You'll Never Walk Alone -- The End...

[nino1310]

this is great

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 29th August, 2010

Carling Cup holders Arsenal have been drawn against Middlesbrough in the third round of this year's competition, while neighbours Tottenham will travel to Bolton.

Last year's runners-up Manchester United travel to Reading who defeated Leeds United in midweek. Everton travel southwards as they tackle Bristol City at Ashton Gate. League One high-flyers Southampton welcome Liverpool to St Mary's. While hull City travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.

Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to have the youngsters out show as Manchester United travel to face Reading at the Madejski, while Blackburn host Man City in an all-Premier League tie. Bottom side Wolves travel away to DW Stadium to face Wigan as Newcastle face recently relegated Burnley at St James Park.

Portsmouth, who brushed aside Scunthrope in midweek, travel to face Leicester City. Stoke City will fancy their chances of bumping off Championship outfit Watford at the Britannia. Last year's quarter-finalists West Brom travel to Charlton. Yeovil Town face Premier League opposition in the shape of Aston Villa, while Nottingham Forest's game with Cardiff City completes the third-round ties.

All fixtures to be played the week commencing 20th September.

Newcastle v Burnley
Nottm Forest v Cardiff
Bolton v Tottenham
Chelsea v Hull
Blackburn v Man City
Arsenal v Middlesbrough
Leicester v Portsmouth
Barnsley v Preston
Southampton v Liverpool
Stoke v Watford
Bristol City v Everton
Reading v Mna Utd
West Ham v Ipswich
Yovil v Aston Villa
Wigan v Wolves
Charlton v West Brom​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Summer Transfers
1st September, 2010​

Arsenal
IN:
John Heitinga - 12.75m (At. Madrid)

OUT:
Mark Randall - Loan (Hibernian)
Gavin Hoyte - Loan (Cardiff)
Thomas Vermaelen - 4.7m (Deportivo)
Francis Coquelin - Loan (Cardiff)
Gilles Sunu - Loan (Charlton)
Vito Mannone - Ln Fee 190k (Catania)

Aston Villa
IN:
Dimitar Ivankov - 825k (Bursapor)
Carlo Nash - 180k (Everton)
Ayila Yussuf - 10.25m (Dinamo Kiev)
Aiden McGeady - 9.5m (Celtic)
Andrea Dossena - 13m (Liverpool)
Gareth Barry - P/Ex (Man City)
Rafael Da Silva - P/Ex (Man Utd)
Taras Mykhalyk - 9.25m (Dinamo Kiev)

OUT:
Will Ricketts - Free
Moustapha Salifou - Free (Al-Hilal(KSA))
Brad Guzan - 2.3m (Lens)
Harry Forrester - Loan (Bristol City)
Carlos Cuellar - 15.25m - P/Ex (Man City)
Sylvian Distin - 10.25m - P/Ex (Man Utd)
Ciaran Clark - Loan (Ipswich)
Pascal Feindouno - 7m (Udinese)

Blackburn
IN:
Barry Ferguson - 2.8m (Birmingham)
Paddy Kenny - 140k (Sheff Utd)
Bernard Mendy - 425k (Hull City)
Gilberto Silva - 3.5m (Panathinaikos)
John Pantsil - 2m (Fulham)
Jonathan Walters - 2.6m (Ipswich)

OUT:
Jason Brown - 1m (Olympiakos)
Johnny Flynn - Loan (Sheff Utd)
Gavin Gunning - Loan (Crystal Palace)
Mark Bunn - 775k (Q.P.R)
Maceo Rigters - Ln Fee 550k (FC Utrecht)
Keith Treacy - 1.5m (Newcastle Utd)
Lars Jacobsen - 1.6m (West Brom)
Frank Fielding - Loan (Ipswich)

Bolton
IN:
Matt Mills - 220k (Reading)
Michael Dawson - 4.5m (Tottenham)

OUT:
Adam Bogdan - Loan (Bradford)
Zat Knight - 3.5m (Birmingham)

Chelsea
IN:
Alessandro Rosina - 11.75m (Juventus)

OUT:
Claudio Pizarro - 3.2m (Palermo)
Mineiro - Free (Internacional)
Liam Bridcutt - Loan (Charlton)
John Obi Mikel - 8.5m (AC Milan)
Salomon Kalou - 4.6m (Udinese)
Carl Magnay - 170k (Rangers)

