2009–10 Liverpool F.C. season
The 2009–10 Premier League was Liverpool's 118th season since their foundation, and their 48th consecutive year in the top flight. They were sponsored for an eighteenth season by Carlsberg, but this association would end at the end of the year. Rafael Benítez was the club's manager, this being his sixth season in charge. His association with the club would also end at the end of the year, however.
| 2009–10 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairmen | Tom Hicks and George Gillett (until 16 April 2010) Martin Broughton (from 16 April 2010) |
| Manager | Rafael Benítez |
| Stadium | Anfield |
| Premier League | 7th |
| FA Cup | Third round replay (lost to Reading) |
| League Cup | Fourth round (lost to Arsenal) |
| UEFA Champions League | Group stage, 3rd |
| UEFA Europa League | Semi-finals (lost to Atlético Madrid) |
| Top goalscorer | League: Fernando Torres (18) All: Fernando Torres (22) |
| Highest home attendance | 44,375 (v. Chelsea, Premier League, 1 May 2010) |
| Lowest home attendance | 31,063 (v. Reading, FA Cup, 13 January 2010) |
| Average home league attendance | 41,962 |
Having finished second in the previous league campaign, Liverpool qualified automatically for the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2002–03 season. This season Liverpool made major moves in the transfer market, selling important players such as Xabi Alonso and Sami Hyypiä, while signing Alberto Aquilani from Roma and Glen Johnson from Portsmouth.
After a season of poor results and inconsistent play, as well as injuries to main striker Fernando Torres, Liverpool finished 7th in the Premier League, their lowest finish in 11 years, and failed to progress beyond round 4 of either domestic cup. They were eliminated from the League Cup at the hands of Arsenal in the Fourth round in a 2–1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on 26 October. They were then knocked out of the FA Cup on 13 January. After a 1–1 draw with Championship team Reading at the Madejski Stadium in the Third round, Liverpool lost the replay at Anfield 2–1 after extra time.
In addition to a poor domestic campaign, Liverpool failed to qualify for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League, finishing third in their group and entering the UEFA Europa League Round of 32; Liverpool were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners Atlético Madrid. They lost the first leg at the Vicente Calderón Stadium 1–0, and despite forcing extra time in the second leg, and then going on to win 2–1, they were eliminated on the away goals rule.
A week after the end of the Premier League season, Liverpool announced they had terminated Rafael Benítez's contract by mutual consent.
Pre-season edit
Liverpool confirmed that long-serving centre-back Sami Hyypiä would be leaving the club after 10 years to join German club Bayer Leverkusen.[1] Liverpool also confirmed that José Segura, the ex-Olympiacos manager, would be joining the club as Academy technical manager, starting on 1 June.[2]
Liverpool announced their pre-season programme on 6 May 2009, including a tour of Asia and a friendly against Espanyol, as part of a clause of the deal that brought Albert Riera to the club. Liverpool started their pre-season campaign against St. Gallen in Switzerland on 15 July, which ended 0–0, a game in which Rafael Benítez gave playing time to most of his players. Glen Johnson made his debut for Liverpool and earned himself the Fans Man of the Match award from Liverpool F.C. TV. They played their second encounter with Rapid Wien at the Ernst Happel Stadium on 19 July, which Liverpool lost 1–0 from a goal from midfielder Steffen Hofmann. The Asian tour began with a match against Thailand on 22 July, which ended 1–1, with Liverpool's early goal coming from Ryan Babel and the Thai's from substitute Sutee Suksomkit. This was followed by a trip to Kallang to play Singapore, a game which Liverpool won 5–0 with goals from Andriy Voronin, Albert Riera, two by Krisztián Németh and Fernando Torres. They then played Espanyol on 2 August, where they suffered a heavy 3–0 defeat thanks to two goals from Ben Sahar and one from Luis García. They then enjoyed their first win of the campaign, against Lyn Oslo on 5 August, winning won 2–0 with goals from Voronin and David N'Gog. They ended the pre-season with a 1–2 loss against Atlético Madrid on 8 August at Anfield. Goals from Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán put the Spaniards 0–2 up until Lucas pulled one back late on for the Reds.
