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  • Riera (26), Keane (53), Keane (58)
  • Date:2008-12-26
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:Anfield
  • Attendance:43548
  • Referee:Wiley, A

Live Commentary

90mins

Full time: LIVERPOOL 3-0 BOLTON. Liverpool are back to winning ways and stay top of the table. They are now unbeaten in 20 home games and Robbie Keane will be delighted at getting 90 minutes and a second-half brace.

90mins

Jaaskelainen makes a fantastic double save at the death with great efforts from Benayoun and Hyypia in the box.

90mins

Keane slides a wonderful reverse pass through to El-Zhar in the box but O'Brien manages to hack the ball clear before the substitute can get a shot away. Top drawer defending from O'Brien there.

90mins

The fourth official indicates four minutes of added time.

90mins

El-Zhar picks out Keane on the edge of the area again but he fails to get the ball under control and it runs through to a Bolton defender.

88mins

Another unorthodox attacking move from Carragher as he rides two challenges on the halfway line before playing through Keane on the edge of the box, but a white shirt puts in a last ditch interception.

87mins

Liverpool win their fourteenth corner of the game and Alonso finds Hyypia but his header is desperately cleared by O'Brien.

85mins

That is the closest Bolton have come today and Gary Megson will be disappointed that it has come so late in the game.

84mins

Muamba runs at goal before sliding the ball through to Smolarek whose shot from just outside the box clips the post and goes behind for a goal-kick.

82mins

Agger angles a long ball into the path of Keane who looks to break the offside trap but O'Brien gets his head to the ball to knock it to safety.

81mins

Alan Wiley brings play to a halt for a few moments as Gary Cahill receives treatment for an injury back in his own box.

80mins

Gavin McCann has no complaints at being shown the yellow card after catching Xabi Alonso late.

78mins

Rafa Benitez is perhaps looking to the fixture at Newcastle on Sunday already and is giving some of his players a rest. The eleven men still on the field do not look like sitting back however and El-Zhar looks very bright on the left flank.

76mins

Liverpool's third and final substitution as Kuyt makes way for David N'Gog

75mins

El Zhar cuts in from the left flank and strikes a shot on his right boot but drags it wide of Jaaskelainen's goal.

73mins

Riga is dispossessed in a dangerous position by Kuyt and the Liverpool forward wins a corner. Alonso finds Agger who climbs above everyone but his header misses the target.

72mins

Skipper Steven Gerrard comes off for Lucas Leiva

70mins

Liverpool break and Benayoun does well to stay onside, picking up the ball on the right flank, but his attempted pass through to Keane is intercepted and Bolton regain possession.

68mins

Liverpool make their first change of the game. Albert Riera receives a standing ovation as he leaves the field. Nabil El Zhar takes his place.

66mins

Gary Megson makes it a double substitution as Johan Elmander, who has been quiet today, is replaced by Ebi Smolarek

66mins

Riga Mustapha enters the fray in place of Matt Taylor

64mins

Gerrard lines up a trademark strike from 25-yards out but he scuffs his effort and the ball is sent wide of the near post.

62mins

Liverpool put together another wonderful move but this time it breaks down as a Keane through ball goes rolls out of play for a goal-kick.

60mins

Matthew Taylor finds Andrew O'Brien in the box but he cannot direct his header at goal and it goes behind for a goal-kick.

58mins

A superb flowing counter attack from Liverpool and Keane looks delighted after scoring his third goal in six days.

57mins

Daniel Agger has his name taken for a foul on Steinsson.

57mins

LIVERPOOL 3-0 BOLTON: Reina rolls the ball out to Alonso and Liverpool counter attack. The midfielder finds Benayoun whose first-time cross picks out ROBBIE KEANE who doubles his tally with an emphatic finish from close range.

55mins

Riera reaches the byline and manages to pull a cross back into the path of Kuyt but he cannot get enough contact with his header and the ball rolls harmlessly away from goal.

53mins

LIVERPOOL 2-0 BOLTON: Gerrard slides a pass through to ROBBIE KEANE who side-foots a shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards out. A wonderful move from the league leaders.

51mins

Elmander looks to latch onto a long ball but Reina is quick off his line to boot the ball out for a throw-in.

50mins

Bolton win a corner but they fail to make the most of the opportunity and the delivery sails straight into the arms of Reina.

47mins

Steinsson picks up a booking after a late challenge on Riera.

46mins

It's an attacking change from Megson with Kevin Davies coming on for Jlloyd Samuel

46mins

The visitors kick-off the second half and Gary Megson has swapped things around at half-time.

