LIVERPOOL 0 - 0 BIRMINGHAM CITY
LIVERPOOL 0 - 0 BIRMINGHAM CITY Breakdown
Liverpool have been held to a second successive draw in the Barclays Premier League after Birmingham left Anfield with a point following a goalless stalemate. The Reds controlled the match almost from start to finish but were ultimately left frustrated as Steve Bruce continued his impressive record of never losing a league match against Rafael Benitez's men.
The result means the Reds are now four points off the pace at the top of the table following Arsenal's home victory over Derby County.
Liverpool enjoyed enough possession to have created a hatful of chances, but the frustration for Benitez will be found in the statistics which will show Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor was rarely threatened throughout the 90 minutes.
The Reds may have blown Derby County away with some sizzling football in their last Anfield clash, but they found Birmingham a much tougher nut to crack and were ultimately left to rue a missed opportunity to pick up three precious points.
With record signing Fernando Torres left on the bench, Benitez paired Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin in attack with Ryan Babel and Jermaine Pennant employed on the wings to provide the ammunition.
Birmingham, predictably, were happy to defend in numbers and swamp the midfield ? tactics which ultimately reaped reward but didn't help contribute towards a free-flowing game.
The early stages looked promising for the home side with John Arne Riise fizzing a low cross across the face of goal which Voronin almost connected with in the six yard box, while Kuyt attempted to strike an early blow but saw a couple of efforts from distance miss the target.
However, the cohesive football we've been used to seeing from Liverpool this season struggled to show itself as the half wore on, with the Birmingham defence remaining resolute in the face of stern pressure.
It took the Reds an hour before they seriously tested Taylor in the Birmingham goal, when Voronin took advantage of a poor clearance from Johan Djourou and smashed a low drive goalwards which was well turned away to safety.
Torres was introduced to the action after an hour and almost grabbed a spectacular opener with an overhead kick from Pennant's cross which just cleared the bar at the Kop end.
The Spaniard also came close to creating a winner for Steven Gerrard with a clever back-heel into his skipper's path inside the area, but just as Gerrard was set to pull the trigger Liam Ridgewell intervened with a last ditch tackle.
Peter Crouch came on to add fresh legs to the Reds' attack, but in the end the visitors held on relatively comfortably for a hard earned point.
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1 min : The visitors get the game underway. Nice to have a 3pm kick off on a Saturday
2 mins : Hands up if you predicted Torres would be on the bench today? The Kopites who made a new El Nino banner are probably quite hacked off
3 mins : Riise fizzes a ball across the six-yard box but there's no one there to tap it home. Good start
4 mins : As expected, the Blue
4 mins : Oops. You'll have to excuse me a few typos - went to Heebie Jeebies for a boogie last night. What I meant was, as expected Birmingham are playing with Cameron Jerome as a lone striker
5 mins : Nice work from Babel but Kuyt's shot is weak
6 mins : Well in Javier...
7 mins : Daniel Agger is in the directors' box sporting the coolest leather jacket since Night Rider was on our screens
9 mins : We've also got Steve McMahon, Paul Jewell and Mark Hughes up here
10 mins : First corner goes to the Reds
10 mins : Babel doesn't get it past the first man
11 mins : Alvaro kicks the ball out 'cos there's a man down - very sporting
12 mins : Riise and Pennant taking advantage of the stoppage to get some water and instructions
13 mins : Substitution: Gary McSheffrey for Borja Oubina: Oubina stretchered off. Hope he's okay.
14 mins : Great switch of play by Babel but Pennant's cross is too long. Still, it's a corner
15 mins : Babel's low corner is curled narrowly over by JAR. Unlucky son
16 mins : Wilson Palacios is wearing the most ridiculous yellow boots. Even JAR wouldn't dare come out in them
17 mins : Anyone see the QE2 dock at Liverpool last night? The fireworks were pretty rubbish...
18 mins : Gerrard screaming for it in the middle but Babel's pass is misplaced
19 mins : Dodgy defending by Ridgewell lets Kuyt through but the Blues captain redeems himself with a fine tackle
20 mins : Good work from Babel...to Kuyt on the edge of the box...deflected out for a corner
21 mins : Riise tries one from distance...no this time, John Arne
22 mins : Anyone been in an LFC TV taxi yet?
25 mins : That ball was too ambitious from Javier
26 mins : I'm contemplating asking Daniel where he got his jacket from?
27 mins : Come on Reds...