Team kit edit
The team kit for the 2009–10 season was produced by Adidas. The home kit remained the same as the previous season. The away kit was black with gold trim. The third kit changed in August 2009 to a new white kit. It was announced that longtime sponsor Carlsberg would be leaving the club after 18 years to be replaced by British bank Standard Chartered, who commenced a four-year £80 million deal with the club in May 2010.[3][4]
Technical staff edit
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First-team squad edit
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Signed From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||
| 1 | Diego Cavalieri | GK | 1 December 1982 (aged 26) | Palmeiras | |
| 25 | Pepe Reina | GK | 31 August 1982 (aged 26) | Villarreal | |
| Defenders | |||||
| 2 | Glen Johnson | RB | 23 August 1984 (aged 24) | Portsmouth | |
| 5 | Daniel Agger | CB | 12 December 1984 (aged 24) | Brøndby | |
| 12 | Fábio Aurélio | LB | 24 September 1979 (aged 29) | Valencia | |
| 16 | Sotirios Kyrgiakos | CB | 23 July 1979 (aged 29) | AEK Athens | |
| 22 | Emiliano Insúa | LB | 7 January 1989 (aged 20) | Boca Juniors | |
| 23 | Jamie Carragher | CB | 28 January 1978 (aged 31) | The Academy | |
| 27 | Philipp Degen | RB | 15 February 1983 (aged 26) | Borussia Dortmund | |
| 32 | Stephen Darby | RB | 6 October 1988 (aged 20) | The Academy | |
| 34 | Martin Kelly | RB/CB | 27 April 1990 (aged 19) | The Academy | |
| 37 | Martin Škrtel | CB | 15 December 1984 (aged 24) | Zenit Saint Petersburg | |
| 40 | Daniel Ayala | CB | 7 November 1990 (aged 18) | Sevilla | |
| Midfielders | |||||
| 4 | Alberto Aquilani | CM | 7 July 1984 (aged 24) | Roma | |
| 8 | Steven Gerrard | CM/AM | 30 May 1980 (aged 29) | The Academy | |
| 11 | Albert Riera | LW | 15 April 1982 (aged 27) | Espanyol | |
| 15 | Yossi Benayoun | RW | 5 May 1980 (aged 29) | West Ham United | |
| 17 | Maxi Rodríguez | RW/LW | 2 January 1981 (aged 28) | Atlético Madrid | |
| 19 | Ryan Babel | LW | 19 December 1986 (aged 22) | Ajax | |
| 20 | Javier Mascherano | DM | 8 June 1984 (aged 25) | West Ham United | |
| 21 | Lucas | DM/CM | 9 January 1987 (aged 22) | Grêmio | |
| 26 | Jay Spearing | DM/CM | 25 November 1988 (aged 20) | The Academy | |
| 28 | Damien Plessis | DM | 5 March 1988 (aged 21) | Lyon | |
| 31 | Nabil El Zhar | RW | 27 August 1986 (aged 22) | Saint-Étienne | |
| Strikers | |||||
| 9 | Fernando Torres | ST | 20 March 1984 (aged 25) | Atlético Madrid | |
| 18 | Dirk Kuyt | FW | 22 July 1980 (aged 28) | Feyenoord | |
| 24 | David N'Gog | ST | 1 April 1989 (aged 20) | Paris Saint-Germain | |
| 39 | Nathan Eccleston | ST | 30 December 1990 (aged 18) | The Academy | |
| 47 | Daniel Pacheco | ST | 5 January 1991 (aged 18) | The Academy | |
Squad statistics edit
| Total | UEFA Champions League | Premier League | FA Cup | Football League Cup | UEFA Europa League | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Sts | App | Gls | App | Gls | App | Gls | App | Gls | App | Gls | App | Gls |
| 25 | GK | Reina | 52 | 52 | 5 | 38 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||
| 2 | DF | Johnson | 33 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| 37 | DF | Škrtel | 23 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 23 | DF | Carragher | 53 | 53 | 5 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 8 | |||||||
| 22 | DF | Insúa | 43 | 44 | 1 | 6 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||
| 20 | MF | Mascherano | 44 | 48 | 1 | 5 | 34 | 1 | 8 | 1 | ||||||
| 21 | MF | Lucas | 46 | 50 | 1 | 5 | 35 | 2 | 8 | 1 | ||||||
| 18 | ST | Kuyt | 51 | 53 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 37 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | |||
| 15 | MF | Benayoun | 29 | 45 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 30 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | |||
| 8 | MF | Gerrard | 47 | 49 | 12 | 5 | 33 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | |||
| 9 | ST | Fernando Torres | 29 | 32 | 22 | 4 | 22 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 12 | DF | Aurélio | 13 | 23 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| 24 | ST | N'Gog | 18 | 37 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 5 | DF | Agger | 36 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 1 | 8 | 1 | ||||||
| 19 | MF | Babel | 16 | 38 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | |||
| 11 | MF | Riera | 12 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| 4 | MF | Aquilani | 13 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| 16 | DF | Kyrgiakos | 18 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||
| 27 | DF | Degen | 6 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
| 17 | MF | Rodríguez [a] | 14 | 17 | 1 | 17 | 1 | |||||||||
| 26 | MF | Spearing | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 40 | DF | Ayala | 2 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||||
| 1 | GK | Cavalieri | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
| 32 | DF | Darby | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 39 | ST | Eccleston [b] | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 47 | ST | Pacheco | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 34 | DF | Kelly | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 28 | MF | Plessis | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 31 | MF | El Zhar | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||
Source: BBC Sport
Ordered by starting 11, then appearances, then games started
0 shown as blank
Reserve squad edit
Updated 23 March 2010[8] Squad Numbers refer to players' first team squad number (for season 2009–10), where applicable. Reserve and youth games are 1–11. See Liverpool F.C. Reserves and Academy
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Transfers edit
In edit
