Premier League: Stoke City 1-0 Liverpool

Stoke ended Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season thanks to Jonathan Walters' first-half penalty.

Walters went to ground in a tussle for the ball with Jamie Carragher and blasted home the resulting spot-kick.

Ryan Shawcross blocked a Luis Suarez effort with the Uruguayan prominent in Liverpool's attempts to draw level.

After the break Jordan Henderson should have equalised when he broke clear, while Suarez missed an open goal at the very end after an Asmir Begovic error.

Craig Bellamy came on to make his first appearance for Liverpool in his second spell for the club but the Welshman was unable to change the course of the game although he went close with a header.

Bellamy was introduced at the same time as Andy Carroll, who never really threatened a Stoke defence that was superb throughout, with Shawcross outstanding.

While Shawcross marshalled the Stoke rearguard, Walters' goal and performance overshadowed team-mate Peter Crouch, who was making his debut for the Potters against his former club.

After a promising start to the game, particularly in winning a number of free-kicks, Crouch faded and when Kenwyne Jones came on in the second half the former Spurs striker ran over to the bench only to realise that he was not being withdrawn.

Liverpool held steady under an early cumulative bombardment of free-kicks and Rory Delap's throws until the 20th minute.

Then the visitors' defence buckled when Carragher and Walters challenged one another in the box and with the Stoke forward going to ground, referee Mark Clattenburg was quick to award the penalty.

Walters crashed his spot-kick down the middle of the goal with Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina diving to the right.

Both before and after Walters' goal Suarez carried Liverpool's main threat, with his movement and trickery giving Stoke all sorts of problems.

The Uruguayan flashed a shot over the bar in the opening stages of the game and then almost got a connection on the ball following a Charlie Adam corner.

Just after Walters' penalty Suarez was only denied a goal after Shawcross threw himself at the ball after Begovic had been unable to hold Henderson's cross.

Suarez then wriggled free down the left and crossed for Martin Skrtel who was unable to hit the ball cleanly under pressure from Matthew Etherington.

Henderson should have equalised when he broke clear in the second half after Luis Enrique threatened a pass through to the former Sunderland midfielder.

That he did not was due to sterling work by Begovic, who saved Henderson's effort, then quickly got up to save the rebound and was just as sprightly in getting back to his line to beat away an Adam shot.

Shortly afterwards Henderson and Kuyt were withdrawn with Carroll and Bellamy coming on, while Wilson Palacios also came on to make his Stoke debut.

The second half was played almost entirely in the Stoke half, but the likes of Matthew Upson, Shawcross and Begovic held firm under enormous Liverpool pressure.

Shawcross did well to get the ball ahead of Suarez as Stewart Downing crossed for the Uruguayan, while another cross from the Liverpool winger reached Bellamy at the far post but he headed his effort wide.

Late on Suarez claimed a penalty, arguing that Upson had handled the ball, while the former Ajax man should have secured a point for the visitors only to skew his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

 

Source: BBC Sport

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Preview: Stoke City v Liverpool

Liverpool travel to Stoke tomorrow for their first match after the annoying international break. Before the internationals got in the way Liverpool were playing some good football and will be looking to continue their form after that successful 3-1 victory over Bolton.

Team news: Stoke's £10million record signing Peter Crouch is set to make his debut against former club Liverpool at the Britannia Stadium.

Other new boys Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome may also feature in the Premier League clash, but Marc Wilson and Rory Delap will have their hamstrings assessed ahead of kick-off.

Stoke City (Probable, 4-4-2) lineup: Begovic; Huth, Shawcross, Woodgate, Wilson; Pennant, Whelan, Whitehead, Etherington; Crouch, Walters.

Out: Fuller (Achilles), Higginbotham (knee).

Team news: New signing Craig Bellamy is set for a place on the bench for Liverpool's trip to Stoke.

Captain Steven Gerrard is close to a return after a groin operation sidelined him in March while right-back Glen Johnson is in contention for his first start of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Defender Martin Kelly is also close to fitness after sustaining a hamstring problem in Liverpool's last outing against Bolton prior to the international break.

Liverpool (Probable, 4-3-3) lineup: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique; Kuyt, Adam, Henderson; Downing, Suarez, Carroll.

Out: Gerrard (groin), Kelly (hamstring).