Everton
IN:
Artem Mulevskyi - 13.5m (Dinamo Kiev)
Craig Gordon - 4m (Sunderland)
Pavel Pogrebnyak - 15.75 (Stuttgart)
Gabriel Heinze - 8m (Marseille)
Alan Hutton - 9.25m (Tottenham)
Ognjen Vukojevic - 10.5m (Dinamo Kiev)

OUT:
John Ruddy - 210k (Motherwell)
Carlo Nash - 180k (Aston Villa)
Iain Turner - 750k (Middlesbrough)
George Krenn - Loan (Preston)
Hernanes - 19.75m (Man Utd)
Jose Baxter - 1.2m (Burnley)

Fulham
IN:
Sergey Krivets - 4.4m (Birmingham)
Joe Mattock - 2.4m (Leicester)
Matt Derbyshire - 3.6m - P/Ex (Olympiakos)
Darren Ambrose - Free
Chris Eagles - 4.5m (Burnley)
Richard Hughes - 750k (Portsmouth)
Jay Tabb - 450k (Reading)
Roger Johnson - 2.9m (Birmingham)
Paul Caddis - 1.5m (Celtic)

OUT:
Andreas Johansson - 1.3m (Wolves)
Clint Dempsey - 2.8m (West Ham)
Kagiso Dikgacoi - P/Ex (Olympiakos)
Bjorn Helge Riise - 1.1m (Mallorca)
John Pantsil - 2m (Blackburn)
Robert Milsom - 300k (Blackpool)

Liverpool
IN:
Sergio Aguero - 41m (At.Madrid)
Juan Manuel Vargas - 28.5 (Fiorentina)
Alan Dzagoev - 17.5 (CSKA Moscow)

OUT:
Francisco Duran - Free (At.Madrid B)
Lucas - 10m (Lyon)
Stephen Appiah - 4.5m (Sporting CP)
Phillip Degen - 3.5m (Portsmouth)
Mattia Destro - Loan (AA Gent)
Emiliano Insua - Loan (Cardiff)
Adam Hammill - Loan (Crystal Palace)
Davide Santon - Ln Fee 300k (Palermo)
David Martin - Loan (Sheff Utd)
Javier Mascherano - 30m (Juventus)
Andrea Dossena - 13m (Aston Villa)
Dean Bouzanis - Loan (Hereford)
Craig Lindfield - Loan (Accrington)
Ryan Flynn - Loan (Accrington)
Deale Chamberlain - Loan (Preston)
Jordy Brouwer - Loan (AA Gent)
Vincent Weijl - Loan (St Mirren)
Nikolay Mihaylov - Loan (AA Gent)
Krisztian Nemeth - 1.9m (hull)
Victor Palsson - 350k (Blackpool)
Nabil El Zhar - 2.5m (Monaco)

Manchester City
IN:
Niko Kranjcar - 5m (Portsmouth)
Blaise Matuidi - 11m (Saint-Etienne)
Wilson Palacios - 13.5 (Tottenham)
Carlos Cuellar - 15.25 - P/Ex (Aston Villa)

OUT:
Adam Clayton - Free (Bohemains)
Vincent Kompany - 7.75m (At.Madrid)
Stuart Taylor - 1.3m (Valencia)
Filip Mentel - Loan (Leeds)
Benjani - Ln Fee 275k (Dinamo Kiev)
Gareth Barry - P/Ex (Aston Villa)
Vladimir Weiss - Loan (Watford)

Manchester United
IN:
Adriano Basso - 575k (Bristol City)
Elano - 12.25m (Galatasaray)
Mark Howard - 9k (St Mirren)
Sylvain Distin - 10.25m - P/Ex (Aston Villa)
Hernanes - 19.75m (Everton)

OUT:
Tomasz Kuszczak - 2.4m (Werder Bremen)
Ben Foster - Free (Napoli)
Daniel Drinkwater - Loan (Cardiff)
Ron-Robert Zierler - Loan (Sheff Utd)
Rafael - P/Ex (Aston Villa)

Middlesbrough
IN:
Iain Turner - 750k (everton)