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | EU | Moving from | Type | Transfer window | Ends | Transfer fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | MF | Alberto Aquilani | 25 | EU | Roma | Transfer | Summer | 2014 | €22,100,000 | BBC | |
| 2 | RB | Glen Johnson | 24 | EU | Portsmouth | Transfer | Summer | 2013 | £17.5M | BBC | |
| 16 | DF | Sotirios Kyrgiakos | 30 | EU | AEK Athens | Transfer | Summer | 2011 | £2M + Németh loan | ||
| 17 | MF | Maxi Rodríguez | 29 | EU | Atlético Madrid | Transfer | Winter | 2013 | Free |
Last updated: 13 January
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | EU | Moving from | Type | Transfer window | Ends | Transfer fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Tyrell Belford | 15 | EU | Coventry City | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | Compensation | Coventry Telegraph | ||
| MF | Kristján Emilsson | 16 | EU | FH | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | |||
| MF | Aaron King | 16 | EU | Rushden & Diamonds | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | |||
| MF | Nicolas Kohlert | 16 | EU | Esbjerg fB | Transfer | Summer | 2012 | Undisclosed | Goal.com | ||
| DF | Maloney | 16 | EU | St Josephs Boys AFC | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | |||
| LB | Chris Mavinga | 18 | EU | Paris Saint-Germain | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | |||
| David Moli | EU | Luton Town | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | Compensation | |||||
| FW | Michael Ngoo | 16 | EU | Southend United | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | £250,000 | |||
| DF | Stephen Sama | 16 | EU | Borussia Dortmund | Transfer | Summer | 2012 | Compensation | |||
| MF | Toni Silva | 16 | EU | Benfica | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | Compensation | |||
| DF | Jakub Sokolík | 16 | EU | Baník Ostrava | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | Sky Sports | ||
| GK | Jamie Stephens | 16 | EU | Swindon Town | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
Last updated: 10 December
Out edit
| N | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | EU | Moving to | Type | Transfer window | Transfer fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | CM | Xabi Alonso | 27 | EU | Real Madrid | Transfer | Summer | £30,000,000 | ||
| 17 | DF | Álvaro Arbeloa | 26 | EU | Real Madrid | Transfer | Summer | £3,500,000 | liverpoolfc.com | |
| 35 | MF | Ryan Flynn | 21 | EU | Falkirk | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | ||
| 4 | CB | Sami Hyypiä | 35 | EU | Bayer Leverkusen | Contract ended | Summer | Free | ||
| 33 | LM | Sebastián Leto | 22 | Non-EU | Panathinaikos | Transfer | Summer | £3,000,000 | ||
| 38 | FW | Craig Lindfield | 20 | EU | Macclesfield Town | Released | Summer | Free | ||
| 16 | RM | Jermaine Pennant | 26 | EU | Zaragoza | Contract ended | Summer | Free | Guardian | |
| 38 | DF | Andrea Dossena | 28 | EU | Napoli | Transfer | Winter | €4,250,000 | ||
| 10 | FW | Andriy Voronin | 30 | Non-EU | Dynamo Moscow | Transfer | Winter | €2,000,000 | liverpoolfc.com |
Last updated: 10 January
| N | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | EU | Moving to | Type | Transfer window | Transfer fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RW | Paul Anderson | 20 | EU | Nottingham Forest | Transfer | Summer | £250,000 | |||
| DF | Godwin Antwi | 21 | EU | Vejle BK | Contract ended | Summer | Free | |||
| MF | Astrit Ajdarević | 18 | EU | Leicester City | Contract ended | Summer | Free | BBC | ||
| DF | Christopher Buchtmann | 17 | EU | Fulham | Transfer | Winter | £100,000 | |||
| MF | Ryan Crowther | 20 | EU | Contract ended | Summer | Free | ||||
| MF | Adam Dawson | 16 | EU | Bury | Released | Summer | Free | Bury Times | ||
| GK | Hakan Duyan | 18 | EU | Shrewsbury Town | Released | Summer | Free | BBC | ||
| MF | Vitor Flora | 20 | EU | Goiás | Transfer | Winter | Undisclosed | |||
| MF | Adam Hammill | 21 | EU | Barnsley | Transfer | Summer | Undisclosed | |||
| CB | Jack Hobbs | 20 | EU | Leicester City | Transfer | Summer | £400,000 | |||
| DF | Ronald Huth | 19 | EU | Vicenza | Contract ended | Summer | Free | |||
| DF | Joe Kennedy | 18 | EU | Youth contract ended | Summer | Free | ||||
| MF | Gary Mackay-Steven | 20 | EU | Contract ended | Summer | Free | ||||
| DF | Shane O'Connor | 19 | EU | Ipswich Town | Contract ended | Summer | Free | |||
| MF | Ray Putterill | 20 | EU | Halewood Town | Released | Summer | Free | |||
| DF | Miki Roqué | 20 | EU | Real Betis | Contract ended | Summer | Free |
Last updated: 5 February
Loaned in edit
| # | Pos | Player | From | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF | Zsolt Pölöskei | MTK Hungária | 01-07-2009 | 30-06-2010[9] | |
| FW | Krisztián Adorján | MTK Hungária | 01-08-2009 | 30-06-2010[10] | |
| FW | Patrik Poór | MTK Hungária | 01-08-2009 | 30-06-2010 |
Loaned out edit
Match results edit
Pre-season edit
| Friendlies | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick Off | Opponents | H / A | Result | Scorers | Referee | Attendance | Report |
| 2009-07-15 20:00 | St. Gallen | A | 0–0 | – | Cyril Zimmermann | 20,000 | |
| 2009-07-19 19:15 | Rapid Wien | A | 0–1 | – | Gerhard Grubelnik | 50,000 | |
| 2009-07-22 20:00 | Thailand | A | 1–1 | Babel 6' | 55,000 | ||
| 2009-07-26 20:00 | Singapore | A | 5–0 | Voronin 45', Riera 54', Németh 73', 83', Torres 80' | Abdul Malik Bashir | 55,000 | |
| 2009-08-02 21:00 | Espanyol | A | 0–3 | - | 40,000 | ||
| 2009-08-05 19:00 | Lyn Oslo | A | 2–0 | Voronin 44', N'Gog 59' | |||
| 2009-08-08 15:00 | Atlético Madrid | H | 1–2 | Lucas 82' | Phil Dowd | 44,102 | |
Premier League edit
August edit