Red's Fury™ prediction: Stoke 1 Liverpool 2.

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Liverpool midfielder set to miss Stoke match

Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam has pulled out of Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Lithuania due to a hip injury, the Scottish Football Association have announced.

Adam picked up the knock during Saturday's 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic at Hampden Park and was forced off the pitch in the 79th minute.

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Source: Sky Sport

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Video: Henderson captained and scores for England U21

Jordan Henderson scored an excellent goal while captaining England U21s to a 6-0 Euro qualification victory over Azerbaijan on Thursday night.

The 21-year-old bent a right-foot shot beyond the goalkeeper to cap a mature display in the centre of the park.

Jon Flanagan also impressed on his U21 debut, playing 90 minutes and looking every inch a Premier League player.

Andre Wisdom didn't get off the bench but another debutant Jonjo Shelvey was sharp after entering the game in the 79^th minute.

Source: YouTube, Liverpool FC Official

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Why Raul Meireles left Anfield?

The transfer deadline day this summer has seen some shock moves for the big clubs. Raul Meireles has left it late after the Portuguese international midfielder handed in a transfer request on the eleventh hour to force his move to Chelsea.

The 28-year-old midfielder will not be featured heavily for Liverpool this season as the Reds are over-crowded in midfield area even with the departure of Christian Poulsen, Joe Cole and Albert Aquilani on deadline day. Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson, Lucas Levia, Jay Spearing, Jonjo Shelvey and Steven Gerrard are ahead of him in the pecking order.

With the Euro 2012 next summer beckons, Meireles need to play regularly to gained his place in the Portugal’s selection. Chelsea new manager, André Villas-Boas has seen his quality, who managed him for three weeks at Porto last summer. The lure of linking up again with his former Porto manager André Villas-Boas would have been something that convinced Meireles into forcing through his move.

Even though, he was not transfer listed by Kenny Dalglish, but when Meireles handed in a transfer request it left Liverpool with very few options but to sell him.

Another possible reason behind Meireles sudden decision to leave Anfield was his salary review that FSG were reluctant to grant for player entering the age of late 20s. He has seen some rare actions for Liverpool from the bench in the last four matches but with Gerrard on the sideline. This question must be playing on his mind – What if Gerrard is back from injury? Will he get to start from the bench week in, week out again?

Dalglish and Liverpool are making the right decision in letting him go. The Reds recoup the £11.8million paid to Porto for Meireles last summer. Like Fernando Torres, there are no point in keeping an unhappy player in the team as it will affect the whole team confidence.

Let us know what are your thoughts on Raul Meireles leaving Liverpool FC on the comment box below.

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Liverpool complete transfer deadline day clear-out

Liverpool concluded a productive transfer window with a late surprise when they accepted Chelsea's £12million offer for the Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles.

The Anfield club delivered on all of their targets for deadline day, shifting Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, David Ngog and Philipp Degen and re-signing Craig Bellamy after the Wales international was granted a free transfer by Manchester City. While Meireles never fell into the unwanted category under Kenny Dalglish, and Liverpool had been reluctant to trade with Chelsea, they were open to offers that would allow them to recoup the £11.8million paid to Porto for the 28-year-old.

Ultimately, the only bid that came close to Liverpool's valuation was Chelsea's second offer for Meireles. Liverpool had rejected a deal of £7million plus Yossi Benayoun last week and made it clear to the midfielder that he would have to submit a transfer request if he wished to be reunited with André Villas-Boas, who managed him for three weeks at Porto last summer.

Meireles submitted a request as the 11pm deadline approached after Chelsea, thwarted in their pursuits of Luka Modric and Alvaro Pereira, agreed to meet Liverpool's valuation. He has signed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge, having been due an improved contract at Liverpool.

Liverpool's business also involved looking ahead to next summer. They agreed to pay 60% of Cole's wages during his season at Lille in an attempt to obtain first refusal on the Belgium international, Eden Hazard, should the French club elect to sell their coveted midfielder. That request was rejected by Lille, although Liverpool retain hope that their £3million costs for Cole over the next 12 months will deliver an advantage in any future talks for Hazard.