45mins

Half Time: LIVERPOOL 1-0 BOLTON. The home side have dominated from the word go and fully deserve the lead as the sides go in at the interval.

44mins

Another Gerrard corner is cleared towards Insua who strikes a vicious half-volley but it is blocked in a crowd of bodies inside the box.

43mins

Alan Wiley stops play and cautions Kevin Nolan for a foul in the build up of the Liverpool attack.

43mins

Benayoun runs at the Bolton defence and twists and turns in the box before trying to find Keane, but a Bolton defender concedes a corner.

41mins

Jamie Carragher receives the ball in an unorthodox attacking position and hits a swerving left footed shot that grazes the crossbar.

39mins

It is worth noting that Gary Megson has never taken a point off Liverpool as a manager and if the home side can maintain their current momentum, that does not look like changing today.

37mins

Daniel Agger tries to get in on the action and hits an ambitious, driven shot from way out but sends it wide of the target.

36mins

Benayoun gets a shot away from the edge of the box but fails to trouble Jaaskelainen after good work from Gerrard.

34mins

Liverpool need these three points today after being put under pressure with wins for both Chelsea and Manchester United in two of the early kick-offs today.

31mins

Kuyt gets his head on a Liverpool set-piece but is pulled back for offside. His effort was straight at Jaaskelainen anyway.

29mins

Johan Elmander is a striker in form with four goals in five games for Bolton, but he is receiving no joy today and has barely touched the ball.

27mins

Liverpool are really enjoying themselves now and are dominating all the statistics as we approach the half hour mark.

25mins

LIVERPOOL 1-0 BOLTON: Gerrard takes another corner and finds ALBERT RIERA who turns the ball in at the near post.

24mins

Liverpool win several corners in quick succession and Bolton just about manage to deal with Gerrard's deliveries.

22mins

A long ball almost falls luckily into the feet of Keane inside the box but Bolton clear their lines at the last moment.

21mins

Bolton can't get the ball out of their half and Liverpool are really stretching them now, using the full length and width of the pitch to their advantage.

19mins

Gerrard chips the ball over the Bolton defence and Kuyt latches onto it but sends his header over the bar from 12-yards.

18mins

The resulting corner is cleared only as far as Emiliano Insua who forces a decent save out of Jaaskelainen with a driven shot from outside the box.

17mins

Benayoun gets behind the defence and reaches the byline but his cross is put behind for a corner kick.

16mins

Gerrard and Alonso are dictating the tempo of the game at the moment but when their side get into the final third they don't have anywhere to go. They will keep knocking at the door though and hopefully a breakthrough will come soon.

13mins

The visitors are getting men behind the ball and are doing well at snuffing out their opponents attacking moves.

11mins

Keane cushions a header down for Riera in the box but he makes a mess of the opportunity and drags his shot well wide of the mark.

9mins

The home side enjoy a lengthy spell of possession but cannot find a breakthrough on the edge of the box.

7mins

Yossi Benayoun is getting a bit of joy down the right flank and looks set to test Jlloyd Samuel this afternoon.

5mins

There is a great tempo to the game and Bolton do not look like sitting back and defending. Liverpool, despite sitting top of the table, may not be too confident today after drawing their last three home games.

3mins

A Steven Gerrard corner evades everyone in the mixer and finds Albert Riera. His low shot is straight at Keane who tries to turn the ball goal-wards but sends it wide of the mark.

2mins

Bolton catch the Liverpool defence off guard and Johan Elmander threads a pass through to Kevin Nolan in the box but he goes for a cross rather than shooting and Jose Reina plucks the ball out of the air.

1mins

The home side have started with a 4-4-2 formation today with dirk Kuyt pushing up-front with Robbie Keane.

1mins

Referee Alan Wiley gets the game underway as Liverpool kick-off.

0mins

The only change to the Bolton side that beat Portsmouth six days ago sees Fabrice Muamba given the nod ahead of Kevin Davies in perhaps more of a defensive set up from Gary Megson.

0mins

Rafa Benitez makes two changes to the side that drew at Arsenal last weekend. Alvaro Arbeloa is ruled out, making way for Sami Hyypia, while Yossi Benayoun returns to the starting eleven in favour of Lucas Leiva.

Match Preview

Liverpool will be expecting to celebrate Christmas in style when Bolton Wanderers visit Merseyside, having beaten the Trotters four times in a row and scoring 12 goals in the process.