The fixtures for the 2009–10 Premier League season were announced on 17 June, with Liverpool being handed an away fixture to Tottenham Hotspur.[33] Spurs took the lead a minute before half time when left back Benoît Assou-Ekotto scored from 30 yards, after Tom Huddlestone's free kick had been blocked. Liverpool showed more urgency after half time, and were awarded a penalty on 55 minutes when Glen Johnson's run was ended by keeper Heurelho Gomes' challenge. Steven Gerrard converted the penalty to equalise for Liverpool. However, Tottenham regained the lead on 64 minutes when Cameroonian centre-half Sébastien Bassong headed home a Luka Modrić free kick. Liverpool seemed unable to respond, and fashioned few chances. They had a penalty appeal turned down on 84 minutes when Andriy Voronin seemed to be tripped by Assou-Ekotto in the box, but Spurs hung on for a 2–1 win.[34][35] Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez later criticised referee Phil Dowd for his failure to award Liverpool a penalty, and was later charged with improper conduct by the FA.[36][37]
Liverpool's first home match was against Stoke City four days later. Liverpool took the lead after five minutes when Fernando Torres swept home Steven Gerrard's cross. The lead was doubled moments before half time when Glen Johnson acrobatically finished after Dirk Kuyt's header had been blocked off the line. Good work from Gerrard on the right saw Kuyt make it 3–0 five minutes from time, before Frenchman David N'Gog headed a fourth in stoppage time.[38][39]
Liverpool suffered their first home league defeat since a 0–1 loss to Manchester United on 16 December 2007 against Aston Villa the following Monday. The away side took the lead when Lucas inadvertently headed into his own net from an Ashley Young cross on 33 minutes. Villa doubled their lead in first half injury time when Curtis Davies headed home from a corner. Liverpool did manage to pull one back through Fernando Torres, but Gerrard's poorly timed tackle on Nigel Reo-Coker led to a penalty, which Ashley Young converted to consign Liverpool to a 3–1 defeat.[40][41] Manager Rafael Benítez criticised his senior players for the defeat and demanded a better performance for the next match, away at Bolton Wanderers.[42]
At the Reebok Stadium, Liverpool had to twice come back from behind against Bolton. They took the lead on 33 minutes when poor marking from a corner saw Kevin Davies bundle the ball home from close range. Glen Johnson equalised four minutes before the break when a Liverpool corner was not properly cleared, and he stroked home left-footed from twenty yards. Bolton regained the lead two minutes after the break when Davies headed down Jussi Jääskeläinen's long punt for Tamir Cohen to smash home. The turning point of the game was Sean Davis' sending off on 53 minutes for a second bookable offence. Liverpool equalised just a few minutes later when Fernando Torres finished tidily following good work from Dirk Kuyt. Liverpool continued to press and finally got the winner on 83 minutes, when Torres' knockdown from a Glen Johnson was met by a shot from Gerrard, who had earlier hit the bar.[43] Gerrard later felt he "owed" the performance after poor performances in the defeats to 'Spurs and Villa.[44][45]
September edit
Liverpool's next match came after the international break, where they faced newly promoted Burnley at home. Despite comments made prior to the match by goalkeeper Pepe Reina that the league title was 'not a realistic ambition this season',[46] Liverpool comfortably dispatched the East Lancashire club 4–0 to go up to fourth in the table, thanks to an inspired performance from Yossi Benayoun, who scored a hat-trick.[47] Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez later praised Benayoun's work ethic, and stated that he was an 'example to the rest of the squad'[48][49] Michael Shields, attended this match as a special guest, his first since Istanbul, just three days after being released from prison.[50]
Liverpool travelled to the Boleyn Ground the following week, a ground that they won 3–0 at the previous season. They looked to be heading for a similar result when Fernando Torres' goal put the visitors 1–0 up after thirteen minutes. However, Jamie Carragher brought young striker Zavon Hines down on the half-hour, and Alessandro Diamanti converted the spot kick, which he appeared to touch twice. However, Dirk Kuyt put Liverpool back in front four minutes before the break, when he got a slight touch on a Steven Gerrard header. West Ham then equalised on half time through Carlton Cole after poor defending from a corner kick. The second half was approached slightly more cautiously by the home side, and substitute Ryan Babel made the desired impact when his ball was headed home by Torres. Liverpool held on for the remaining 15 minutes for their second consecutive 3–2 away win.[51] Benítez praised Torres for his role in the win; Torres had stated earlier that week that he felt he was not playing to standard.[52][53][54]
The club's last Premier League match of the month came at home on 26 September, against Hull City. Liverpool took the lead after Fernando Torres slotted past Boaz Myhill. Hull then equalised four minutes later, when defensive frailties were pounced upon by Geovanni. Liverpool retook the lead when Torres rounded Myhill, and the Spaniard completed his hat-trick with a solo effort on 47 minutes. Steven Gerrard made the game safe when his cross accidentally sailed in on the hour. Substitute Ryan Babel then came off the bench to tap in a fifth and he inadvertently deflected Albert Riera's shot in injury time to make it 6–1.[55]
October edit
Liverpool lost their first big four game 2–0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The match was level until Nicolas Anelka guided the ball over Pepe Reina on the hour mark. With Liverpool pouring forward in search of an equaliser, Liverpool were left stretched at the back. With Chelsea attempting to kill time in the corner, Didier Drogba outmuscled Emiliano Insúa and squared back for Florent Malouda to double Chelsea's lead in added time.[56]
