And we usually love Lennon in Liverpool. On Sunday, though, it was a name to be cursed as the Tottenham winger, Aaron, struck the late, injury-time goal which denied Liverpool a point in an encounter they should, perhaps, have won. Instead it was a hard day’s night back up to Merseyside.
Spurs confirmed their status as the Premier League comeback kings with 16 points now earned from losing positions during this roller-coaster campaign and in a roller-coaster of a match which ended an week in which Arsenal have been beaten and qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League secured. The good times roll.
It was a game that had everything. To add to the goals there were injuries, the most serious of which was a dislocated shoulder suffered by Jamie Carragher, a missed penalty, yet another one by Jermain Defoe, who has incredibly failed from four of his past five, controversy over penalty appeals and chances galore. Fernando Torres will be tormented by two clear, one-on-ones which he fluffed, a shadow of his former self, all hesitancy when he used to be pure instinct. [Read more…]
The Football Association have confirmed their insurers will pay compensation to Liverpool for Steven Gerrard's hamstring injury.
Estimates say Liverpool will pocket £500,000 after their captain got injured in England's friendly defeat to France at Wembley on Wednesday.
The 30 year-old has been ruled out for a month, which could have a significant effect on his side's season after a recent revival came to an end at Stoke last Saturday.
The FA have been anxious to point out the cash will not come directly from them but an insurance scheme that has been set up, which has already paid out to Arsenal and Tottenham for injuries sustained by Theo Walcott and Jermain Defoe on international duty this season.
In a statement, the FA said: "The FA have in place comprehensive insurance to cover injuries sustained to players on international duty.
"The FA is one of a small number of countries that has a voluntary insurance scheme to cover players wages should they suffer injury on international duty.
"Liverpool do not need to pursue us for compensation as our insurers will cover the wages for Liverpool as this was clearly a legitimate injury."
Michael Owen was the subject of one of the more expensive claims when he was injured on World Cup duty in 2006.
The FA are one of the few national associations who run such an insurance scheme.
Wednesday night's opponents France do not for instance, whilst many smaller nations simply could not afford the premiums to cover their star players.
Liverpool suffered their fifth Barclays Premier League defeat of the season as they went down 2-0 at Stoke City on Saturday evening.
The Reds struggled to cope with the physical approach of the home side throughout and were undone by second-half goals from Ricardo Fuller and Kenwyne Jones.
With the points lost, Roy Hodgson's side's night was compounded when Lucas Leiva was sent-off for a second bookable offence deep into injury-time.
It means the Reds drop to 11th in the table, six points adrift of Manchester City who occupy the fourth and final Champions League place.
Significantly, the pre-match talking points had centred upon how Liverpool would combat the threat posed by the set piece delivery of Delap et al. Few sides in the Barclays Premier League can boast an aerial presence as dangerous as Stoke and it was no surprise to see Hodgson respond by bringing in Standard Chartered LFC Player of the Month for October, Sotirios Kyrgiakos in place of Martin Kelly.
The big Greek has been in imperious form so far this season and he was forced into action within 60 seconds, blocking Ryan Shawcross's well-struck shot from the edge of the Reds' penalty area. [Read more…]
Liverpool have suffered a blow with the news that defender Daniel Agger is out of action through injury indefinitely.
The Danish stopper has been hampered by a calf injury this term and he was dispatched to see a specialist earlier this week.
Agger's last appearance was on 12 October when he played for Denmark against Cyprus in Euro 2012 qualifier.
"Agger could be very long-term,"
"They can't put a date on it and at the moment he can't train - he has just got to rest.
"They are anxious that bone doesn't form. It's a calcification issue."
The 25-year-old defender visited a specialist in London last week and has been told not to train to allow the problem to rectify itself.
"Training would certainly accelerate the calcification," added Hodgson. "Now they have to wait and hope the body breaks down the calcifying elements before he can even think about training again.
"He has just got to rest and wait for the next time he goes to see the specialist again." - said Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson.
It is the latest in a line of fitness problems for Agger, who missed almost four months of last season with a back injury.
The Dane last played for Liverpool on 25 September when he came on as a substitute in the 2-2 draw at home to Sunderland.
I hope he will be back in the second half of the season.
Fernando Torres are back to his best! The Premier League champions, Chelsea were comprehensively beaten by Torres’s double at Anfield yesterday evening. Watch Torres’s goals again from the highlights video below.
