Steven Gerrard starts for Liverpool for the visit of Manchester City this afternoon.

Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel, Ngog.

Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Riera, Aurelio, Benayoun, Kyrgiakos, El Zhar.

Man City: Given, Zabaleta, Toure, Lescott, Bridge, De Jong, Barry, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Bellamy, Adebayor.

Subs: Taylor, Onuoha, Johnson, Santa Cruz, Tevez, Kompany, Weiss.

Liverpool could be boosted by the return of inspirational skipper Steven Gerrard to the starting line up when they welcome Birmingham City to Anfield on Monday night.

Gerrard will face a late fitness test along with Fernando Torres, who looks more likely to start the game despite struggling with a groin injury and flying back to Spain during the week to seek medical advice.

But Jamie Carragher is definitely out of the game as he serves a one game suspension following his red card in the disappointing defeat at Fulham last week.

The news of the Reds’ talismanic duo possibly returning though will be a welcome bout of good news for manager Rafa Benitez after he has seen his team sink lower and lower since their crucial victory over Manchester United on October 25.

Although Gerrard has barely trained for a fortnight, a training session on Saturday resulted in Benitez being impressed with his captain’s fitness and his chances of making the Birmingham clash improve considerably.

The boss could also be boosted with the return of Glen Johnson, Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio and Albert Riera, while Alberto Aquilani looks set to make his Anfield bow from the bench.

Liverpool will be hoping to get their season back on track against the Blues with a victory moving them to within a point of the top four and hopefully banishing the memories of the last few days to the backs of their minds.

The result seems even more likely with the news that Birmingham will be missing their captain Barry Ferguson through suspension following his sending off against Manchester City last week.

But on loan goalkeeper Joe Hart will be available again after being ineligible to face his parent club last week. Winger Keith Fahey is battling to overcome a knock to his knee in training, while striker Garry O’Connor is still a doubt with a groin problem.

The biggest problem for the West Midlands club this season has been scoring goals as they have only scored eight times in the Premier League.

In contrast, the Reds have scored 25 league goals this season but have conceded 16, just two less than Portsmouth at the foot of the table and four more than Monday night’s opponents.

Team news

Liverpool

Suspended: Jamie Carragher (one match), Philipp Degen (three matches)

Maybes: Fernando Torres (groin), Steven Gerrard (groin), Glen Johnson (calf), Albert Riera (hamstring), Fabio Aurelio (calf)

Injured: Martin Kelly (ankle)
Birmingham City

Suspended: Barry Ferguson (one match)

Maybes: Garry O’Connor (groin), Keith Fahey (knee), Teemu Tainio (knee), Martin Taylor (ankle)

Injured: David Murphy (knee)

By Michael Glover

How has it all gone so wrong for us lately?  No, we didn’t lose in Lyon, but the manner of the game left it feeling like a defeat. A win could have, and would have, sparked our season, particularly given Rafa’s European priorities..

One win in eight games is shocking in anybodies book, but for Liverpool it is the worst possible nightmare.

Now is a time to remain calm and be patient. Rash decisions could have severe implications for the club with long-lasting consequences.  Right now, there is no obvious way out except for Rafa and the team to get their heads down, work hard and try to carve out a result that will get us fans smiling once again.

Gerrard’s return from injury is unknown, he could be back on Monday, he could be back a week on Monday, and it is looking highly likely that El Nino will be facing a surgical operation and thus a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

We’re into November and the next two months are damage limitation, only in January can we build for the future.

Hicks and Gillett must now spend to get this club back to where it belongs, despite Aquilani making his debut recently, it is clear that we need a top quality centre-back to be a long term replacement for Carragher.

Somebody like Brede Hangelaand of Fulham or Michael Turner of Sunderland or Gary Cahill of Bolton, someone committed and dedicated. Skrtel and Agger are both good, very good, but injury prone and their positional play is not that of a world class defender.

We also need another top quality striker, Babel’s goal against Lyon, rather than delight us, annoyed us as it showed just what he can do. But it happens so rarely is he actually worth it? We really need another striker to support Torres. Robbie Keane was never given a chance, but we need someone, and someone good.

A fully fit Dean Ashton would be the perfect foil, the ideal man between Gerrard and Torres, Carlton Cole too, could be a good fit. Both Ashton and Cole are tall, strong, good in the air but both are as good as any striker when playing it on the deck.

The next eight weeks are not about performances, it is about determined, scrappy games but which end with the right result. January will show Benitez in his true colours, can he really take us up to the next level? He must spend, and spend well.