Then, Liverpool lost their next match to Sunderland, falling out 1–0. The solitary, controversial goal was scored by Darren Bent. Andy Reid picked out Bent in the box and he directed it straight to Reina. However, a beach ball, thrown onto the field by a spectator deflected the ball into the net.[57] Liverpool were not able to react to the shock goal, and Sunderland held on for the win.[58]
On 25 October, Liverpool prepared to face off with Manchester United. Manager Rafa Benítez was under pressure following four straight defeats, but he was calm as he spoke to the press.[59] Fábio Aurélio had a chance when his header was saved by Edwin van der Sar. Liverpool sustained their pressure throughout the second half. They finally took the lead on 65 minutes when Fernando Torres outmuscled Rio Ferdinand and fired his shot into the top corner of the net.[60] United finally reacted after the goal, but were not able to fashion any clear cut chances. Antonio Valencia hit the crossbar, but that was the closest the visitors came to an equaliser.[61] Their plight was not helped by Nemanja Vidić's sending off for a second bookable offence on 90 minutes.[62] Javier Mascherano was also sent off for two bookings on 95 minutes, when he tackled van der Sar. David N'Gog finally secured the three points for Liverpool when he broke away and slotted past van der Sar to secure victory, Liverpool's third consecutive victory over their rivals.[63]
Liverpool's final match of the month came away to Fulham. Liverpool fell behind after 24 minutes when Bobby Zamora tapped home. Liverpool equalised three minutes before half time, when Fernando Torres finished from 20 yards. After the break, Fulham started to put Liverpool under pressure, and when Torres was taken off on the hour, they lost their main attacking threat. Fulham retook the lead on 73 minutes, when another breakaway resulted in Erik Nevland finishing off a Paul Konchesky cross.[64] Liverpool were left chasing the game at this point, and they lost two men in three minutes; Philipp Degen was sent off for a tackle on Zamora, and Jamie Carragher was later sent off for a professional foul. This was Liverpool's fifth defeat in 11 matches, and it left them 9 points behind Chelsea at the top.[65]
November edit
Liverpool's first match of the month was home to Birmingham City. Liverpool took the lead on 13 minutes, when David N'Gog finished off after several saves from Joe Hart. Birmingham fought back, however, and equalised on 26 minutes, when a harmless free kick resulted in Christian Benítez heading home. Birmingham took the lead in the third minute of first half stoppage time, when Cameron Jerome netted from 35 yards. Liverpool brought on Steven Gerrard at the break, and he converted Liverpool's equaliser on 71 minutes, from the penalty spot, after N'Gog had adjudged to be fouled by Lee Carsley. TV replays showed that N'Gog had dived.[66] Liverpool could not find the winner, but this would have been harsh on Birmingham, who had defended well throughout.[67]
Liverpool's next match after the international break was another home game, this time to Manchester City. Liverpool took the lead five minutes into the second half when Martin Škrtel got the vital touch from a Gerrard free kick. City got back into the game on 69 minutes; poor marking from Craig Bellamy's corner left Emmanuel Adebayor with a free header from six yards. City then silenced Anfield when they took the lead on 76 minutes; Shaun Wright-Phillips turned Sotirios Kyrgiakos and crossed for Stephen Ireland to finish from close range. However, City could not hold on to their lead, and Yossi Benayoun was left to tap home just 72 seconds after Ireland's goal.[68]
Liverpool headed into the Merseyside derby having exited the Champions League, and with just one win in 10. Everton were also in poor form, though they started the brighter of the two teams.[69] Liverpool were content to soak up the pressure, and took the lead on 12 minutes, when Javier Mascherano's 30-yard shot was deflected in by Joseph Yobo. Everton's Jo had two goals ruled out for offside, and though Everton had the possession, they could not convert this into goals. Everton were left chasing the game late into the second half, and Yobo's defensive error allowed Gerrard to tee up Albert Riera, whose powerful shot Tim Howard could not hold, allowing Dirk Kuyt to tap in with ten minutes remaining. Liverpool had further chances to add to their goal tally, but 2–0 flattered Liverpool, who had taken their chances, and defended well.[70]
December edit
On a high after the derby win, The Reds travelled to Ewood Park as they faced Blackburn Rovers in what was Steven Gerrard's 500th game for Liverpool. Rovers manager Sam Allardyce has a good record against Liverpool, and he managed to contain the Reds in a goalless draw. Chances were few and far between, with the best chance falling to the young Frenchman David N'Gog late on; his scuffed shot hit the bar.
Liverpool's next game was at home to Arsenal. The home side started well, dominating Arsenal in the early stages. Their pressure paid off four minutes before the break when Dirk Kuyt tapped home from close range. Cesc Fàbregas later revealed that manager Arsène Wenger had given his players the hairdryer treatment at half time, making it clear in no uncertain terms that they had played awfully in the first period.[71] Arsenal returned invigoured after the second half, and put Liverpool under a period of intense pressure in the opening exchanges of the second half. Arsenal equalised when Samir Nasri's cross was inadvertently deflected into his own net by Glen Johnson. Buoyed by the goal, Arsenal pushed on and took the lead five minutes later through a goal from Andrey Arshavin which gave Reina no chance at his near post. Arsenal held on for their first win at Anfield since October 2003.
