28 Theophile-Catherine, 27 Cala (booked- 33rd min), 4 Caulker, 35 Fabio (booked- 50th min); 13 Kim (36 Zaha- 65th min), 8 Medel, 18 Mutch; 39 Bellamy (9 Jones- 70th min), 10 Campbell. 5-3-2
Subs not used: 6 Turner, 7 Whittingham, 17 Gunnarsson, 32 Lewis.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 38 Flanagan (20 Cissokho- 73rd min), 5 Agger, 37 Skrtel (booked- 92nd min), 2Johnson; 8 Gerrard (booked- 2nd min); 24 Allen (booked- 94th min), 14 Henderson; 10 Coutinho (31 Sterling- 68th min); 7 Suarez, 15 Sturridge (17 Sakho- 92nd min). 4-1-2-1-2
Subs not used: 1 Jones, 9 Aspas, 12 Moses, 21 Lucas.

Opta Match Stats: Cardiff City-Liverpool
(Attack)
Attempts: 9-19
On target: 3-9
Blocked: 2-4
From outside the box: 2-6
From inside the box: 7-13
Shot accuracy: 42.9%-60%
(General Play)
Possession: 33.3%-66.6%
Duels won: 47.1%-52.9%
Aerials won: 37.9%-62.1%
Interceptions: 19-12
Offsides: 0-1
Corners: 4-6
(Distribution)
Total Passes: 301-650
Long Passes: 15%-8.8%
Passing Accuracy: 77.1%-87.1%
Pass. Acc. Opp. Half: 66.4%-80.1%
Total Passes: 25-15
Successful: 20%-20%
(Defence & Discipline)
Tackles: 21-22
Tackles Won: 71.4%-81.8%
Clearances: 15-28
Fouls Conceded: 14-11
Yellow Cards: 2-3
Red Cards: 0-0

Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Attendance: 28,018
Man of the match: Luis Suarez

Liverpool crush United at Old Trafford

Sports - Football - Premier League - Man United 0-3 Liverpool 

Liverpool closed the gap on league leaders Chelsea to four points with a game in hand after comprehensively beating Manchester United 0-3 at Old Trafford. 

Captain Steven Gerrard scored twice from the spot before seeing rival skipper Nemanja Vidic sent off and missing the resulting penalty and chance for a hat-trick. 

None other than Luis Suarez made it three, scoring his 25th Premier League goal of the season and condemning the Red Devils to their 9th defeat of the season. 

Brendan Rodgers' men took charge from the start, if not in possession, but creating and putting on more pressure, pressing and pushing, not letting United settle. 

The home side got more and more frustrated and saw defender Rafael's name first in the book for felling down Gerrard. 

The Brazilian conceded the first penalty moments later with a clumsy handball, which Gerrard made no mistake of, sending David De Gea the wrong way, to net it on the right and make it 0-1 after 34 minutes. 

It was the first time United have conceded a penalty at Old Trafford since December 2011. 

The goal woke up the home side and the game jumped up a gear, Gerrard seeing yellow for leading with his elbow on Marouane Fellaini, who had to be treated as United finally came out more on attack. 

Wayne Rooney saw his double-strike stopped just before the break, thanks to one great save by Simon Mignolet and one strong, quick block by Jon Flanagan, but the Reds kept and took the lead into the break. 

Whatever David Moyes said to his side during the interval, it didn't work, or backfired even, as 24 seconds into the second half, Phil Jones pushed and brought down Joe Allen in the box to concede the second penalty. 

The Scouse skipper netted to the right again, with fine accuracy and pace, to make it 0-2. Liverpool's tails were up after that and the visitors pushed and pressed for more. 

That didn't put off United though, Rooney and Vidic were both on referee Mark Clattenburg's case after they felt they were both fouled whilst creating chances, pushed by Martin Skrtel in the prior, and punched and clattered by Mignolet and Daniel Agger respectively in the latter case, but play continued despite all. 

One way or the other, it wasn't happening for United and Moyes made a double-change with 15 minutes remaining. Seconds later, it went from bad to worse for the hosts, Vidic saw red, receiving a second yellow for what was harshly deemed a foul on Daniel Sturridge in the box, a soft penalty to concede. 