OUT:
Richard Smallwood - Loan (Darlington)
John Johnson - Loan (Bohemains)

Newcastle United
IN:
George Ogararu - 1.4m (Ajax)
Stephen Quinn - 1.1m (Sheff Utd)
Kyle Naughton - 1.4m (Tottenham)
Krystian Pearce - 575k (Birmingham)
Junior Stanislas - 1.4m (West Ham)
Marvin Elliot - 775k (Bristol City)
Keith Treacy 0 1.5m (Balckburn)

OUT:
Andy Carroll - Loan (Crystal Palace)
Scott Robertson - 3.2m (Portsmouth)

Portsmouth
IN:
Phillip Degen - 3.5m (Liverpool)
Scott Robertson - 3.2m (Newcastle)

OUT:
Niko Kranjcar - 5m (Man City)
Jamie Ashdown - 1.3m (Bristol City)
Richard Hughes - 750k (Fulham)

Stoke City
IN:
Tyrone Mears - 275k (Burnley)
Chris Cohen - 2.5m (Nottm Forest)
Darren O'Dea - 3.4m (Celtic)
Craig Bryson - 1m (Kilmarnock)
Razvan Ochirosii - 2.8m (Kayserispor)

OUT:
Julian Gray - Free (Birmingham)
Andrew Davies - 1.6m (Q.P.R)

Sunderland
IN:
Shaun Maloney - 4.9m (Celtic)
Kyle Lafferty - 6.25m (Rangers)

OUT:
Craig Gordon - 4m (Everton)
Fraizer Campbell - 9.25m (Wolves)

Tottenham Hotspurs
IN:
Ezequiel Garay - 6m (R.Madrid)
James McArthur - 1.5m (Hamilton)

OUT:
Kyle Naughton - 1.4m (Newcastle)
Michael Dawson - 4.5m (Bolton)
Wilson Palacios - 13.5m (Man City)
Alan Hutton - 9.25m (Everton)

West Brom
IN:
Brian Howard - Free
Lars Jacobsen - 1.6m (Blackburn)
Geovanni - 1.3m (Hull)
Scott Cuthbert - 1.4m (Celtic)

OUT:
Sylvinho - Free (Tenerife)
Joss Labadie - 800k (Birmingham)
Simon Cox - 275k (Q.P.R)
Dean Kiely - 275k (Crystal Palace)

West Ham
IN:
Mariano Pavone - 5.25m (Reading)
Clint Dempsey - 2.8m (Fulham)
Lee Miller - 1.5m (Aberdeen)

OUT:
Junior Stanislas - 1.4m (Newcastle)

Wigan
IN:
Jesus Maria Lacruz - Free
Alan Combe - 190k (Kilmarnock)

OUT:
Rachid Bouaouzan - 300k (William II)

Wolves
IN:
Andreas Johansson - 1.3m (Fulham)
Peter Halmosi - 2.9m (Hull)
Fraizer Campbell 9.25m (Sunderland)
Kirk Broadfoot - 3.3m (Dinamo Kiev)
Steven Whittaker - 4.9m (Rangers)

OUT:
Marcus Hahnemann - 55k (Dortmund)
Matt Jarvis - 475k (Sheff Utd)
Darren Ward - 130k (Watford)​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 1st September, 2010

Liverpool coach Jose Mourinho is fully enjoying his second season at Anfield as he guided his side to the top of the Barclays Premier League.

It was his signing of Juan Manuel Vargas who made the difference at the Molineux Stadium. Former Fiorentina full-back Juan Manuel Vargas scored his first goal for the club then set up the second goal for striker Fernando Torres. Wolves were dealt a blow before kick-off when striker Kevin Doyle was ruled out through injury. However Mick McCarthy' side knuckled down and gave a gritty performance, especially in the second half.

Liverpool's class was apparent, however, and the visitors almost scored as early as the eighth minute. Alberto Aquilani tried his luck from distance and goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey did well to tip his effort over the crossbar. Aquilani peeled away from his marker as Steven Gerrard swung in the corner but Hennessey was able to make a comfortable save low down.