As mentioned.  A defender and a striker is a must, even it it’s a combined cost of £30m, something has to be done. If anything to increase strength in depth, which, when you really look at it, is very poor even compared to teams like Everton, Tottenham and Sunderland.

While not a lot can be done right now, apart from just giving it everything. It is the work behind the scenes, off the pitch that could have the biggest impact. Plans for the January sales, who to sell and more importantly, who to buy is crucial.

If we are not careful, we could lose all of the built-up momentum, the two Champions League finals, the runner-up spots in the Premier League, and find ourselves going one step forward, and two steps back.

By Richard Marsh

Liverpool took yet another blow to their season on Tuesday as a last minute goal resulted in a 1-1 draw in Lyon and ensured they were all but eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.

Substitute Ryan Babel must have thought he had won the game for his team seven minutes from time when he provided a rasping strike into the top corner from outside the penalty area.

But a series of defensive errors in the dying moments of the game culminated in the Argentine Lisandro Lopez equalising with a neat finish past the outstretched hand of Pepe Reina.

Although only trivial compared to the result, positives can be taken from the game as the Reds put in a fighting performance in a must win match that saw them without several first team players. Fernando Torres made the starting line up but looked uncomfortable for the entire match as he continues to struggle with a groin injury.

Torres almost opened the scoring as Liverpool attacked early on when Emiliano Insua swung in a low cross and the Spaniard’s shot from 12 yards was saved well by the legs of Hugo Lloris in the Lyon goal.

The Reds continued to press while still being cautious at the back and Dirk Kuyt had a good effort saved when he almost placed his close range shot over the hand of Lloris.

But Liverpool’s biggest chance of the game came when Javier Mascherano sent Andriy Voronin – who was partnering Torres up front – beyond Lyon’s back line only for him to lack composure at the critical time and place his shot into the foot of Lloris.

Lyon began to press after the break, but the first big chance of the half came when Lucas found himself in space in the left side of the box and forced a fantastic save from Lloris as he palmed away a shot that looked destined for the net. Dirk Kuyt followed up with an overhead kick that trickled towards the empty net only for the ball to be cleared off the line.

Lisandro Lopez began to look more dangerous as the game continued and forced the first real save of the night from Reina when the Liverpool goalkeeper denied him from close range.

Liverpool then broke from defence and scored the goal that would have put their Champions League fate back in their own hands. Lisandro’s dramatic late equaliser, however, quashed any realistic hopes of yet another Liverpool escape act in Europe and confirmed Lyon’s place in the next round.

Anfield will now be hoping Lyon can avoid defeat at Fiorentina in three weeks’ time and their team win their two remaining games to give the Reds an outside chance of progressing to the knockout stages.

But should this happen it still could go down to which team has the superior head to head record and Liverpool will need to better Fiorentina’s 2-0 victory over them when the two sides meet at Anfield in what could be an all mighty showdown on December 9.

By Michael Glover

It would have been a long drive home for Liverpool supporters who watched their side slump to a humiliating 3-1 defeat at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Despite the best efforts of Fernando Torres, who scored a superb equaliser in the first half, the most optimistic of Liverpool fans must now admit the Premiership title will once again not be making its way to Anfield.

Instead, Liverpool now must think about their chances of even making the top four and qualifying for the financial haven of the UEFA Champions League.

The defeat at Fulham made it their fifth in the 11 Premier League games played this season and also saw some Liverpool supporters begin to lose patience with manager Rafa Benitez.

Benitez made the strange decision of substituting goal scorer and potential match winner Fernando Torres after just an hour of the game, a call that resulted in looks of bewilderment on the faces of supporters all over the country.

Discussions on Saturday evening would have revolved around the Liverpool manager’s strange tactical choices and inability to prioritise the Premier League. Benitez’s substitutions of Torres and Yossi Benayoun brought shouts of “he’s lost it, he’s actually lost it” from one Liverpool fan in my vicinity.

But the bigger picture must be looked at by Liverpool supporters, and therein lies a much greater problem.

As Benitez stated in his post-match press conference, Torres was not fit going into the game at Craven Cottage and could not be played for the entire match or the risk of losing the star Spaniard – who has scored 10 goals in 10 league games this season – for a lengthy period would be far too great.

The real problem for Liverpool is not the fact the manager substituted his best and most likely player to score with half an hour remaining in the match and the score deadlocked at 1-1; if the player is not fit and needs to come off then Benitez cannot be blamed for making this decision. The real problem is the lack of quality in the squad and the fact that not one player on the Liverpool bench on Saturday had even half as much ability as Fernando Torres.