But it was not going to be a penalty-hat-trick for man-of-the-match Gerrard, as he sent De Gea the wrong way, again, but was denied by the left post. 

The home fans felt justice was done with the miss, but on the other hand, Rafael was lucky not to be given a second yellow, as he got away with some rash challenges on more than one occasion, after already being booked and warned.

A certain Uruguayan then got into the mix, and after pulling a great save out off De Gea, Suarez broke clear in the box off a deflected Sturridge shot/cross/pass and netted his 25th Premier League goal of the season, to make it 0-3 and seal Liverpool's first win at Old Trafford since the unforgettable 1-4 thrash in 2009. 

It could have been worse for United- although they won't see it that way, recording their 5th home defeat and 21 points dropped at home this season. The Red Devils have not lost more than nine games in Premier League history. This ninth defeat leaves Moyes' men on 48 points in seventh, 12 points behind rivals City in the 4th and last Champions League spot and 18 points off the top. 

Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool 

Liverpool Goals: 1. & 2.: 34th & 47th min Steven Gerrard (8) penalties, 3.: 83:28 min Luis Suarez (7).

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 38 Flanagan (booked- 31st min), 5 Agger, 37 Skrtel (booked- 54th min), 2 Johnson; 24 Allen, 8 Gerrard (booked- 37th min) (21 Lucas- 87th min), 14 Henderson; 7 Suarez, 15 Sturridge (booked- 84th min) (9 Aspas- 91st min), 31 Sterling (10 Coutinho- 72nd min). 4-3-3
Subs not used: 1 Jones, 12 Moses, 17 Sakho, 20 Cissokho.

Man United Team: 1 De Gea; 3 Evra, 15 Vidic (booked- 71st min, sent off- 77th min), 4 Jones, 2 Rafael (booked- 32nd min); 16 Carrick, 31 Fellaini (23 Cleverly- 75th min); 44 Januzaj (19 Welbeck- 75th min), 10 Rooney, 8 Mata (5 Ferdinand- 87th min); 20 van Persie. 4-2-3-1
Subs not used: 13 Lindegaard, 18 Young, 25 Valencia, 26 Kagawa.

Match Stats: 1st & 2nd half: Man United-Liverpool
Attempts: 6-6 & 7-11
On target: 1-3 & 0-4
Offsides: 1-1 & 2-1
Corners: 1-2 & 2-2
Free kicks: 6-6 & 6-7
Possession: HT: 51%-49%, FT 48%-52%

For full Opta Match Stats just click here!

Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Attendance: 75,225
Man of the match: Steven Gerrard

Toure howler costs Liverpool at West Brom

Sports - Football - Premier League - West Brom 1:1 Liverpool

A Kolo Toure howler cost Liverpool two points as his giveaway handed Victor Anichebe the leveller for West Brom to earn them a point at the Hawthorns.

It was the first Premier League draw between the two, the last one a 0-0 in 1984, 18 league meetings since having always produced winners.

And Brendan Rodgers' men looked on course for a win after a flat half in subdued atmosphere, which saw Daniel Sturridge tap one in to put the visitors ahead.

The Reds were nowhere near their best but in command when the SAS produced a fine buildup, Philippe Coutinho putting Raheem Sterling in nicely, before the youngster ran and passed in to Luis Suarez, whose quality slot into the box left Sturridge with an easy finish for his 14th of the season.
The Baggies weren't helped when their defender Jonas Olsson had to come off injured with a hamstring and be replaced by Diego Lugano just before the break.

But Pepe Mel must have said something right during the break, because his side came out a different team, much more open, attacking and in command.

Gareth McAuley produced a brilliant save from Simon Mignolet with a strong header off a Chris Brunt corner before the skipper pulled a superb stop out of the Belgian keeper himself.

A frustrating half for the visitors was crowned by Toure's blunder, the Ivory Coast defender passing the ball back to substitute Anichebe, who made no mistake from 25 yards out, levelling the score with a right-footer across and in.

The game ended tense with end-to-end-stuff and scruffy tackles and clumsy play, unable to produce a breakthrough for either side.

