Reina is beaten by van Persie...Liverpool fell to defeat at the hands of Arsenal on Saturday as the van Persie show turned up at Anfield. The Reds were arguably the better of the two sides but whilst Wenger's boys converted their chances, Liverpool didn't. Even a penalty couldn't aid Liverpool's score sheet and it fell to an Arsenal player to get the Reds their sole goal.

Denmark coach Morten Olsen has controversially claimed that Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is not playing at a level that befits his prodigious talents.Olsen, who will lead Denmark in the European Championships next year, believes that Agger is playing the best football of his career:"Currently, we are seeing Agger at his best, and it is because he is fit and has recovered from his injuries.

Suarez has been recalled to the starting lineup in what promises to be a heated encounter against Manchester United.

Liverpool: Reina, Enrique, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Spearing, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Kuyt, Suarez.

Subs: Doni, Carragher, Bellamy, Carroll, Adam, Shelvey, Kelly.

Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel have forged a fantastic central defensive partnership over the last couple of months, but who is currently playing the best out of the two?Like most great defensive partnerships, Agger and Skrtel complement each other very well. Skrtel is the Carra/Lawrenson-esque 'last-ditch' scrapper, whereas Agger is the more elegant, Hansen-esque ball-player.

Hart, Agger, Silva and Suarez: Man City and Liverpool's combined XI

Man City v Liverpool: we've selected our combined line-up, but who would you pick?

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2012-01-03 14:08:00 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Kuyt back and Gerrard on bench as Suarez ban begins

THE ANNOUNCEMENT that a decision had been made not to appeal the eight-game ban imposed on Luis Suarez by The FA's independent panel meant that the suspension kicked in immediately and so Suarez would not be available for tonight's match against Manchester City.

szólj hozzá: City v Liverpool 3:0 EXTENDED

Pepe Reina flubbed what should have been a fairly simple stop off a Sergio Aguero drive. Liverpool dominated possession thereafter but it was City once again going up through Yaya Toure's header at the half an hour mark.

Gerrard and Craig Bellamy were introduced by Kenny Dalglish after an hour and Liverpool looked more mobile going forward although they failed to look threatening in the final third once again.

Liverpool's depressing 2-1 defeat to AC Milan in the 2007 Champions League final was hard to take for players and fans alike, and Daniel Agger has revealed that he still feels the heartache of losing such an important game.Rafa Benitez inexplicably picked Bolo Zenden and Jermain Pennant ahead of the (arguably) more deserving Craig Bellamy and Peter Crouch that night, and I think that even

Anfield Rd: Gerrard starts for Reds in cup 3rd round

Liverpool have their captain back as Steven Gerrard makes his first start since his pre-Christmas injury lay-off. Manager Kenny Dalglish has picked a strong side for the visit of Oldham in this Budweiser sponsored cup match, but as strong as it might be it isn't Liverpool's strongest.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has sprung another minor surprise tonight by leaving Jose Enrique on the bench for the Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester City.Starting line-up:Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Gerrard, Spearing, Downing, Henderson, Bellamy, CarrollSubs : Jose Enrique, Coates, Kuyt, Carragher, Shelvey, Adam, DoniIt seems likely that Johnson will play at

By Chris Wright

"You got once chance, mon frere!"

It was a bit of a strange, suffocating old game but, thanks principally to Kenny Dalglish switching to a flat-back nine for the majority of the second-half, Liverpool came away from the Etihad with the slimmest of advantages (City's first back-to-back home defeat since February 2008) to take back to Anfield for the second leg.

Liverpool turn their attentions back to the Premier League this weekend when they welcome Stoke to Anfield after two games in the FA Cup and Carling Cup.
The Reds go into the clash boosted by the news that skipper Steven Gerrard has signed a new long-term deal which is likely to see him end his playing career at Anfield.

Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Gerrard, Adam, Henderson, Maxi, Bellamy, CarrollJaimie Kanwar<!-- adsense -->

Andy Carroll and Maxi Rodriques have been dropped for tonight's Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester City at Anfield.Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt come into the team to replace those two. Here is the full team:Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Henderson, Adam, Gerrard, Downing, Bellam, Kuyt.

De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Park, Welbeck.

Bench: Lindegaard, Ferdinand, Berbatov, Hernandez, Fabio, M.Keane, Pogba.

LFC: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Maxi, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Carroll.