Although there have been a catalogue of injuries to key players for Liverpool this season, the fact still remains that the squad, as a whole, is poor both in terms of depth and quality.

If you look at each player in Liverpool’s squad and genuinely consider whether each one is good enough to be in a team wanting to challenge for the Premier League, then only a select few will be seen as a definite yes.

Look at it this way: which Liverpool players would comfortably fit into the squads of teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or even Tottenham and Manchester City?

In my opinion there are just eight players out of Liverpool’s squad of 32 who are good enough: Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Yossi Benayoun, Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher and Pepe Reina.

Maybe the work rate of Dirk Kuyt would put him in the list and Alberto Aquilani could make it once he’s proved himself in English football. Apart from these, Liverpool are left with a squad of players who, put simply, are just not good enough.

The red half of Merseyside is now in dire straits and they find themselves in a catch 22 situation. In order to splash the cash in the summer Champions League qualification is a must, but for Champions League qualification money must be spent on improving the squad.

For the good of the football club, the owners need to take a risk in January.

By Michael Glover

Liverpool effectively ended any hopes of a title challenge this season as they were defeated 3-1 by Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The loss comes less than a week after beating arch rivals Manchester United in a result believed to have put the Reds’ season back on track and is a demoralising blow to the Anfield faithful.

Bobby Zamora put the west London team ahead against the run of play after Emiliano Insua fell asleep at the back post and Zamora tapped in from close range.

Fernando Torres equalised before the break when he powered an instinctive shot into the bottom corner from outside the area only for Erik Nevland to put Fulham back in the lead in the second half.

Philipp Degen and Jamie Carragher were both harshly sent off late on for Liverpool before Clint Dempsey put the result beyond doubt.

The defeat does nothing but heap more pressure on Liverpool and their manager Rafa Benitez as his club seem to be continually in disarray with the season potentially being over in the very near future.

Benitez left many supporters confused over several of his tactical choices during the match with the decision to substitute goal scorer Fernando Torres with half an hour remaining and the game deadlocked at 1-1 in particularly bewildering.

The game began with Liverpool in control despite only threatening with a Yossi Benayoun effort that hit the top of the cross bar.

Zamora then opened the scoring against the run of play before Torres equalised with his delightful strike. The second half continued with Liverpool in control without threatening and Fulham capitalised when Nevland put them back in front.

After the two red cards Fulham took control and were almost making fun of their opponents when Dempsey added a well worked third for the Cottagers.

In his post-match press conference Benitez defended his decision to remove Torres after just 62 minutes and claimed the Spaniard was not fully fit.

He said: “We decided to play Fernando against United which was a difficult decision because he wasn’t 100 per cent fit.

“After this game he needed four days to be ready again but he still isn’t 100 per cent fit, so we had to decide if he could start today or use him for part of the second half. We decided to start with him but I have to protect the player.

“We decided to take him off just after the hour because I want to protect him and don’t want to lose an important player like Fernando for one month. We had options in attack when he came off.”

By Michael Glover

Liverpool failed to progress into quarter finals of the Carling cup after losing 2-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Both teams played second string teams, in which saw the debut of second half substitute Alberto Aquilani for the visitors.

The Reds came into the game on such a high after an excellent 2-0 win over rivals Man Utd in the Premier League.  And were also boosted by Italian international Alberto Aquilani making the bench, it is starting to look good for the Merseysiders.

The game started very open, with a frantic pace as the visitors Liverpool had the first chance. Within three minutes David N’Gog from the wing whipped a good cross to on running Kuyt. However he could only scuff the attempt wide. Promising start though.

It was then Arsenal’s turn to have their first attempt, through Fran Merida. He had a shot from distance that went well wide, not troubling second choice keeper Cavalieri. Liverpool on nine minutes then had another great chance through Degen.

The Swiss international was found with the ball after an intricate back heal by N’Gog, but in space could only fire his low shot wide of the far post. Arsenal then started to build up the pressure after half chances by Bendtner and Nasri.

There was then a breakthrough just before the twenty minute mark, from an unlikely Fran Merida for Arsenal. Voronin gave the ball away cheaply just outside his own box, which went to the young Spaniard who hit the ball sweetly to see it hit the right post and go in.

It wasn’t however long until Liverpool hit back to equalise, and didn’t they hit back in style. A scorcher from full back Insua, making a real impression this season already. Hit on the bounce with such furiosity from 30 yards as the ball looped and then dipped, skimming the crossbar and going in.

The game still found itself open as from the start, with half chances occurring from Babel and Bendtner. And just before the half time whistle there was a major scramble in the Liverpool box, where they seemed lucky to escape without conceding. A nightmare moment for keeper, Cavalieri.