Liverpool created another chance in the 16th minute when Sergio Aguero, latched on to a through ball from Gerrard only for Hennessey to show good reactions from the striker's flick. Gerrard was seeing plenty of the ball and cracked in a shot in the 24th minute that was blocked by Stephen Warnock. And there was a sense of anticipation among the travelling fans in the 33rd minute when the England midfielder shaped to take a free-kick 25 yards out. However Gerrard failed to test Hennessey and sent his effort high, much to Wolves' relief.

Wolves hit back and from Nenad Milijas' corner in the 38th minute, Kirk Broadfoot picked out Peter Halmosi. But goalkeeper Pepe Reina was alert to the danger and got down quickly to smother the ball.

A minute later Liverpool took the lead with Vargas making his mark in fine style. The Peru international, 27, cushioned a pass from Gerrard on his chest before sending a shot beyond Hennessey into the corner via George Elokobi on the line. It was a superb finish from Vargas, who likes to get forward and join the attack and little wonder he celebrated in style.

Liverpool began the second half in the same attacking vein and Hennessey made two saves in two minutes to prevent the visitors extending their lead. The young English shot-stopper turned away a strike from Gerrard in the 47th minute and then pushed Ryan Babel's effort onto the bar.

With only one goal in it, the home side were still in with a shout and you sensed they realised that. Michael Knighty came close to marking his return to the side by equalising, only for Alberto Aquilani to get back and clear his header off the line.

Liverpool launched a swift counter-attack in the 68th minute and Gerrard took advantage of some poor defending to release Aguero. He played the ball into Fernando Torres only for the Spain striker to blast his effort into the crowd.

Liverpool extended their lead in the 78th minute after a mistake by Christophe Berra. The central defender only succeeded in chesting Vargas' cross into the path of Torres and he took full advantage of the gift. Hennessey was furious and little wonder. Aquilani should have added a third three minutes later only to drag his effort wide of the post as Liverpool stretched their winning steak in the league to 5 matches.

__________________________________________________​

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy: "We have to take positives out of the game and cannot get down in the dumps. We competed well against Liverpool. The problem today is we sat off them a little bit. It was just unfortunate the way their second goal came about as Berra just lost his footing. That killed the game."

Liverpool manager Jose Mourinho: "It is impossible to play great football all the time and it was difficult against Wolves. Whenever we made a mistake they arrived and tried to put the ball in the box. We had to pay attention. But we kept our shape and that was important. It was fantastic to get a win like this as Wolves created only one or two chances."

__________________________________________________​

Wolves: Hennessey, Whittaker(Orr 61)(C), Broadfoot(Collins 72), Berra, Elokobi, Warnock, Knight(Stearman 82), Johansson, Milijas, Halmosi, Campbell.
Subs Not Used: Murray, Johnson, Foley.

Booked: Knighty, Halmosi.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Vargas, Babel(Riera 77), Aquilani(Camacho 87), Gerrard(C)(Dzagoev 80), Sanchez, Aguero, Torres.
Subs Not Used: Diego, Aurelio, Skrtel, Kuyt.

Booked: Carragher, Torres.

Goals: Vargas 39, Torres, 78.

Att: 28,491.

Ref: M Dean.

Man of the Match: Juan Manuel Vargas.​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Page last updated: September 1, 2010​

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E-mail this to a friend .....

Printable version

Premier League Table

​

 

[Ollie_H]

That is one absolutely stunning league table Shan!!

 

[shantanu_rooney]

That is one absolutely stunning league table Shan!!

No credits to me, credits to the maker of it on sussie, he made it and posted the psd in story resources thread on that forum.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 10th September, 2010

Liverpool fans always relish the visit of old rivals and title contenders Arsenal to Anfield, and Saturday's game against Arsene Wenger's young side will be no exception...

Form Guide
Arsenal who just made one summer signing have started the season quite well, by winning two of the three games so far, scoring six goals and are yet to concede one in the Premier League this season. Champions Liverpool on the other hand, have made a brilliant start to the new season like last season, winning all the three games and scoring seven goals in all. The two sides last met each other in the UEFA Super Cup Final in Monaco, where the Premier League champions outplayed their fellow Premier League counterparts.

Ins and Outs
Arsenal have some injury worries ahead of their visit to Anfield as Johan Djourou(foot) and Emmanuel Eboue(cheeckbone) have been ruled out and teenager Aaron Ramsey(wrist) is doubtful. For the host, Sergio Aguero, the British record fee summer signing has been ruled out due to a damaged foot, but Diego Cavalieri has recovered and will be on the bench for the game.