Cole agreed to join the French club despite late interest from Aston Villa, having made only nine starts in the Premier League last season. Fenway Sports Group, which inherited the 29-year-old's £100,000-a-week contract, was keen to offload the midfielder but struggled to find a suitor. Through the director of football Damien Comolli, Liverpool had used Lille's interest in Cole as a means to try to steal a march on their rivals for Hazard.

Liverpool inquired about Lille's attacking midfielder earlier in the summer and, along with Arsenal and several European clubs, were informed that the 20-year-old was not for sale. But Lille's stance on Hazard may change at the end of this season, prompting Liverpool to offer generous loan terms on Cole.

Lille can offer Cole Champions League football this season and are believed to be relaxed about the England international commuting to and from London. His exit was part of a successful clear-out of expensive transfer mistakes by Liverpool, who have also offloaded Milan Jovanovic to Anderlecht, Alberto Aquilani, on loan to Milan, and Poulsen to Evian. The Denmark international, who cost an initial £4.5million from Juventus last summer, made only 21 appearances for Liverpool and has joined the French club on a permanent transfer.

Bellamy has signed a two-year contract with Liverpool, having negotiated his release from City. The 32-year-old, who played for Liverpool for one season under Rafael Benítez in 2006-07, had two years left on a £95,000-a-week contract and his refusal to accept reduced terms had deterred several Premier League clubs this summer, plus Celtic, another of his former employers.

Liverpool, however, have offered similar personal terms after he successfully completed a medical on Merseyside last night.

The Anfield club also completed the signing of the United States under-18 striker Villyan Bijev from California Odyssey after the teenager impressed on trial at the academy. Bijev does not have a work permit and so has joined the German side Fortuna Dusseldorf on loan with immediate effect. They also cancelled Degen's contract by mutual consent and sold Ngog to Bolton for a fee of around £4million.

Liverpool – The complete summer 2011 transfer lists:

IN

Stewart Downing (Liverpool, £20m)

Jordan Henderson (Sunderland, £16m)

Charlie Adam (£9m)

Jose Enrique (Newcastle, £6m)

Alexander Doni (Roma, free)

Sebastian Coates (Nacional, undisclosed)

Craig Bellamy (Manchester City, free)

Villyan Bijev (California Odyssey, undisclosed)

Total summer spending: £51 million + undisclosed fees *

 

OUT

Joe Cole (Lille, loan)

Christian Poulsen (Evian, undisclosed)

Alberto Aquilani (AC Milan, loan)

Paul Konchesky (Leicester, £1.5m)

Emiliano Insua (Sporting Lisbon, undisclosed)

Daniel Ayala (Norwich, undisclosed)

Milan Jovanovic (Anderlecht, free)

Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Wolfsburg, free)

Tom Ince (Blackpool, free)

Stephen Darby (Rochdale, loan)

Daniel Pacheco (Atletico Madrid, loan)

David Ngog (Bolton, £4m)

Raul Meireles (Chelsea, £12m)

Villyan Bijev (Fortuna Dusseldorf, loan)

Philipp Degen (released)

Nabil El-Zhar (Levante, free)

Chris Mavinga (Rennes, £1m)

Gerardo Bruna (Blackpool, free)

Total summer recouped: £18.5 million + undisclosed fees *

* Transfer fees are just speculation figures gathered in the press, actual amount may not be accurate as displayed

Source: Guardian

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Transfer deadline: Liverpool signs Coates and allows midfielder to leave

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Uruguay international Sebastian Coates on a long-term contract.

The 20-year-old completed his transfer from Nacional after passing a medical and securing a work permit earlier today. Coates will now link up with his international teammates ahead of their friendly in Kiev on Friday night.

Liverpoolfc.tv brings you up to speed with 10 interesting facts.

1. Coates is nicknamed 'Luganito' by Uruguay fans because he's seen as the natural successor to the captain of the national team, Diego Lugano. Indeed, Lugano has previously said himself that he expects Coates to go on to skipper the national team.

2. Coates's signing now means Liverpool have two Copa America winners in their squad - Luis Suarez, crowned player of the tournament, and Sebastian Coates, young player of the tournament.

3. Standing at a towering 6ft and 6 inches, Sebastian comes close to being the Reds' tallest ever player - dwarfed only by Peter Crouch.

4. Coates shares his birthday with another giant ex-Red, Sami Hyypia. The duo were both born on October 7, a date that is also special for Simon Cowell and Alesha Dixon.