"CONFIRMED LINE-UP: Liverpool vs UNITED" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.

Kenny Dalglish has made four changes to the side that beat Manchester City for today's crunch clash with Manchester United. With five defenders named in the staring eleven, it looks like Kenny Dalglish may (unfortunately) go with a more defensive formation.Here is the full team: Reina, Kelly, Enrique, Agger, Skrtel, Carragher, Henderson, Gerrard, Downing, Maxi, Carroll.

Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Carragher, Henderson, Gerrard, Downing, Maxi, Carroll.
Subs: Johnson, Coates, Kuyt, Adam, Doni, Shelvey, Bellamy.

Man United: De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Park, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Valencia, Welbeck.

Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Carragher, Henderson, Gerrard, Downing, Maxi, Carroll.
Subs: Johnson, Coates, Kuyt, Adam, Doni, Shelvey, Bellamy.

Man United: De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Park, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Valencia, Welbeck.

There really isn't much that needs to be said here. Manchester United v. Liverpool, the FA Cup, Anfield. Manchester United: De Gea; Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra; Scholes, Carrick, Giggs; Valencia, Welbeck, Park. Subs: Lindegaard, Fabio, Ferdinand, M Keane, Pogba, Berbatov, Hernandez Liverpool: Reina; Kelly, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique; Carragher, Maxi, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing; Carroll Subs: Doni, [.

Daniel Agger scored an excellent headed goal against Man United in the FA Cup earlier today, and whilst he's happy that Liverpool won the game and got through to the next round, the Dane is fully focused on the premier league, and he's called for an improved performance against Wolves next week.

Kenny Dalglish has made five changes for the game against Wolves tonight.FULL TEAM: Reina, Enrique, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Spearing, Adam, Kuyt, Henderson, Bellamy, CarrollSUBS: Doni, Carra, Coates, Kelly Aurelio, Shelvey, DowningIt looks like Steven Gerrard has been rested for this game, which is understandable after the heavy fixture list recently.

As I predicted earlier today, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has left Luis Suarez on the bench for tonight's game with Spurs at Anfield. Jose Enrique is injured, which probably means Glen Johnson will play at left-back.Full Team: Reina; Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Spearing, Adam, Gerrard, Kuyt, Bellamy, Carroll.

I HATE HIMLiverpool face Man Utd at Old Trafford on Saturday lunch-time in what may look like a daunting task, to earn points away at the Manchester venue.
On paper, it seems a difficult job to get anything from the game, but I believe Liverpool are in the right frame of mind to gain at least a point, if not all three against Ferguson's creaking side.

I HATE HIMLiverpool face Man Utd at Old Trafford on Saturday lunch-time in what may look like a daunting task, to earn points away at the Manchester venue.
On paper, it seems a difficult job to get anything from the game, but I believe Liverpool are in the right frame of mind to gain at least a point, if not all three against Ferguson's creaking side.

Suarez has been recalled to the starting lineup in what promises to be a heated encounter against Manchester United.

Liverpool: Reina, Enrique, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Spearing, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Kuyt, Suarez.

Subs: Doni, Carragher, Bellamy, Carroll, Adam, Shelvey, Kelly.

Briefly, I thought I'd revisit a graphic from almost exactly a year ago.
At this point last season, Liverpool had used 22 different starting defenses through 40 matches. No back-line had started more than five matches together. Six weeks into his reign, in the wake of Hodgson's havoc, Dalglish was experimenting with every possible defensive combination, hands tied by injuries and a lack of fullbacks, including notable three-at-the-back wins over Chelsea and Stoke.

Official starting Lineup for Liverpool:
Reina, Enrique, Agger, Skrtel, Johnson, Henderson, Gerrard, Adam, Downing, Suarez and Carroll

It was intense, it was dramatic, and at times it was downright ugly. But Liverpool won the Carling Cup. Here are five things we learned.

Martin Skrtel is one of the best defenders in the League

Liverpool have the second best defense in the league behind Manchester City and a big part of that is the presence of Martin Skrtel.

When Joe Mason slotted Cardiff's first goal of the night through Pepe Reina's legs, putting the underdog Championship side up 1-0, it may have in fact been the worst goal conceded by Liverpool this season. Past contenders for worst of the year have come when a series of individual mistakes over a fairly short period of time have conspired to hand an opponent a goal, and as bad as the markers given up against the likes of Stoke and Norwich may have seemed at the time, as with most any side will concede they came from a series of minor mistakes that slowly added up to the ball hitting the back of the net.