Similar to the first, the second half got off to a quick pace with both teams straight out of the blocks. It was Arsenal though, that made the breakthrough. On the counter-attack catching Liverpool out, the ball came to Bendtner in the box who was able to hold off Skrtel, to smash the ball into the roof of the net. Arsenal back ahead.

In an attempt to get back into the game, Benitez brought Benayoun on, which I think was a move well needed. It was also time for the introduction of Italian international Alberto Aquilani as the away crowd gave him a standing ovation. A long awaited debut for the talented midfielder, who straight away showed his class with a fantastic long ball, almost like watching Alonso.

Liverpool unfortunately seemed to have missed the best chance for them to equalise the game. With ten minutes only remaining, Dirk Kuyt pinged a ball across goal for Babel, who despairingly couldn’t make real contact with it. From that moment only half chances were available for Liverpool, which ended in a frustrating game for the visitors.

A positive though to come out of it was the debut appearance for Aquilani who showed the fans a little something for them to expect in future games, with an acrobatic attempt on goal from an over head kick. It was however blocked by Senderos.

Liverpool will come away from the game with a chance at winning some all so important silverware gone. Benitez saw some of his youngsters and fringe players impress in a good spectacle of football, however will be disappointed at getting knocked out of the Carling Cup. Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1.

By Jordan Gaines

Liverpool got back to winning ways after a dramatic 2-0 victory over fierce rivals and title contenders Man Utd. A game that had it all, with red cards and goals witnessed amongst a truelly enthralling Anfield crowd.

It was a game where Liverpool really needed to put in a performance, to regain a stance in the title challenge. It would also ease the pressure on manager Rafa Benitez, whose team have lost their last four games. Man Utd headed to Anfield with the bookies edging them to win the close encounter. Dissapointing news met the Liverpool faithful, when it was announced that Steven Gerrard would not be involved in the game, however Johnson and Torres both started.

The first half saw a frantic pace, from both teams getting out of the blocks early. It looked like a great start for the visitors, when Rooney was clear on goal only to see the linesman raise his flag for offside. End to end football then saw Liverpool’s Lucas work a shot on goal from distance to see the ball go wide for a corner. Benayoun was notably off to a great start with his usual jinxing runs throughout midfield – a clear fan favourite this season.

The first major chance came from a Liverpool free kick, after Evra had been booked. Aurelio fizzed the ball towards goal, only for Van Der Sar to agonizingly tip it away with his finger tips. Kuyt from that managed to get a shot on goal only for it to be blocked.  Kuyt was involved again around the 20 minute mark, when he had a tight angle on goal but could only scuff a poor shot wide.

That point onwards to half time saw few half chances from Aurelio, Mascherano and Man Utd’s Rooney in what was turning into a heated, scrappy first half, that saw Berbatov be the second Man Utd player to get booked.

The second half started as the first ended with a real battle of possession, with scrappy challenges and numerous half chances, by Benayoun, Agger and Lucas. However it soon started to open as the crowd reacted.

On the 65th minute the Anfield faithful erupted. Liverpool on the break with Benayoun who slid a majestic throughball to Torres who could fend off Ferdinand and hit a thunderbolt past Van Der Sar into the back of the net.

There was a chance 5 minutes later for Lucas to double the host’s lead, but could only blaze a close effort high over the bar. Man Utd then started to push for an equaliser, as Vidic and Mascherano both saw their names go into referee, Ander Marriners book.

Benitez attempted to freshen things up by replacing Torres and Benayoun with Ngog and Skrtel. Man Utd went closest when Valencia cracked the bar from a tight angle. Evergreen Jamie Carragher was then booked for pulling down ex-Liverpool favourite Owen, who entered the game to mass jearing.

Two minutes later, Vidic received his second yellow card and had to go after being the last man and bringing down Kuyt on the halfway line. Tension soon filled the air more than ever when five minutes were announced as added time. Well into that time the numbers were evened up, after Mascherano also got his second yellow card after a committed challenge on Edwin Van Der Sar.

A fantastic finish to the game, saw rookie Liverpool striker David Ngog put through on goal, who coolly slid the ball into the back of the Man Utd net. A truly heavyweight of a game!, Liverpool 2 Man Utd 0.

By Jordan Gaines

Liverpool gave supporters fresh hope a title challenge could still be on in emphatic style after a dramatic 2-0 victory over arch rivals Manchester United on Sunday.