5. The 20-year-old has actually scored against a Liverpool side before - Liverpool Fútbol Club - who Coates faced whilst playing for Nacional.

6. In an interview with Ovacion, Coates revealed that it was talks with his fellow countryman Luis Suarez that helped persuade him to choose Liverpool. Coates said: "We chatted for quite a while, he told me it was a club with great history and tradition. He's doing well there and it's important to me because another Uruguayan will be there".

7. The Uruguayan shouldn't have too much trouble learning English. Sebastian's father, Peter, is an Englishman himself and the player has admitted previously to taking a couple of lessons off him.

8. Coates made his debut for Nacional against Bella Vista at the age of 17 and was afterwards voted man of the match by journalists from Spanish newspaper El Pais.

9. Since then the defender has started every single game for Nacional, withstanding suspension and national duty.

10. Coates is currently the only player in the current Uruguay squad who's never lost a game whilst playing for the national team.

Meanwhile, Liverpool FC also confirmed that they have reached agreement with Evian Thonon Gaillard for the transfer of Christian Poulsen.

The French side have now been given permission to talk to the Denmark international.

The Denmark international joined the Reds on a three-year contract from Juventus 12 months ago and was signed by Roy Hodgson.

However, he has struggled to make an impact under Hodgson's successor Kenny Dalglish and has not been involved so far this season.

A return to former club FC Copenhagen was ruled out earlier in the summer, while Poulsen was also linked with a loan move to Espanyol.

Ahead of Wednesday's transfer deadline, the 31-year-old has now emerged as a target for Evian, who are looking to make a splash in the French top flight this season.

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Source: Liverpool FC Official, Sky Sport

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Transfer deadline: Two more to join Liverpool and four players leaving

David N’gog should complete his protracted £4million move to Bolton Wanderers from Liverpool FC today.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has been a long-time target of Trotters boss Owen Coyle, who is desperate to add a striker to his ranks before tomorrow's transfer deadline.

A fee for the former Paris St. Germain forward has been agreed in principle between the two clubs, and Bolton are prepared to match N’gog's Anfield salary, having already missed out on number one target Daniel Sturridge this summer.

N’gog is now expected to travel to the Reebok Stadium to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical, and a deal should be announced before the closure of the transfer window tomorrow evening.

N’gog has made 94 appearances since arriving at Anfield in 2008, scoring 19 goals, but has found himself surplus to requirements at Anfield this season, following Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish's close-season recruitment drive.

He was left out of the squad for last week's Carling Cup tie at Exeter City, and was again absent as the Reds swept aside his prospective new employers on Saturday evening to briefly top the Premier League table.

His imminent departure will, however, leave Dalglish's squad short of attacking depth. He has Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt as his forward options, but would ideally like to add another before tomorrow's deadline.

Manchester City misfit Craig Bellamy has been strongly linked, and would be receptive to a return to Anfield, but a move for the Welshman hinges on whether City are willing to release the 32-year-old on a free transfer, and to a potential Premier League rival.

Dalglish, meanwhile, has been busy lowering the Reds' wage bill in recent weeks, following more than £110m worth of investment in his squad since January.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Nabil El-Zhar and Emiliano Insua have all been sold, while Alberto Aquilani has joined AC Milan on loan with view to a permanent move. Both Joe Cole and Philipp Degen could follow them, if Queens Park Rangers follow up their initial interest in the pair.

Liverpool signing Sebastian Coates is due to have his work permit hearing today, and his current club Nacional have flown a delegation over to help with the case.

Also set for the Anfield exit door is midfielder Christian Poulsen, with Spanish side Espanyol keen to end the Dane's miserable year on Merseyside.

Poulsen joined the Reds from Juventus for £4.5million last summer, but has failed to make an impact, and made just 12 league appearances last season.

He was left out of Denmark's squad for their forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifier with Norway this week, with manager Morten Olsen claiming he was suffering from stress due to his uncertain club future.

Poulsen himself would welcome a return to former club FC Copenhagen, but the Danes are unlikely to meet his wage demands, and Espanyol hope to tie up a deal for the 32-year-old in the next 48 hours.

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This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Source: Liverpool FC Official, Liverpool Echo

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