Star Man
Jeremy Toulalan, Arsene Wenger's 17.5m pounds January signing made an immediate impact last season by helping the Gunners finish second behind Liverpool in the league and also winning the Europe League. The former Lyon midfielder has been in brilliant scoring form this season by netting in three goals in the same number of games.

Rivals Watch
Manchester United travel to the Reebok Stadium to face Bolton in Saturday's early kickoff, while Chelsea travel to Wolves at 15:00, while Manchester City face Stoke City at the same time.

Referee
Lee Mason will officiate the game. Lee Mason has been in charged of 8 game so far this season, handing our 27 yellow cards and one red card.

Odds
Liverpool 5/4, Draw 11/5, Arsenal 7/4.​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Last updated: 11th September, 2010

Fernando Torres salvaged a point and preserved Liverpool's unbeaten record this season at the end of a breathless encounter with Arsenal at Anfield.

The visitors had led for much of the contest following Jeremy Toulalan's first-half tap-in, his fourth goal of the season. But 15 minutes from time, after Dirk Kuyt, Steven Gerrard, Ryan Babel and Alberto Aquilani had tried and failed to break down Arsenal's stubborn defence, Torres exposed Arsenal's poor offside trap by nodding home Alan Dzagoev's free-kick 15 minutes from time.

Arsene Wenger's decision to play Samir Nasri and Toulalan worked a dream, especially with the Frenchman switching to the middle of midfield, a move that saw Abou Diaby take up a right-wing station. Identifying Liverpool's full-backs Glen Johnson and Juan Manuel Vargas as major attacking threats, Wenger chose to put his two most energetic men in direct opposition, keeping the home pair occupied defensively and stifling their threat in attack.

Despite their mixed recent form, the Gunners showed their attacking intent from the start, when Nasri turned Diaby's low cross wide, and Liverpool, having lost Aguero just a day before kick-off after the Argentina star was injured in the training, could not get into their stride even though they could call upon Dirk Kuyt as replacement.

Jose Mourinho's team was further disrupted when Jamie Carragher hobbled off after just 14 minutes, so there was always a nagging fear Ryan Babel's failure to find the net when he robbed Bacary Sagna to give himself a clear sight of goal was going to prove costly.

Liverpool, already given one let off when Pepe Reina's wayward clearance gave first Edaurdo, then Robin van Persie the chance to launch speculative efforts at the home goal, survived again when van Persie set up William Gallas, only for the home keeper to save with his legs. But on their next attack, Gunners finally prospered as Gael Clichy galloped past Johnson to reach van Persie's inspired through ball. Clichy's pinpoint cross found Eduardo and while Reina was once again equal to the shot, Toulalan had the easiest of tasks to bundle home the rebound.

After spending nearly half an hour on the back foot, Liverpool finally got into their stride. Bacary Sagna's back header spread panic in the visitors' defence and when Manuel Almunia came off worst in a collision with Alexis Sanchez, who might easily have scored, the Spaniard was eventually forced from the field.

With Dirk Kuyt also firing over on a couple of occasions, it was not until the arrival of Alan Dzagoev that the home side really upped the ante. Ryan Babel should have done more with Torres's low cross than prod it straight at Sagna, then John Heitinga got in the way of Johnson's shot.

Wenger's response was to bring on Nicklas Bendtler, who put the Liverpool defence on red alert with his direct running. In ignoring Torres' pleas for a pass as Aquilani split Arsenal's defence wide open, Ryan Babel needed to do better than blast his shot straight at Antonin Kinsky, who was quickly becoming one of the visitors' key men.

There would have been nothing the pole could do to keep out Gerrard's effort 21 minutes from time though as, from four yards out and with the goal at his mercy, the Englishman inexplicably failed to make contact with Johnson's cross, the ball bouncing to safety off the Englishman's standing leg. But just as a wobbling Liverpool had eventually tumbled in the first-half, so the Gunners did the same 15 minutes from time.

In chopping down Juan Manuel Vargas, Samir Nasri not only picked up his side's first booking. He also provided Dzagoev with the opportunity to float over a free-kick to the edge of the Arsenal six-yard box where the visitors, getting their marking and offside trap hopelessly wrong, left Torres on his own to nod home the equaliser.