Fernando Torres played through the pain of a groin injury to start the game and score his side’s vital breakthrough goal when he latched onto a Yossi Benayoun pass and smashed the ball past Edwin Van der Sar.

David Ngog came off the bench to replace Torres and secure the win in the dying moments when he was sent through by Lucas and finished neatly after both Nemanja Vidic and Javier Mascherano were sent off for two bookable offences.

The past week has seen the media pile the pressure on manager Rafa Benitez while supporters have targeted the club’s owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet Jnr after the Reds went on their worst run of results since 1987.

But the Anfield club’s first victory since September 26, made ever sweeter by the nature of the opponent, has suggested an outside bid for the title could still be on the cards.

The win leaves Liverpool tied for fifth place in the Barclays Premier League with Manchester City, who have a game in hand, and six points off leaders Chelsea. And with the prospect of Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani making his long awaited first team bow in the near future, the situation suddenly seems to be a lot more optimistic at Anfield.

The instant David Ngog sealed victory on Sunday became the very instant the black cloud surrounding the red half of Merseyside over the past week thinned considerably and allowed a ray of sunshine to poke through. Liverpool supporters began to see hope again after staring down the barrel of a gun loaded with red beach balls for over a week.

But hope is just the basic and initial request for Liverpool supporters. Hope is something that arrives at the beginning of every season and something not expected to disappear from Liverpool when the season is just two months old.

It is, however, a great realisation among the Anfield faithful that hope is not tangible. For this to happen and for Liverpool to turn their hope into a first league title since 1990 a lot of hard work must be done by Rafa Benitez and his men.

The imminent debut of Aquilani, while a huge boost for the squad, will not result in a quick fix to the creative problems Liverpool have suffered in many parts of the season. Aquilani is unproven in English football and is just one man – he cannot entirely solve his side’s problem of a lack of backup for first team players.

The win against United should be a catalyst for Hicks and Gillet to realise that Liverpool can still win this title, but only if they put their hands into their pockets in January.

Liverpool cannot afford to lose again for the remainder of the season if they are to be crowned champions. Sunday’s game was billed D-Day for them, but their victory now means D-Day will come every weekend.

By Michael Glover

Twenty-five years ago the season was looking bleak for Liverpool. Just two wins accompanied the five draws and three losses Joe Fagan’s side had picked up in the league as Everton visited Anfield in a season defining game on October 20.

Everton ran out 1-0 winners that day and went on to become league champions above Liverpool in the runners up spot, adding to a miserable campaign for the Reds that also culminated in defeat in the infamous Heysel European Cup final.

In much the same way, this Sunday’s game against bitter rivals Manchester United has been billed this season’s defining game for Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool. To put it quite simply – it is ‘The Big One’; it’s now or never; it’s D-Day for the whole club and its supporters.

After dropping 12 points already this season and a defeat by Lyons on Tuesday, their fifth in a row in all competitions, sucking them ever closer toward Champions League elimination, a victory over the arch nemesis of Manchester United could inject new life back into Anfield’s veins. Defeat and Liverpool’s season will be thrust into the unknown with the progress of last term’s title challenge seemingly in the mould of ‘one step forward and two steps back’.

But in a week where, in a what seems evil twist of fate, a beach ball has left the Anfield faithful completely deflated, their support for Rafa Benitez still appears to be pumped up. The Reds manager has taken a lot of flack recently over the demise of his team but, while sometimes frustrating with his transfer market flops, he still has the full backing of the Kop.

So the Liverpool support has gone against the grain in the way this stuff usually happens in football. The trend we all know and recognise goes: poor form; manager lambasted by supporters; manager sacked. Liverpool supporters have bucked this trend though with the Kop’s collective finger of blame firmly pointing in the direction of the club’s American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillet Jnr.

Sunday’s clash against United will see Liverpool supporter groups form a demonstration before kick off against the club’s owners with the Spirit of Shankly fan group expecting a 10,000 man march to the stadium. Angry about the debt formed and the blatant rift caused between manager and board room, supporters want the Americans to sell up and leave before any more damage is done.

This boardroom farce is what turns Sunday’s match into not only a season definer for Liverpool, but a game that could define the club’s status over the next few years. The debt the club are now in means the financial benefits of the Champions League are a must for next season.

Without a win on Sunday to keep the Reds’ hopes alive of qualification for Europe’s most elite and lucrative tournament, and the depressing tale of Leeds United’s demise will be shuddering the ear drums of the Anfield faithful ever louder. Only one thing is for certain – whatever the result on Sunday, it will be Hicks and Gillett taking the blame from supporters while the name Benitez is still chanted on the terraces.

By Michael Glover