The draw keeps Liverpool in fourth, but opens the gap to the top three further.

West Brom Goals: 1.: 66:25min Victor Anichebe (16).

Liverpool Goals: 1.: 23:56min Daniel Sturridge (15).

West Brom team: 1 Foster; 6 Ridgewell (booked 62nd min), 3 Olsson (14 Lugano- 41st min, booked 86th min), 23 McAuley, 28 Jones; 11 Brunt, 5 Yacob (booked 15th min), 21 Mulumbu (booked 82nd min), 22 Gera; 38 Berahino (16 Anichebe- 63rd min), 20 Vydra (17 Dorrans- 76th min). 4-4-2 Subs not used: 2 Reid, 10 Sinclair, 13 Myhill, 18 Amalfitano.

Liverpool team: 22 Mignolet; 20 Cissokho, 4 Toure, 37 Skrtel, 38 Flanagan (34 Kelly- 74th min); 14 Henderson, 8 Gerrard (booked 81st min), 10 Coutinho (24 Allen- 74th min); 15 Sturridge, 7 Suarez (booked 74th min), 31 Sterling. 4-3-3 Subs not used: 1 Jones, 6 Luis Alberto, 9 Aspas, 12 Moses, 33 Obe.

Match Stats: 1st & 2nd half: West Brom-Liverpool
Attempts: 4-5 & 8-5
On target: 0-1 & 4-2
Offsides: 0-1 & 0-1
Corners: 1-2 & 2-2
Free kicks: 5-7 & 8-5
Possession: 60%-40% (17th min), 48.3%-51.7% (HT) & 50%-50% (FT)
Pass Success Rate: 74%-80.82% (HT) & 75%-76% (FT)

Referee: Kevin Friend
Man of the match: Raheem Sterling & Zoltan Gera

Liverpool thrash Everton 4-0 in derby thriller

Sports - Football - Premier League - Liverpool 4:0 Everton

Liverpool enjoyed their biggest Merseyside derby win since 1982, thrashing their local rivals Everton 4-0 in an enthralling encounter at Anfield.

The hosts came out all guns blazing from kick-off, countering any chances or flow of play by the Toffees with breath-taking speed and lethal combinations.

Skipper Steven Gerrard opened the scoring in the 21st minute, heading in a Luis Suarez corner in to the left corner of the net, a fine goal after a fine start in his 28th derby.

Any resistance by the Toffees was killed off when Romelu Lukaku was forced off injured, to be replaced by Steven Naismith, after just 25 minutes, before a Daniel Sturridge double, two goals in two minutes, sealed the three-point deal for the Reds.

The England striker first clipped one in past Tim Howard after a perfect slide-through ball by Philippe Coutinho, followed by a high loft over the forward running American keeper to make it 3-0 after 35 minutes.

Roberto Martinez's men created some chances but struggled to cope with the Reds' front line, their speed and power especially on the counter, and saw three bookings for their frustration.

Suarez added to the visitors' misery five minutes after the break, netting Liverpool's fourth of the day and the Uruguayan's 23rd of the season for the club, after a fine counter.

And it could have been worse for the Toffees, when Howard brought down Raheem Sterling in the box to give Sturridge the chance for a hat-trick from the spot, which the 24-year-old blew cringingly over the bar.

The win keeps Brendan Rodgers' men on track for the top four, on 46 points, three ahead of Tottenham in fifth and four behind Chelsea in third.

Liverpool goals: 1.: 21st min Steven Gerrard (8), 2. & 3.: 33rd & 35th min Daniel Sturridge (15), 4.: 50th min Luis Suarez (7).

Liverpool team: 22 Mignolet; 20 Cissokho, 37 Skrtel, 4 Toure, 38 Flanagan (34 Kelly- 73rd min); 10 Coutinho (6 Luis Alberto- 79th min), 14 Henderson, 8 Gerrard, 31 Sterling; 15 Sturridge (12 Moses- 71st min), 7 Suarez. 4-4-2 Subs not used: 1 Jones, 9 Aspas, 33 Ibe, 44 Smith.