Liverpool have been hit with a hefty blow after X-rays confirmed that the Centre back has cracked a rib during the Carling Cup win at Wembley and is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks.

The 27-year-old Centre back was substituted after 86 minutes of Sunday's Carling Cup final with Cardiff City at Wembley with a suspected broken rib.

Luis Suarez vs Thomas Vermaelen

Both technically strong,this would be one big battle worth watching.The No 7's ability to charge through defenses, hold the ball up to set his teammates up and to dribble past defenders, simply is a nightmare for any defender.Although Suarez scored 2 goals in in his last three outings for the reds, there has been a significant dip in form of his overall game.

12pm ET (stupid daylight saving time), live in the US on FSC
Previous rounds:
Liverpool: 6-1 Brighton (h); 2-1 United (a); 5-1 Oldham (h)
Stoke: 2-0 Crawley Town (a); Derby (a); Gillingham (a)
Last four head-to-head:
0-0 (h) 01.14.12
2-1 Liverpool (a; Carling Cup) 10.

11am ET, live in the US on Fox Soccer Plus
Last four head-to-head:
0-0 (a) 12.21.11
1-1 (h) 02.12.11
1-1 (a) 11.10.10
0-1 Wigan (a) 03.08.10
Last three matches:
Liverpool: 2-3 QPR (a); 2-1 Stoke (h); 3-0 Everton (h)
Wigan: 1-1 West Brom (h); 1-1 Norwich (a); 0-2 Swansea (h)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Bellamy, Suarez 6; Gerrard 5; Carroll 3; Adam, Kuyt, Maxi, Skrtel 2; Coates, Henderson, Johnson 1
Wigan: Di Santo, Gomez 4; McArthur, Moses, Watson 3; Caldwell, Diame, Rodallega 2; Crusat 1
Referee: Lee Mason
Liverpool's bad luck charm in past campaigns, Mason did an excellent job in the away leg of the Carling Cup semi-final and Liverpool have won the three matches when he's been in charge this season.

Let's hope he can give a thumbs up come 90 minutes...Liverpool face Wigan at Anfield on Saturday and after falling to a terrible defeat against Queens Park Rangers in the week, the Reds are desperately after all 3 points. Wigan themselves have more than one reason to be battling for the points as they look to get themselves out of a relegation battle.

8:30am ET, live in the US on Fox Soccer Plus
FYI: I'm away all weekend, posting from the road thanks to the magic of the internet, so there will be no review for Sunday's match. Here's hoping history doesn't repeat itself, as the last match I didn't watch live was last season's wonderful contest against Northampton.

Premier League; Sunday 1st April 2012

Venue : Sports Direct Arena, Newcastle

Kick off 13:30 GMT

Liverpool

The Reds travel to the north east to face Newcastle United this weekend, looking to get their league form back after suffering back-to-back defeats against QPR and Wigan.

Lucas Injury
• 1.77 points per game before, 1.05 after [-0.62 PPG]
• 1.31 goals per game before, 1.05 after [-0.26 GPG]
• 0.92 goals conceded per game before, 1.11 after [+0.19 GCPG]
Suarez Suspension
• 1.72 points per game before, 1.

Andy Carroll scored an injury-time winner to give Liverpool a 3-2 win over Blackburn on a night when stand-in goalkeeper Alexander Doni received a red card which will rule him out of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Everton.

Alexander Doni 5.5

The Brazilian was unlucky to be sent off after he fouled Hoilett when the Canadian was through on goal.

7:30am ET, live in the US on FSC
Previous rounds:
Liverpool: 2-1 Stoke (h); 6-1 Brighton (h); 2-1 United (h); 5-1 Oldham (h)
Everton: 2-0 Sunderland (a); 1-1 Sunderland (h); 2-0 Blackpool (h); 2-1 Fulham (h); 2-0 Tamworth (h)
Last four head-to-head:
3-0 Liverpool (h) 03.

Consider this an addendum to Noel's depressingly unsurprising post on Liverpool's defensive statistics with and without Carragher over at Liverpool Offside.
The numbers speak for themselves, but I've seen multiple people (not in Noel's post, by the way) credit Liverpool's inferior record with Carragher to Liverpool having to play a deeper back line thanks to Carra's notorious lack of pace.