__________________________________________________​

Liverpool boss Jose Mourinho: "The game is one of the best games we've played (this season), because we had many problems. Manchester controlled the game for 15 minutes and they played better than us. They made a goal - and after this, we improved. We had more chances than them but we missed some chances in front of goal. At half-time I said we wanted Gerrard and Aquilani more up front, nearer the strikers - and we put Dzagoev on."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: "We started the game very, very well. I thought we dominated it and we should have been going for the jugular when it was 1-0. I think we started to drop off the pace a bit in terms of the speed we were playing at originally and that was a bit of a disappointment and allowed them to regroup at half-time. They bring on Dzagoev, who is a very good talent and he proved it by setting up the goal."

__________________________________________________​

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher(Skrtel 14), Agger, Vargas, Sanchez, Gerrard(C), Aquilani, Babel(Riera 73), Kuyt(Dzagoev 55), Torres.
Subs Not Used: Diego, Aurelio, Camacho, N'Gog.

Booked: Vargas, Agger.

Goals: Torres 75.

Arsenal: Almunia(Kinsky 35), Sagna, Gallas, Heitinga, Clichy, Diaby(Song 65), Fabregas, Toulalan, Nasri, van Persie, Eduardo(Bendtner 65).
Subs Not Used: Vela, Rosckiy, Song, Senderos.

Booked: Nasri.

Goals: Toulalan 14.

Att: 45,353.

Ref: L Mason.

Man of the Match: Jeremy Toulalan.​

 

[Ayub 95]

OMG they sold Foster :laugh. Great story with fantasic presentation and one of the longest stories you've done since i've been here. I presume you're in the top 4. Hope you do well in PL and CL

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Reds score late to win in Istanbul
15th September, 2010

Defending champions Liverpool FC got their Group H campaign off to a winning start with an exhilarating 3-2 success against Galatasaray in Istanbul.

Former Liverpool striker Milan Baros appeared to have given Galatasaray a share of the spoils with two goals after Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard had twice put the visitors ahead, but Jamie Carragher gave Liverpol maximum points with a headed goal four minutes from time.

After a disappointing 1-1 draw with Arsenal FC at the weekend, Liverpool manager Jose Mourinho made three changes: former Atletico Madrid midfielder made his first start of the season, Martin Skrtel came in for Daniel Agger, and Steven Gerrard began on the right of midfield. Galatasaray coach Frank Rijkaard kept faith with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, and it was the hosts who were the quicker into their stride.

Former Liverpool winger Harry Kewell along with Arda Turan threatened in the first five minutes with the latter forcing goalkeeper Pepe Reina to punch a corner off his line. The away team initially struggled for possession as Mehmet dictated the tempo for the hosts, although Dirk Kuyt almost opened the scoring on 13 minutes when he collected a Gerrard cross, only for a heavy first touch to allow Galatasaray defender Servet Cetin to clear the danger.

At the other end, Sabri passed up another good opportunity after he got on the end of Hakan Balta's left-wing centre, the full-back lifting his shot wastefully over. Kewell went close again on 23 minutes, drifting past two defenders before firing in a shot that required a last-minute block to divert the ball for a corner. Gerrard was then presented with a chance after Galatasaray goalkeeper Leo Franco misjudged a clearance, but the Englishman was unable to capitalise.

Ayhan Akman seemed certain to break the deadlock just before the half-hour when he surged into the box only to be denied by a well-judged challenge from Reina. Ten minutes before half-time, a goal did arrive – and, against the run of play, it was Liverpool that registered. Torres reacted quickest to a long ball from Martin Skrtel and kept his head to fire past Leo Franco. Galatasaray suffered another blow before the break when Tobias Linderoth was substituted following a clash of heads with Ryan Babel.

The goal seemed to settle the hosts but they found themselves pegged back two minutes into the second half. Juan Manuel Vargas conceded a corner and when the ball was swung in, Milan Baros rose highest to head past Reina. The visitors should have been ahead six minutes later when Umit Karan pounced on a loose ball but again the Spanish keeper smothered his effort. Instead Liverpool broke to the other end and promptly regained their advantage. Johnson crossed from the right, Skrtel and Carragher combined to turn the ball back across goal and Gerrard bundled it over the line.