The greatest present of all - an injury-free return to the Premier League by star striker Fernando Torres - looks unlikely though as the Spaniard is nursed back from a hamstring injury, but others could be fit.

Full-back Fabiano Aurelio is the closest to a return, although the impressive form of his replacement at left-back, Emiliano Insua, has given the young Argentine hope that Aurelio could be kept on the bench.

"The manager has given me a lot of confidence and I will keep training hard in every session and always give my best, because when you get your chance you have to take it," said the 19-year-old.

Philipp Degen and Martin Skrtel could also return before the end of the year, although Skrtel will have to battle with Sami Hyypia and Daniel Agger for a place alongside Jamie Carragher in defence.

Carragher has maintained his role as the heart of the Reds' defence and from there he is convinced that he has seen enough in the side for them to win the league title.

"People keep talking about us being top of the league, but that's not a surprise to us. We're where we should be," he insisted.

"There's a long way to go and we'll see what happens. The best team wins the league and hopefully that will be us this season."

Bolton will be looking to hold onto some consistency - the club have scratched together seven Premier League wins this season, including a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth, but three times they have lost the following fixture.

Their mixed form has at least brought enough points to feel safe at Christmas. They were sitting in ninth place when presents were being opened but the imminent arrival of the transfer window could yet spoil the festive mood for the Trotters.

Former Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is likely to test his old friends with bids for former favourites such as Kevin Nolan, although the midfielder insists a move to Blackburn isn't on his mind.

"Gary Megson is getting the foundations ready here. He has a plan for the next five or six years and, although I don't want to tell you too much, it's about stabilising the team," he said.


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Match Report

Red-hot Robbie Keane reaffirmed Liverpool's position at the top of the Premier League table, scoring a brace in a 3-0 demolition of Bolton Wanderers.

With Rafael Benitez still unfit to take the bench at Anfield, Sammy Lee once again stepped in as the manager looked on from the stands.

And the Reds boss' presence was enough to inspire his team to a comfortable victory over Gary Megson's side.

However, Liverpool were almost behind in the first three minutes. Bolton's record signing, Johan Elmander, picked up possession deep inside the Reds half and, after diverting the ball into Kevin Nolan's path, the Trotters captain's neat chip failed to deceive Pepe Reina.

Benitez's men were soon on the front foot and Keane came close to adding to his screamer at Arsenal last week.

A corner on the right-hand side from Reds skipper Steven Gerrard found its way to Spanish winger Albert Riera. The former Espanyol man hit a fierce drive, which Keane got a foot on, only to divert the ball over the crossbar.

Liverpool's relentless pressure continued and Emiliano Insua forced a decent save from Jussi Jaaskelainen in the 19th minute.

Another corner whipped in from Gerrard was headed out straight towards the young left-back, and his crisp, first-time volley stung the palms of the opposition goalkeeper before eventually being cleared.

The league leaders eventually broke the deadlock in the 26th minute and inevitably it came from a Gerrard corner.

The Liverpool captain delivered an inviting near post ball, and Albert Rieira arrived unmarked to stab home from close range.

Liverpool started the second half where they left off in the first and Keane doubled the home side's lead in the 53rd minute.

Gerrard set off on a trademark run through the middle before putting Keane clean through with an inch-perfect throughball.

The £20million striker didn't panic and smashed the ball past Jaaskelainen at his near post, much to the delight of the Anfield faithful.

Liverpool should have been down to ten men when Daniel Agger lunged in two-footed on Elmander, but the centre-half managed to escape with a booking.

And things went from bad to worse for Bolton when Keane grabbed his second of the game after a quick counter-attack in the 58th minute.

The impressive Xabi Alonso picked up possession in the centre circle and drove at Bolton's defence.

The Spain international then picked out Yossi Benayoun on the right and his neat cut-back found Keane, who slotted home superbly.

Liverpool threatened a rout and, in the 74th minute, Agger almost made it four, but his header drifted just wide of the post.

Bolton came close to pulling a goal back when substitute Ebi Smolarek was played in by Fabrice Muamba.

Unfortunately for Wanderers fans, the shot flew just wide of Reina's goal.

Keane almost grabbed his third in the final minute, but for a fine interception by Gretar Steinsson.

The game finished with Anfield's famous anthem You'll Never Walk Alone reverberating around the stadium after another comfortable win over Bolton for the Reds.

Liverpool

Bolton Wanderers

Corners

163

Fouls

712

Goal attempts

184

Shots off target

102

Offsides

40

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