Everton team: 24 Howard; 3 Baines, 6 Jagielka, 32 Alcaraz, 26 Stones; 18 Barry (booked 48th min), 16 McCarthy; 22 Pienaar (booked 38th min) (21 Osman- HT), 20 Barkley (7 McGeady- 76th min), 11 Mirallas (booked 51st min); 17 Lukaku (14 Naismith- 25th min). 4-2-3-1 Subs not used: 1 Joel, 2 Hibbert, 19 Gueye, 29 Garbutt.

Match stats 1st & 2nd half: Liverpool-Everton Attempts: 11-5 & 6-5
On target: 8-1 & 1-3
Offsides: 1-0 & 0-0
Corners: 2-4 & 3-4
Free kicks: 7-4 & 5-6
Possession: 41.6%-58.4% & 39.4%-60.6%
Passing success rate: 80%-84.8% & 78%-84.85%

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Attendance: 44,450
Man of the match: Daniel Sturridge

Premier League Season So Far

Sports - Football - Premier League - Season So Far

And we have already reached the halfway point of the season!

So, here is a little overview of what we have enjoyed so far:

180 matches played

479 goals scored

First goal

Daniel Sturridge for Liverpool against Stoke City (17 August 2013)

Fastest goal after 12 seconds

Asmir Begovic for Stoke City against Southampton (2 November 2013)

Top scorer with 19 goals, including 2 hat-tricks

Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

Top keepers with 8 clean sheets

Tim Howard (Everton),

Jussi Jääskeläinen (West Ham),

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) and

Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal)

Biggest home win

Manchester City 7-0 Norwich (2 November 2013)

Biggest away win

Tottenham 0-5 Liverpool (15 December 2013)

Highest scoring

Manchester City 6-3 Arsenal (14 December 2013)

Longest winning run with 5 games

Arsenal

Longest unbeaten run with 10 games

Everton

Longest winless run with 8 games

Crystal Palace, Stoke City, Sunderland and West Brom

Longest losing run with 7 games

Crystal Palace

Most yellow cards with 43

Aston Villa

Most red cards with 5

Sunderland

Main offenders with 6 bookings

Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle)

Youssuf Mulumbu (West Brom)

Jonas Olsson (West Brom)

Angel Rangel (Swansea)

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Main offender with 2 red cards

Wes Brown (Sunderland)

Highest attendance with 75,350

Manchester United 3-1 West Ham (21 December 2013)

Lowest attendance with 19,242

Swansea 3-3 Stoke City (10 November 2013)

Total attendance 6,581,006

Average attendance 36,561

10 managerial changes

Everton David Moyes replaced by Roberto Martinez (5 June 2013)

Stoke City Tony Pulis replaced by Mark Hughes (30 May 2013)

Chelsea Rafael Benitez replaced by José Mourinho (3 June 2013)

Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson replaced by David Moyes (1 July 2013)

Sunderland Paolo Di Canio replaced by Gus Poyet (8 October 2013)

Crystal Palace Ian Holloway replaced by Tony Pulis (23 November 2013)

Fulham Martin Jol replaced by René Meulensteen (1 December 2013)

West Brom Steve Clarke to be replaced

Tottenham André Villas-Boas replaced by Tim Sherwood (23 December 2013)

Cardiff City Malky Mackay to be replaced

Manager of the Month

August Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool)

September Arsène Wenger (Arsenal)

October Mauricio Pochettino (Southampton)

November Alan Pardew (Newcastle)

December to be announced

Player of the Month

August Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)

September Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)

October Sergio Agüero (Manchester City)

November Tim Krul (Newcastle)