Substitute Steven Gerrard struck a sensational second-half hat-trick as Liverpool came from behind to snatch a 3-1 victory in a keenly contested Europa League clash with Napoli on Thursday night.
The skipper deflected home visiting stopper, Morgan De Sanctis's attempted clearance on 75 minutes before slamming home a late penalty and a delightful dinked finish to earn the points after the visitors had taken the lead through Ezequiel Lavezzi's smart first half strike.
It means Roy Hodgson's side remain top of Group K, three points ahead of Steaua Bucharest after four matches played.
Ahead of the clash, the Barclays Premier League showdown with Chelsea occupied much of the pre-match chatter and Hodgson's team selection indicated he had one eye on the game with the leaders, as he made six changes from Bolton.
In came Glen Johnson for his first appearance since October 3 while the likes of Jay Spearing and Jonjo Shelvey, who impressed in Naples, were once again given the opportunity to shine.
As if buoyed by recent results Liverpool were fast out of the traps too but, despite some good possession, it was the visitors who looked the more dangerous.
On three minutes, a well worked counter attack saw Lavezzi break down the right flank and when he fizzed a low ball into the six yard box, Paul Konchesky was fortunate to see his attempted clearance crash into the side netting of Pepe Reina's goal.
The Serie A outfit appeared to have more of a threat in the attacking third and midway through the half they had another sight of goal as Edinson Cavani latched onto a clever through pass and smashed a right foot volley into the stand.
For all Liverpool's endeavour there had been little to shout about for the home support and Napoli continued to probe, with Lavezzi seizing upon Shelvey's misplaced pass and drilling a venomous shot just beyond Reina's left-hand post.
With the away side in full flow, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Hodgson's men and on 28 minutes they found themselves behind. Christian Poulsen misjudged a header in his own half allowing Cavani to nod the ball into the path of Lavezzi. The Argentine raced into the penalty area before showing fine poise to slip the ball beyond the advancing Reina.
Liverpool needed a response and they should have had it just three minutes later as David Ngog exchanged a neat one-two with Poulsen before stabbing his effort from 12 yards just wide.
Johnson then went close to marking his return from injury in style but saw his rasping left foot drive well saved by De Sanctis.
In truth, Liverpool's first-half display would not have impressed John Henry and new director of football strategy Damien Comolli watching in the stand, and it was no surprise that Hodgson made the decision to introduce Gerrard as a half-time replacement for Milan Jovanovic.
The change immediately sparked the hosts' attack into life and on 51 minutes the inspirational No.8 should have levelled but he flashed his shot high into the stand after De Sanctis had brilliantly denied Ngog from close range.
There was a clear improvement in Liverpool's approach play and they again went close just shy of the hour mark when Shelvey miscued his far post header following a great run and cross from Ngog.
Next it was Raul Meireles's turn to hold his head in hands, steering wide from 10 yards out after Shelvey had caused havoc in the Napoli defence.
There was no doubt which side was now in the ascendancy and after sending a low free-kick inches past the far post, the skipper finally levelled matters in the most fortunate of circumstances.
A probing run from Shelvey should have been cut out by the Italians' rearguard, but a poor back pass allowed Gerrard to race in on De Sanctis and ricochet the 'keeper's attempted clearance into the far corner of the net.
It was a huge slice of luck for Hodgson and co but one they would have felt their second half showing deserved.
With the clock ticking down the Reds continued to push forward and two minutes from time they snatched the lead when Gerrard converted from the spot after Johnson was felled in the area.
And the midfielder rubbed salt in Napoli's wounds a minute later, latching onto substitute Lucas Leiva's well-timed challenge and clipping the ball over De Sanctis to seal victory.
The 30 year-old has been ruled out for a month, which could have a significant effect on his side's season after a recent revival came to an end at Stoke last Saturday. 
The Danish stopper has been hampered by a calf injury this term and he was dispatched to see a specialist earlier this week.
Ahead of the clash, the Barclays Premier League showdown with Chelsea occupied much of the pre-match chatter and Hodgson's team selection indicated he had one eye on the game with the leaders, as he made six changes from Bolton.
The Serie A outfit appeared to have more of a threat in the attacking third and midway through the half they had another sight of goal as Edinson Cavani latched onto a clever through pass and smashed a right foot volley into the stand.
There was no doubt which side was now in the ascendancy and after sending a low free-kick inches past the far post, the skipper finally levelled matters in the most fortunate of circumstances.
