REDS STILL TOP DESPITE STOKE DRAW Liverpool have stretched their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League despite being held to a goalless draw at Stoke City. The Reds produced a disjointed performance in their first league match of 2009 but did enough to earn a share of the spoils and increase their advantage to four points ahead of Manchester United's clash with Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
It was a frustrating evening for Rafael Benitez and his men who twice went close to winning it late on when two Steven Gerrard efforts bounced back off the woodwork.
Prior to the clash, the Reds boss had made six changes from the side that saw off Preston in the FA Cup, with Martin Skrtel returning to partner Sami Hyypia at the heart of the defence.
It was the Slovakian's first start since October and his inclusion suggested the Reds were expecting to encounter a series of aerial assaults from the Potters.
It is a game-plan that has served Tony Pulis' men well this season, and after Dirk Kuyt guided Albert Riera's pinpoint cross wide on eight minutes, they nearly grabbed a shock lead with their first set piece of the match.
A long throw from Rory Delap was only half-cleared by the Liverpool defence and when Amdy Faye launched an up-and-under, the midielder arrived late in the box to crash a shot from six yards against the crossbar.
It was a let-off, but one that the Reds would learn from.
Indeed, the remainder of the first-half was a scrappy affair, with both Hyypia and Skrtel in imperious form at the back, while at the other end Kuyt saw a drilled effort from a tight angle beaten away by Thomas Sorensen.
Rafa and co will have been frustrated by their first-half display and they began the second 45 determined to make a marked improvement.
However, they nearly came unstuck on 50 minutes when Pepe Reina's rushed clearance fell straight at the feet of Stoke striker Dave Kitson.
The former Reading man ran through on goal and rounded the Spanish stopper, only to lift his shot into the side netting with the goal gaping.
Liverpool responded by introducing Fernando Torres into the proceedings and his presence on the pitch almost inspired an immediate breakthrough on 61 minutes, but Hyypia thrashed a shot over after Lucas Leiva had headed back across goal.
El Nino has scored six goals for the Reds this season - all away from Anfield and all from the 55th minute onwards - but there would be no lucky number seven on this occasion, as Stoke held firm. Teams Liverpool: Reina, Aurelio, Hyypia, Skrtel, Carragher, Riera, Mascherano, Leiva, Benayoun, Gerrard (captain), Kuyt. Subs - Torres, Plessis, Keane, Dossena, Cavalieri, El Zhar, Babel
Stoke City: Sorensen, Higginbotham, Shawcross, Faye (captain), Wilkinson, Etherington, Whelan, Faye, Delap, Kitson, Cresswell. Subs - Griffin, Pugh, Tonge, Sonko, Olofinjana, Simonsen, Lawrence
Referee: Unknown
Conditions: Very cold
Attendance: Unknown
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Sami Hyypia
Breakdown 17:32 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Stoke City get the match underway
1 min : Late change for Stoke as Diao is injured in the warm-up and replaced by Whelan
3 mins : Free kick to Stoke in a dangerous area 25 yards from goal in a central position
3 mins : Whelan curls the kick high over Reina's goal as Stoke waste a good chance to hit the target
5 mins : Benayoun sends in a deep cross towards Riera but the ball is too high
8 mins : Kuyt glances a header just wide as Riera delivers an accurate cross from the left
11 mins : Delap's first long throw of the afternoon is headed clear
12 mins : The Reds bar is rattled as Delap blasts off the underside of the bar and the ball bounces to safety
16 mins : Liverpool enjoying good possession but not yet tested Sorensen in the Stoke goal
20 mins : Delap picks up a sloppy Lucas pass and charges forward, but his cross is easy for Reina
22 mins : Sorensen saves well as Kuyt goes for goal from a tight angle
30 mins : Shawcross heads home but the goal is ruled out for offside. Stoke have had the better of the last few minutes
37 mins : Riera delivers from the left but Benayoun doesn't gamble in the box and the chance is gone
39 mins : Hyypia concedes a corner from another long throw
18:19 GMT : Half Time Reached
18:34 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Liverpool get the second period underway
47 mins : Torres is warming up, just as he was throughout the half time interval
47 mins : Free kick in a good area for Liverpool as Gerrard is fouled on the right hand side
48 mins : Gerrard's free kick is headed behind by Shawcross for a corner
49 mins : Now we have a corner thanks to a Mascherano run - already this is better
49 mins : But Sorensen does well to hold the corner kick at the second attempt
50 mins : Reina's kick goes straight to Kitson but the Stoke striker can only fire into the side netting
53 mins : Great defending by Carragher to concede a corner under pressure from Shawcross
59 mins : Stoke win another corner which causes a foul on Reina in the ensuing scramble
60 mins : Substitution: Fernando Torres for Albert Riera:
63 mins : Gerrard has space in the box but Faye makes up ground to make a good challenge
64 mins : First Booking: Steven Gerrard:
65 mins : Gerrard squares the ball to Mascherano who blazes a shot miles over the goal
66 mins : First Booking: Matthew Etherington:
67 mins : Lucas heads the ball across goal and Hyypia is well off target with his shot from a tight angle
70 mins : Stoppage in play as Faye requires treatment on the pitch for cramp
72 mins : Another Delap throw is met by another headed clearance from Hyypia - our best player so far this evening
73 mins : Kitson heads over as another Delap throw is hurled into the box
76 mins : Substitution: Ryan Babel for Yossi Benayoun:
77 mins : Lucas gives away a free kick on the edge of the area
77 mins : First Booking: Lucas Leiva:
78 mins : Substitution: Liam Lawrence for Matthew Etherington:
78 mins : Whelan bends the kick just the wrong side of the post. Good effort
83 mins : First Booking: Andy Wilkinson:
84 mins : Gerrard's free kick crashes off the bar and away for a throw
87 mins : Three minutes plus stoppage time to go - can we find a crucial winner?
88 mins : Substitution: Danny Pugh for Dave Kitson:
89 mins : Babel's shot is deflected behind for a corner
90 mins : Agonisingly close as Torres heads into Gerrard's path and the skipper clips the outside of the post. So close
19:23 GMT : Match Over
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