Rijkaard made a double substitution as the game entered the final quarter and one of the replacements, Mahmut Acar, almost scored after a defensive mix-up from a corner. It was a warning Liverpool failed to heed and with 19 minutes remaining, Baros capitalised on more hesitant defending to usher the ball into the net. Just as it seemed both sides would have to settle for one point, however, Skrtel's clever back-header evaded Leo Franco and finally settled an eventful encounter in the away team's favour.

__________________________________________________​

Galatasaray: Franco, Sabri, Emre Gungor(Yaman 69), Servet Cetin, Balta, Mehmet, Linderoth(Umit Karan 42), Arda Turan(Mahmut Acar 69), Ayhan Akman(c), Kewell, Baros.
Subs Not Used: Fevzi Sagliam, Cem Sultan, Aydin Yilmaz, Fuat Altiparmak.

Booked: Mehmet, Arda Turan, Baros.

Goals: Baros 48, 72.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Vargas, Gerrard(C), Camacho(Aquilani 73), Sacnhez, Babel(Riera 80), Torres, Kuyt.
Subs Not Used: Diego, Agger, Aurelio, N'Gog, San Jose.

Booked: Gerrard.

Goals: Torres 37, Gerrard 57, Skrtel 86.

Att: 45,207.

Ref: T Ovrebo.

Man of the Match: Fernando Torres.​

 

[m_vaughan]

Thats an excellent result in hostile Istanbul. Milan Baros doing well though against his former side.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Aguero injury boost for Reds
18th September, 2010

Sergio Aguero fit to face the Red Devils​

Liverpool have been handed a huge boost with the news that their British record fee signing Sergio Aguero has been passed fit to face Manchester United.

The former Atletico Madrid striker was rated doubtful for the big clash at Old Tarfoord, which can be seen live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1 on Sunday. Argentine ace Aguero has recovered from the damaged foot he picked up in the 2-0 victory at Wolves.

Aguero appeared to rule himself out of the Old Trafford showdown by claiming earlier this week he was unlikely to be fit, however the striker is in line for an early return.

The Argentina striker through a light training session on Friday morning and he has been included in the squad to travel to Old Trafford to face Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

Reds boss Jose Mourinho admits he is not surprised Sergio Aguero has been passed fit to play. "He is much better," Mourinho told the club's official website. "he came through a full training session this morning. It wasn't a very hard session, but he will be in the squad.

"It's important for us to have him of quality who can change a game. I'm not surprised he is available because the medical staff have done a good job and he has been working really hard with the physios to get fit."​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Manchester United v Liverpool preview
18th September, 2010

Fernando Torres and Nemanja Vidic in action​

Manchester United host Premier League champions and fierce rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1.

It is one of the most intense battles in football and, despite being so early on in the campaign, defeat for either club could prove detrimental to their Premier League title aspirations for 2010/11.

The challenge of achieving success weighs heavy on shoulders of the home team, who have registered just one league success over Liverpool in the last three seasons.

Both sides have demonstrated startling vigour during their opening fixtures, and both outfits have comfortably beaten their opponents and have kept their unbeaten records intact to set them in good stead for the gruelling season.

The Reds recorded successes over Chelsea, Bolton and then Wolves before they were stifled at home against Arsenal a weekend ago, managing a lucky 1-1 draw. United, like their fierce rivals registered three consecutive victories at the start of the season over Wigan, West Ham and Middlesbrough before they were held by Bolton at the Reebok last weekend.

Mourinho has been handed a major boost ahead of the fixture with the news that striker and British record signing Sergio Aguero has been passed fit to face their nemesis. The Argentine had been rated as serious doubt but is now back in contention.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has ?20million recruit Hernanes at his disposal for the first time and is poised to hand the Brazilian his debut for the showdown. Ferguson will hope to have Elano available after the midfielder's recent ankle problem.

Possible Starting XIs
Man Utd: Van Der Sar, Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Valencia, Hernanes, Carrick, Anderson, Rooney, Berbatov.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Vargas, Alexis Sanchez, Gerrard, Aquilani, Babel, Torres, Aguero.​

 

[m_vaughan]

The 3rd big test. Aguero's return is no doubt a massive boost for Liverpool.