Liverpool managed to regain the winning touch with a 2–1 win over Wigan Athletic at Anfield three days later. The away side gave a good account of themselves, and aside from David N'Gog's early goal, matched Liverpool for spells. Liverpool wrapped up the win 11 minutes from time with Fernando Torres' 11th goal of the season. Wigan got a late consolation through Charles N'Zogbia, which was more than deserved.
Liverpool travelled to Fratton Park to face bottom of the table Portsmouth in what was seen as an easy game. Liverpool manager Rafa Benítez had made an eyebrow-raising team selection upon his team's visit the previous season,[72] and he also raised questions about his selection as he picked out-of-favour Andrea Dossena on the left.[73] Daniel Agger's close-range header was the visitors' best chance of the half, but it was Portsmouth who took the lead six minutes from the end, Algerian Nadir Belhadj rifling in a shot from what seemed an impossible angle. Javier Mascherano was sent off in first-half injury time after a two-footed lunge on Tal Ben Haim. The away side pressured for an equaliser in the second half, with Asmir Begović pulling off a stupendous save from Steven Gerrard's heavily deflected shot. The home side sealed the win with seven minutes to go when Frédéric Piquionne volleyed home from 10 yards by sealing Portsmouth's first victory over Liverpool since April 2007. Many fans called for Benítez's exit after the game, despite his 'guarantee' of a fourth-place finish.[74]
The boxing day fixture saw Liverpool host Wolves. An even first half saw Kevin Doyle miss the away side's best chance as he headed over from six yards, but Stephen Ward's controversial red card early in the second half proved a turning point. Steven Gerrard powered in a header just after the hour, and Yossi Benayoun added a second deflected shot eight minutes later.
Liverpool's last match of the decade was a crunch match for 4th place with Aston Villa at Villa Park. The game turned out to be rather poor, with both teams cancelling each other out. Villa missed good chances through Gabriel Agbonlahor and John Carew, but with the game heading for a draw, Fernando Torres slotted past Brad Friedel in the third minute of stoppage time to give Liverpool a vital three points.
January edit
Liverpool's first Premier League match of the calendar year pitted them against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium, just days after they had been knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship side Reading at Anfield. The away side were weakened by injuries, but still put in a creditable performance. Lucas appeared to be tripped by Danny Higginbotham in the penalty area on 26 minutes, but referee Lee Mason booked the Brazilian for diving. Stoke were content to sit back and let Liverpool have possession, and the away side lacked a cutting edge that would have killed the game. They did take the lead on 57 minutes, with Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos knocking in after Thomas Sørensen had dropped Fábio Aurélio's free kick. Stoke put Liverpool under heavy pressure in the last quarter of an hour, and made the breakthrough when Robert Huth scrambled home. Dirk Kuyt missed a golden opportunity to win the game in the sixth minute of injury time, but his header hit the post.
Liverpool faced another important showdown with Tottenham at Anfield. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp felt that his side could get a result at Anfield, with Liverpool missing key players and in poor form. Liverpool, however, started strongly, taking the lead in the sixth minute through Dirk Kuyt's 6th-minute strike. Tottenham were off-par, and despite the ruling out of Jermain Defoe's goal, failed to test Reina. The home side earned a penalty in injury-time when substitutes Maxi Rodríguez and David N'Gog combined, with the latter being tripped in the box. Kuyt was made to re-take his penalty, but still sent Heurelho Gomes the wrong way to secure Liverpool's third win in four.
Despite their impressive form, Liverpool were disappointing once more, as they failed to break down Wolves at Molineux. Albert Riera's early effort was comfortably saved by Marcus Hahnemann, but the away side failed to create any clear-cut chances, and the best opportunities in a drab game fell to Wolves' Kevin Doyle, whose goalbound shot was cleared by Emiliano Insúa.
Liverpool's next game was at home to Bolton. They failed to impress, but still managed to grind out a 2–0 win, with Dirk Kuyt grabbing his third goal in as many games as he toe-poked in from close range. Emiliano Insúa's long-range strike was deflected into his own net by Kevin Davies for the second. David N'Gog should have added a late third, but missed a sitter, hitting the crossbar from five yards out with the goal gaping. Rafael Benítez praised The Reds' defence, as they kept a third consecutive clean sheet, and a fifth in the last six games.
February edit
Liverpool prepared to renew rivalries with Everton on 6 February at Anfield. The Toffees were in scintillating form, earning impressive draws at The Emirates and at Stamford Bridge in their nine-game unbeaten run. The game turned out to be more of a physical battle than a football match, with Jamie Carragher's tackle on Steven Pienaar within the first 10 seconds setting the precedent. Sotirios Kyrgiakos was sent off on 34 minutes for a lunge on Marouane Fellaini, but the away side failed to capitalise on his absence, particularly in the air. The best chance of the half fell to Everton's Tim Cahill, but his close range header went just over. Liverpool took the lead 10 minutes into the second half, Dirk Kuyt heading in from close range from Steven Gerrard's corner. The home side then had to defend as Everton pinned them back for periods. Liverpool threatened on the break, but could not find a second. Everton disappointed, and despite the introduction of Yakubu and Victor Anichebe, could not create a clear opening. Liverpool held on to complete a second double over Everton in three seasons.
Liverpool's second game of February was away to title contenders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Liverpool lost the game 1–0 thanks to Abou Diaby's header. Liverpool's penultimate game of February was away to also top 4 challengers Manchester City at Eastlands. The game finished 0–0. Liverpool players Fernando Torres & Yossi Benayoun both made cameo appearances on their return from injuries, but neither could swing the game in Liverpool's fortunes.
