Blackburn 1-3 Liverpool
Liverpool picked up their second win of the season on Saturday with a fine performance against Blackburn at Ewood Park.
It was a thrilling match which had everything, though things started badly for Liverpool as Milan Baros was stretchered off after only a couple of minutes with a broken ankle after a tackle by on-loan Markus Babbel.
Babbel slid in to knock the ball off Baros and out for a throw-in, but as he made the challenge, Babbel's trailing knee landed awkwardly on Baros' right ankle, with the ankle bent sideways underneath Babbel's knee leaving the Czech player in agony. After more than two minutes of treatment, he was replaced by Emile Heskey.
The Reds' day went from bad to worse minutes later, when Matt Jansen gave Rovers an early lead. Both Hyypia and Biscan challenged Cole for a header 5 yards outside the area but it was the former Manhchester United man who won the ball, flicking it on for Jansen, who lobbed the ball over Carragher with his left foot, then did the same with his right to set himself up for a left foot volley which flew past Dudek.
A well placed Michael Owen penalty levelled the scores on 10 minutes though, after Diouf had been brought down just in side the box by Gresko.
The next main talking point of the match was to be the game's most controversial moment.
Jamie Carragher and Lucas Neill both went for a 50-50 ball, but the Australian, who had previously picked up 23 bookings and 2 red cards in exactly two years as a Blackburn player, threw himself into the challenge with all studs showing, with Carragher's right shin feeling the full force of Neill's horror challenge.
For the second time in less than quarter of an hour into the game, a Liverpool man lay in agony on the Ewood Park turf, Lucas Neill furiously argued against the red card which was handed to him without hesitation by referee Neale Barry.
Neill eventually left the pitch to the boos of more than 7000 travelling Liverpool fans, and he shortly followed off by Jamie Carragher, who had to be carried off by three member of Liverpool's coaching team after being unable to carry on, despite receiving more than 3 minutes of treatment. John Arne Riise replaced Carragher at left back.
It was at the other end of the field where much of the remainder of the game too place though, with Liverpool going on to produce a dominant display against the 10-men of Blackburn and the reds should have been ahead by half time.
Michael Owen missed the best chance of the half when he almost passed the ball stright to Friedel when left with only the big American 'keeper to beat. Owen clearly counted on Friedel going to ground early, but the former Liverpool 'keeper stood up well and made a comfortable save.
Friedel's save from a 25 yard strike by Steven Gerrard was more difficult and required a spectacular tip over the bar to prevent the Liverpool midfielder from adding yet another stunning strike to his collection of great goals.
For all of Liverpool's first half pressure, it was almost Blackburn who scored the next goal of the game, with Gary Flitcroft going close with a shot which curled just wide of Dudek's far post after being set up nicely by debutant Barry Ferguson.
Other than a chance much later in the half by another Blackburn player to be making his debut, Dino Baggio, who fired a shot well over the bar when faced with just two Liverpool defenders on the line to beat, that was all Blackburn could manage in their attempts to take at least a point from the game, and the rest of the half was all about Liverpool.
El Hadji Diouf was again in top form, setting up Owen after a good run down the right. But despite doing well to turn into space with two Blackburn defenders paying close attention to the England star, Owen fired his shot over the bar. He made no mistake with the next opportunity which came his way, however.
Steven Gerrard began the attack with a precise 50 yard ball into the box aimed at Smicer, and although Smicer initially slipped after contolling the ball well, he recovered quickly enough to set up Owen from 15 yards. This time he made no mistake, leaving Friedel with no chance.
Having got themselves in front for the first time, Liverpool always looked in control and it was almost a case of how many they were going to score. Owen missed three more one-on-one chances with a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping by Freidel denying him a hat-trick.
A third injury threatened to spoil Liverpool's day even more though, as Gerrard limped off with a hamstring injury five minutes from time to be replaced by Anthony Le Tallec.
Le Tallec has impressed enormously already, in the pre-season and he continued to show his class in the small amount of time he was given at Ewood Park in his first Premiership appearance.
The French 18-year-old managed to provide two chances in as many minutes, illustrating the fantastic vision and also his passing ability. Unfortunately neither chance resulted directly in a goal, but Harry Kewell did add a third for Liverpool in the final minute, firing a shot across Friedel and into the far corner of the goal, having been set up by Smicer, the man who was initially set to be brought off for Le Tallec.
It was one of Liverpool's best performances for some time, and they had become the first team this season to restrict Blackburn to less than two goals.
But with up to six first team players likely to be ruled out through injury for Liverpool's next Premiership matches, Gerard Houllier's next task is to make sure that his side can continue their good form with those who are drafted into the team as replacements for those who are injured.
Liverpool's next game is at home to Leicester on Saturday.
LFC-1 Star Man: El Hadji Diouf
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