December to be announced

Table comparison after 19 games

Current position to last season

1 Arsenal +9 points, up 4 places

2 Manchester City +2 points, same place

3 Chelsea +2 points, same place

4 Everton +4 points, up 1 place

5 Liverpool +11 points, up 5 places

6 Manchester United -12 points, down 5 places

7 Tottenham +1 point, down 3 places

8 Newcastle +13 points, up 7 places

9 Southampton +10 points, up 9 places

10 Hull City promoted from the Championship

11 Swansea -4 points, 2 places down

12 Stoke City -7 points, 4 places down

13 Aston Villa +2 points, 3 places up

14 Norwich -6 points, 3 places down

15 West Brom -15 points, 9 places down

16 Cardiff City promoted from the Championship

17 Crystal Palace promoted from the Championship

18 Fulham -5 points, 4 places down

19 West Ham -8 points, 7 places down

20 Sunderland -8 points, 7 places down

Main gainers

Newcastle +13 points, 7 places up

Main losers

West Brom -15 points, 9 places down

Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-0 to extend league lead

Sports - Football - Premier League - Arsenal 2:0 Liverpool

Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points after beating Liverpool comprehensively and impressively 2-0 at the Emirates.

The Gunners took the lead after 19 minutes thanks to Santiago Cazorla who recovered and reacted the quickest and superbly netting the rebound with a fine half-volley after his initial header had come off the post.

Aaron Ramsey doubled the score just before the hour mark with a stunning smacker of a strike from outside the box, his tenth goal of the season.

The Reds did have the ball in the back of the net halfway through the first half after Luis Suarez took a quick free kick, given against Bacary Sagna for his push on the Uruguayan, which found Daniel Sturridge who crossed for Jordan Henderson to tap it in - only for referee Martin Atkinson to pull play back and book the Arsenal defender.

Brendan Rodgers' changes in the second half did improve the visitors' play, possession and attack, but the league leaders stayed in control thanks to a solid and dominant midfield, rewarded and capped off by the outstanding strike from Ramsey.

Suarez hit the post late on and Sturridge saw Wojciech Szczesny's clearance bounce off him, but straight back into the goalkeeper's gloves. It was just not their day.

Arsene Wenger can be more than happy after seeing his side take the lead in nine of their last ten fixtures and record 25 of the last available 27 points, the best record in the Premier League.

Another interesting stat/note: The Gunners are the only team to score in each of their league matches this season, the only other in the top four divisions is League One leaders Leyton Orient!

Liverpool meanwhile, will be relieved by Chelsea's 2-0 slip-up at Newcastle and draws for Southampton, Tottenham and Everton, which keeps them in third place.

Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool

Arsenal Goals; 1.: 18:32min Santiago Cazorla (19), 2.: 58:36min Aaron Ramsey (16).

Arsenal Team: 1 Szczesny: 28 Gibbs (5 Vermaelen -78.), 6 Koscielny, 4 Mertesacker, 3 Sagna (booked 26.); 8 Arteta, 16 Ramsey ; 19 Cazorla (25 Jenkinson - 84., booked 90.), 11 Özil, 7 Rosicky (17 Monreal - 72.); 12 Giroud. 4-2-3-1
Subs not used: 21 Fabianski, 23 Bendtner, 37 Akpom, 45 Haydon.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 17 Sakho, 37 Skrtel, 4 Toure; 21 Lucas; 20 Cissokho (booked 28.) (10 Coutinho - 45.), 14 Henderson, 8 Gerrard, 38 Flanagan (12 Moses - 68.); 7 Suarez, 15 Sturridge. 3-1-4-2
Subs not used: 1 Jones, 5 Agger, 24 Allen, 31 Sterling, 34 Kelly.

Opta Match Stats: Arsenal-Liverpool

(Attack)
Shots: 12-12
On target: 7-4
Blocked: 1-2
From outside the box: 3-4
From inside the box: 9-8
Shot accuracy: 63.6%-40%

(General Play)
Possession: 54.3%-45.7%
Duels won: 52.1%-47.9%
Aerial duels won: 45.5%-54.5%
Interceptions: 13-17
Offsides: 1-4
Corners: 3-5

(Distribution)
Total passes: 612-511
Long passes: 6%-7.4%
Passing accuracy: 85%-84.5%
Passing accuracy opp. half: 79.9%-76.6%
Total crosses: 14-21
Successful crosses: 7.1%-28.6%

(Defence & Discipline)
Tackles: 31-28
Tackles won: 83.9%-78.6%
Clearances: 17-26
Fouls conceded: 11-7
Yellow cards: 2-1
Red cards: 0-0

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Attendance: 60,042
Man of the match: Aaron Ramsey