Liverpool's third and final game of February was against to Blackburn Rovers at Anfield. Liverpool had captain Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres on the same scoresheet for only the third time in the Barclays Premier League this season. Steven Gerrard scored after 20 minutes and Fernando Torres netted 2 minutes before half time after Rovers had equalised from the penalty spot after Jamie Carragher's foul in the box.
March edit
Liverpool opened March with a 1–0 loss to Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. Dirk Kuyt gifted the goal to Wigan, attempting to pass it back to Pepe Reina, but Hugo Rodallega skipped past Javier Mascherano and chipped the ball over the oncoming Reina to ultimately win the game for the Latics ten minutes before half-time. Glen Johnson came on as a substitute for Liverpool on his return from injury. Liverpool's second game of March was at home to near relegated Portsmouth. Portsmouth were in the hunt to do the 'double' over Liverpool after their morale-boosting 2–0 victory back in December. Fernando Torres opened the scoring for Liverpool with his 14th goal of the season after 28 minutes. Ryan Babel doubled Liverpool's advantage on the half-hour mark. Italian Alberto Aquilani scored his first goal in English football to make it 3–0 on 32 minutes. Fernando Torres scored his second of the night and Liverpool's fourth on 77 minutes. Portsmouth grabbed a sole consolation in the last minute thanks to Nadir Belhadj, but Liverpool ran out comfortable winners.
Liverpool's third game of March saw them renew rivalries with old foes Manchester United at Old Trafford. Liverpool took the lead after just five minutes after Dirk Kuyt released captain Steven Gerrard, who fed in Fernando Torres. Torres shot with excellent power which left United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar with no chance.[75] Controversy flared when Liverpool's Argentinian midfielder Javier Mascherano appeared to have fouled Antonio Valencia in the penalty box. TV replays clearly showed that the foul was outside of the box.[76] Wayne Rooney took the penalty and scored the rebound after Pepe Reina's save. United continued to pour forward in numbers, and finally got the goal their play deserved,[75][77] when veteran winger Ryan Giggs crossed. The ball missed everyone apart from Ji Sung Park, who scored despite the close attention from the Liverpool right back Glen Johnson. The 2–1 win for United was Sir Alex Ferguson's 100th home Barclays Premier League win.
Liverpool wrapped up March with an impressive 3–0 win over Sunderland at Anfield. Liverpool took the lead with only 6 minutes on the clock. Great work[78][79][80] from in-form Spaniard Fernando Torres on the left resulted in him cutting inside two defenders before a high, curling shot flew into the top right-hand corner. Liverpool cruised into a 2–0 lead when a corner broke loose to right back Glen Johnson, who skipped past a Sunderland defender before unleashing a left-foot strike that took a deflection. Sunderland rarely exerted any pressure to force Liverpool into defensive play in the second half, which meant Liverpool could counter-attack without worrying about numbers at the back. During one of these counterattacks, Liverpool scored their third and final goal, with Johnson fooling everyone by releasing the ball through to Fernando Torres. Torres scored into an empty net to give Liverpool three goals and three points.
April edit
Liverpool started off their top 4 battle run in with a 1–1 draw against Birmingham City at St Andrew's. Liverpool took the lead just two minutes into the second half, when a corner on the left side on the edge of the 18-yard box fell short to Steven Gerrard, who curled an effort past City goalkeeper Joe Hart. Birmingham equalised near the end of the game to deal Liverpool's top four ambitions another blow. Liverpool's second game of April was a drab home game against Europa League-contending Fulham at Anfield. Liverpool were without striker Fernando Torres for this game because he was in Spain seeing a specialist about his recent knee injury. Mark Schwarzer was Fulham's hero, shutting out Liverpool all day long with a string of superb saves to keep Fulham's Europa League dream alive. Liverpool were now three points off the top four, having played a game more than Tottenham and Manchester City. Liverpool's third game of April was a Monday night fixture to relegation threatened West Ham United at Anfield. Liverpool took three points from this game, but needed to beat Chelsea to keep their hope of a Champions League place alive. Steven Gerrard's back-pass allowed Chelsea to score, and after that, Chelsea pressed home their advantage. The loss for Liverpool meant they failed to qualify for the Champions League. Liverpool ended their campaign with a 0–0 draw at the KC Stadium against Hull City, in which youngster Jack Robinson made his debut for the reds.
League table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Manchester City | 38 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 73 | 45 | +28 | 67 | Qualification for the Europa League play-off round[a] |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 38 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 52 | 39 | +13 | 64 | |
| 7 | Liverpool | 38 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 61 | 35 | +26 | 63 | Qualification for the Europa League third qualifying round[b] |
| 8 | Everton | 38 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 60 | 49 | +11 | 61 | |
| 9 | Birmingham City | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 38 | 47 | −9 | 50 |
Notes:
- ^ Since Manchester United won the League Cup and then qualified for the Champions League, their spot in the Europa League was passed down to the 6th-placed team. The 6th-placed Aston Villa was coincidentally also the League Cup runners-up.
- ^ Originally Portsmouth qualified for the third qualifying round of the Europa League as the FA Cup runners-up, replacing the winners, Champions League-qualified Chelsea. However, they failed to apply for a UEFA licence. Therefore, Liverpool as the best placed team not qualified for the European competitions took their place.
