Source: Daily_Mail
Bolton 2 Liverpool 3: Gerrard offers a defence as skipper seals dramatic win
Coming to the rescue: Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard again saved his side banging in the late winner as his side overcame Bolton 3-2[LNB]The driving force for a Liverpool comeback came from their captain Steven Gerrard and so did the insistence that their Barclays Premier League title campaign is very much alive and well.[LNB]'People are writing us off after three games of the season, which is absolute madness,' said Gerrard after scoring the winner at the Reebok Stadium. [LNB]'The criticism has come because of the expectation. Because we finished second last year, everybody expects us to have a flying start and go straight to the top of the table.[LNB] 'But the league this year is a lot different to last year. The likes ofChelsea and Man United were winning almost every game last year but Idon't think that will be the case this time.[LNB] 'With teams such as Man City and Tottenham stronger, there are seven or eight teams who can take points off everyone. We have responded in the right way to that criticism. Now the aim is to go on a run of results to make those two losses not look as bad as they do right now.[LNB]'Games that we drew last year, we'll have to make sure that we win to make up for the two games we have lost already."[LNB] Captain marvel: Gerrard hit the decisive goal late in the second half[LNB]Gerrard's optimism is endearing but unfortunately not as convincing as his football.[LNB]The Liverpool team he leads with such zeal looks deeply flawed already this season and it is more than possible they would have lost their third game out of four on Saturday had Bolton midfielder Sean Davis not been sent off with the home team leading 2-1.[LNB]The quality of Liverpool's three goals - one each for Glen Johnson, Fernando Torres and Gerrard - was not in doubt but the problem for manager Rafael Benitez is that his team also conceded two dreadful ones.[LNB] Seeing red: Bolton's Sean Davis was shown a sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the game[LNB]Teams do not win championships by conceding from straightforward set pieces but Liverpool did it twice in losing at home to Aston Villa a week ago and again on Saturday, with Kevin Davies and Tamir Cohen scoring the home side's goals.[LNB]'Today was very difficult,' conceded Benitez. 'How do Bolton score? Set pieces. It's normal. But if you analyse the statistics for two years we only conceded six goals from set pieces and were the best team in the Premier League.[LNB]Getting on the scoresheet: Fernando Torres netted Liverpool's second goal at the Reebok stadium[LNB]'We can talk about man to man marking every day if we want, butmaybe some experts or pundits on the TV don't analyse things properly.'[LNB]As is often the case, Benitez's logic is flawed. He talks about the last two seasons when it is actually this one that matters.[LNB]Certainly,disruption to Benitez's central defensive pairings is not helping. OnSaturday the Greek defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos played instead of theinjured Martin Skrtel and his union with Jamie Carragher was uncertain.[LNB]Luckily for Liverpool, fate was on their side and when Davis wasdismissed for clipping the heels of the Brazilian Lucas - after alreadybeing booked in the first half - the game changed completely.[LNB]Lucas certainly played his part in the decision of referee AlanWiley. The Liverpool player seemed to be imploring the official to actand that was a little unnecessary.[LNB]Predictably, Bolton manager Gary Megson was not happy. Megson said:'Some of the opponents we play are chucking themselves all over thepitch. We compete.[LNB]We close the ball down and we battle for every ball, but you will never see one of our players rolling all over the ground when there is nothing wrong with him.[LNB]'Our physio rarely goes on the pitch and yet you see it happening all the time with the opposition and you know damn well that it is not life-threatening.[LNB] Looking on: Rafa Benitez and Gary Megson watch the action from the sidelines as Liverpool twice come from behind to win the game[LNB]'That sending off was up to the referee's interpretation on both yellow cards but I would strongly suggest that that would only happen to 14 clubs in this league. Two people chanced their arm on trying to get a penalty. I am not saying who.'[LNB]Megson was almost certainly referring to Torres after the Spaniard fell heavily under a welltimed Zat Knight challenge in the first half. It was, however, impossible to tell if Torres had dived.[LNB]But it was easy to sympathise with the Bolton manager. His team had matched Liverpool for long periods only to come undone via a critical decision and two superbly taken goals.[LNB]Bolton can take heart from their performance. It is not so easy to say the same about Liverpool.[LNB]BOLTON WANDERERS: (4-5-1) Jaaskelainen 7; Ricketts 6, Cahill 6, Knight 6, Samuel 6; Elmander 6 (Basham 59min, 6), Muamba 8 (Riga 90), Davis 5, Cohen 6 (Steinsson 78), Taylor 7; K Davies 8. Booked: Davis, Cahill, Muamba. Sent off: Davis.[LNB]LIVERPOOL: (4-2-3-1) Reina 6; Johnson 7, Carragher 6, Kyrgiakos 6, Insua 6; Lucas 6, Mascherano 6 (Voronin 74, 6); Kuyt 7 (Dossena 89, 6), Gerrard 8, Riera 6 (Benayoun 63, 6); Torres 7. Booked: Gerrard.[LNB]Referee: Alan Wiley.[LNB]Man of the match: Steven Gerrard. Capello overlooks Owen once again as Gerrard returns for crunch Croatia clashCARLING CUP: Holders United handed Wolves as Leeds await LiverpoolLIVERPOOL FC
