Bolton 2 Liverpool 3: Match Analysis
Liverpool Struggling To Shrug Off Stuttering Start
Aug 30, 2009
At the end of the day it was three well deserved points. Liverpool dominated possession, created a host of chances and thoroughly deserved their victory though the chances they wasted must be a concern for Rafa Benitez. On current form, his Liverpool side do not convincingly look like a team that can challenge for top honours.
At the Reebok Stadium, Liverpool were up against a Bolton side without a victory or a goal in the league this season. Despite dominating the first half an hour of the game, the Reds found themselves a goal down following Bolton's first attack. And like the previous five goals Benitez' men have conceded this season it was a result of poor defending from a set-piece. Johan Elmander rose above Emiliano Insua to head the ball back across the six yard box. There were three Bolton players to Liverpool's one defender and Kevin Davies was left with an easy tap in.
Liverpool Show Strength In Character
To their credit, Liverpool showed strength of character and Fernando Torres spurned a couple of opportunities before Glen Johnson cut inside from the right flank to fire a thumping left footed drive past the rooted Jussi Jaaskelianen. Two minutes after the restart though, the Reds were behind again.
Kevin Davies was a thorn in the side of Liverpool's defence every time Bolton got the ball forward and his strength allowed him to shrug of the close attention of Sotorios Kyrgiakos to lay the ball on for the onrushing Tamir Cohen to steer the ball home.
Ten minutes later arguably saw the turning point of the match. Lucas Leiva in possession was tripped from behind by Sean Davis who had already been yellow carded for dissent. The challenge was little more than an accidental collision, but referee Alan Wiley didn't see it that way and Davis was dismissed for a second bookable offence. With Bolton reduced to ten men it only took a couple of minutes for Liverpool to take full advantage.
Steven Gerrard who until the sending off had been kept quiet by the man marking of Davis, played the ball into Dirk Kuyt to feed Torres. The Spaniard showed some neat footwork to create space for himself and fire the ball past the helpless Bolton Keeper to draw the sides level. If this match was going to have a winner it was only going to be Liverpool and though the Reds huffed and puffed to blow Bolton's door down, they barely unsettled the hinges.
Captain Gerrard To The Rescue
Torres and Kuyt both came close and Gerrard hit the bar, but Jasskelainen was not fully tested. Yossi Benayoun came of for the ineffective Albert Riera, but was equally ineffective. As is often the case, when Liverpool need a hero up steps the captain and it was that man again, Steven Gerrard who came to the rescue. Johnson's cross was headed into the path of his skipper by Torres and from the edge of the area Liverpool's talisman rifled an unstoppable half-volley into the top corner. It was nothing more than Liverpool deserved though at one point didn't look as they it would arrive.
The performance against Bolton was a typical Liverpool display and was reminiscent of the strengths and weaknesses they showed lack season. The Reds will dominate possession yet struggle to break sides down and take their chances. They will make hard work of teams their rivals sweep aside, but they are resilient and will battle right to the final whistle. Unfortunately for Benitez however, unless the owners dig deep to bring in a playmaker Liverpool's hopes of bringing the Premier League title to Anfield will be nothing more than a dream.