Results summary edit
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 38 | 18 | 9 | 11 | 61 | 35 | +26 | 63 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 43 | 15 | +28 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 20 | −2 |
Games against Top Six edit
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 16 | −5 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | −4 |
Results by round edit
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Matches edit
| 16 August 2009 1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 | Liverpool | London |
| 16:00 | Assou-Ekotto 44' Bassong 59' | MR | Gerrard 56' (pen.) | Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 35,935 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 19 August 2009 2 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Stoke City | Liverpool |
| 20:00 | Torres 5' Johnson 45' Kuyt 78' N'Gog 90+4' | MR | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,318 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 24 August 2009 3 | Liverpool | 1–3 | Aston Villa | Liverpool |
| 20:00 | Torres 72' | MR | Lucas 34' (o.g.) C. Davies 45+2' A. Young 75' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,667 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| 29 August 2009 4 | Bolton Wanderers | 2–3 | Liverpool | Bolton |
| 15:00 | K. Davies 33' Cohen 47' | MR | Johnson 41' Torres 56' Gerrard 83' | Stadium: Reebok Stadium Attendance: 23,284 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 19 September 2009 6 | West Ham United | 2–3 | Liverpool | London |
| 17:15 | Diamanti 29' C. Cole 45' | MR | Torres 20', 75' Kuyt 41' | Stadium: Boleyn Ground Attendance: 34,658 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 4 October 2009 8 | Chelsea | 2–0 | Liverpool | London |
| 16:00 | Anelka 60' Malouda 90' | MR | Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,732 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| 17 October 2009 9 | Sunderland | 1–0 | Liverpool | Sunderland |
| 15:00 | Bent 5' | MR | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 47,327 Referee: Mike Jones |
| 25 October 2009 10 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Manchester United | Liverpool |
| 14:00 | Torres 65' Mascherano 72' 90+5' Carragher 87' N'Gog 90+6' | MR | Evra 15' Berbatov 37' Vidić 75' 90' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,188 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 9 November 2009 12 | Liverpool | 2–2 | Birmingham City | Liverpool |
| 20:00 | N'Gog 13' Gerrard 71' (pen.) | MR | Benítez 26' Jerome 47' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,560 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 29 November 2009 14 | Everton | 0–2 | Liverpool | Liverpool |
| 13:30 | Heitinga 84' | MR | Yobo 12' (o.g.) Kuyt 80' | Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 39,652 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 5 December 2009 15 | Blackburn Rovers | 0–0 | Liverpool | Blackburn |
| 16:00 | MR | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 29,660 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| 16 December 2009 17 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Wigan Athletic | Liverpool |
| 16:00 | N'Gog 9' Torres 79' | MR | N'Zogbia 90' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,116 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 19 December 2009 18 | Portsmouth | 2–0 | Liverpool | Portsmouth |
| 12:45 | Belhadj 33' Piquionne 82' | MR | Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 20,534 Referee: Lee Mason |
| 26 December 2009 19 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Liverpool |
| 17:30 | Gerrard 62' Benayoun 70' | MR | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,936 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 29 December 2009 20 | Aston Villa | 0–1 | Liverpool | Birmingham |
| 17:45 | MR | Torres 90+3' | Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 42,788 Referee: Lee Probert |
| 16 January 2010 21 | Stoke City | 1–1 | Liverpool | Stoke-on-Trent |
| 12:45 | Huth 90' | MR | Kyrgiakos 57' | Stadium: Britannia Stadium Attendance: 27,247 Referee: Lee Mason |
| 20 January 2010 22 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | Liverpool |
| 20:00 | Kuyt 6', 90+2' (pen.) | MR | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,016 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 26 January 2010 23 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–0 | Liverpool | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 | MR | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 28,763 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 30 January 2010 24 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Bolton Wanderers | Liverpool |
| 15:00 | Kuyt 37' K. Davies 70' (o.g.) | MR | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,413 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 10 February 2010 26 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Liverpool | London |
| 19:45 | Clichy 40' Bendtner 64' Diaby 72' Fàbregas 90+5' | MR | Rodríguez 41' Degen 62' | Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,045 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 21 February 2010 27 | Manchester City | 0–0 | Liverpool | Manchester |
| 15:00 | Barry 54' | MR | Mascherano 31' Gerrard 45+1' Babel 63' Benayoun 67' Kuyt 76' Torres 90+3' | Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium Attendance: 47,203 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 28 February 2010 28 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Liverpool |
| 15:00 | Gerrard 20' Torres 44' | MR | Andrews 40' (pen.) | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,795 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 8 March 2010 29 | Wigan Athletic | 1–0 | Liverpool | Wigan |
| 20:00 | Rodallega 35' | MR | Stadium: DW Stadium Attendance: 17,427 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 15 March 2010 30 | Liverpool | 4–1 | Portsmouth | Liverpool |
| 20:00 | Torres 26', 77' Babel 28' Aquilani 32' | MR | Belhadj 88' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,316 Referee: Stuart Attwell |
| 21 March 2010 31 | Manchester United | 2–1 | Liverpool | Manchester |
| 13:30 | Rooney 11', 12' Park 60' Valencia 61' Vidić 73' | MR | Torres 5', 25' Mascherano 11' Carragher 45+2' | Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 75,216 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 28 March 2010 32 | Liverpool | 3–0 | Sunderland | Liverpool |
| 16:00 | Torres 3', 60' Johnson 32' | MR | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,121 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 3 April 2010 33 | Birmingham City | 1–1 | Liverpool | Birmingham |
| 15:00 | Ridgewell 56' | MR | Gerrard 47' | Stadium: St Andrew's Attendance: 27,909 Referee: Martin Atkinson |