27 mins : Gerrard swings one in but Dirk can't direct it goalwards
28 mins : JP and Stevie link up on the edge of the box but Dirk's shot is just wide
29 mins : The guy with the yellow boots has a punt...nowhere near, son
30 mins : Anfield is starting to get frustrated...and so is Rafa from the look of things
31 mins : There's a kid with a rattle in front of the press box. Give it a rest would you, la
32 mins : JP and Ryan have swapped flanks
32 mins : Sami gets his head right in there where it matters. What a legend he is
34 mins : Touch of class from Stevie but JP's cross is deflected into the keeper's arms
35 mins : Some more nice build up from Rafa's men but the deliveries haven't been great today
37 mins : Nice ball to Babel down the right but he backheels it out of play...
37 mins : Nice in-swinger from JP but Maik Taylor is out well
38 mins : Round of applause for Peter and Fernando as they come out for their first warm up
39 mins : Interesting to see the interview with Riise on .tv earlier, saying Crouchie, Dirk, JP and Carra are the characters of the squad
40 mins : JP felled midway inside their half
41 mins : Gerrard lays it to JP...he's going to hit one...tipped over
42 mins : Good corner from JP but it's cleared
42 mins : Arsenal beating Derby 2-0
43 mins : Great interplay from Riise, Voronin and Gerrard by Taylor is out well again
44 mins : The yellow boot fella's just tried one from 40 yards but it's no problem for the best keeper in the world
44 mins : Couple of great tackles from Javier
44 mins : Jerome hits the back of the net...but he's offside
45 mins : Stadium announcer reveals people have been caught smoking in the loos - and that stewards are now being deployed in the bogs to extinguish the problem. Never mind about fags, what about rattles???
45 mins : Great ball in from JAR but no one's there...
14:48 GMT : Half Time Reached
15:05 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Kuyt and Voronin kick the second half off. No changes...
46 mins : Momo, Crouch and Torres immediately out to warm up
47 mins : Reds have the sun in their eyes second half...
48 mins : Oi oi, Celebrity Kop Clubber alert. Chris de Burgh's here...
50 mins : Dirk hits the back of the net after fabulous throughball by the skipper...but the flag's up
51 mins : Just seen De Burgh checking out Agger's leather jacket. There's no way I'm getting one if he is.
51 mins : Strong run from Babel but his shot is wide
52 mins : You can't blame Steve Bruce fo setting his team up like this, but it doesn't make for much of a game
55 mins : Good tackle from JP right in front of his old boss
55 mins : Rafa calls Torres over
57 mins : Reds corner...
58 mins : Carra inside the box...deflected over
58 mins : Pennant swings one in...Gerrard bursting into the box...cleared off the line. Darn
59 mins : Can you here the drums Fernando...
59 mins : Great save from Taylor to deny Voronin from 20 yards
61 mins : Substitution: Fernando Torres for Ryan Babel:
62 mins : Acrobatics from Voronin in the box but the visitors remain resolute
63 mins : Kapo hits one...Reina saves but it's a corner
64 mins : First Booking: Liam Ridgewell:
65 mins : Riise crosses for Dirk but his header is disappointing
66 mins : Top class tackle from Javier to win back possession but then he goes and losses it
67 mins : Today's attendance - 44,215
68 mins : Substitution: Garry O'Connor for Wilson Palacios: Yellow boots is off
68 mins : Bruce and McSheffrey having a row it seems
69 mins : Riise has another crack - this time from 40-odd yards. Wide
71 mins : Disappointing cross from Riise
71 mins : Dubious offside decision against Voronin
71 mins : First Booking: Gary McSheffrey:
73 mins : Big Pete's about to make an entrance
74 mins : Great move involving Stevie and JP but the cross could have been better
74 mins : Substitution: Peter Crouch for Andriy Voronin:
77 mins : Best move of the match from the Reds as Pennant sends in a superb cross and Torres hits an overhead kick narrowly over
79 mins : Arsenal 5-0 Derby
80 mins : Substitution: Rafael Shmitz for Cameron Jerome:
81 mins : A nice touch from Rafa on the sidelines...
83 mins : Mark Hughes has seen enough
83 mins : Crouch about to pull the trigger...surely - good tackle
84 mins : Pennant's hobbling
86 mins : Gerrard hits one into the box...no one there
87 mins : The skipper bursts into the box but he's pulled back for handball
87 mins : Substitution: Steve Finnan for Jermaine Pennant:
88 mins : Was Torres obstructed in the box?
88 mins : Free header for Crouch...over
89 mins : Only one team has played football today but it doesn't look like it's done us much good
90 mins : Three mins added
90 mins : Dirk fighting to the last
90 mins : Javier tries one...well over
90 mins : This is so frustrating
15:53 GMT : Match Over
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