Portsmouth 1-0 Liverpool
Liverpool lost a third league game in a row for the third time in less than a year, as their mixed start to the season continued at Fratton Park yesterday.
A lively start to the match saw Emile Heskey hit the post after a minute of play after gettin a shot on goal despite the close attention from De Zeeuw, while at the other end Portsmouth went one better and got themselves into an early lead through Patrick Berger, who got a touch to Sebastien Schemmel's cross to divert the ball across Dudek and into the bottom corner.
The ex-Liverpool midfielder was heavily involved in most of Portsmouth's best attacking moves, but although the home side enjoyed the majority of the possession, they rarely created Jerzy Dudek's goal, and late chances for Yakubu and Berger were their best opportunities to extend their lead.
Liverpool's best spell of the half came in the final 15 minutes. A free kick by Gerrard on the hald hour mark was stopped on the line by Shaka Hislop and Kewell was unable to put the rebound into the net, and he was unable to find the target with another shot a minute later, firing well wide despite Smicer having made himself available in a good position.
Portsmouth could have gone 2-0 ahead with 10 minutes of the first half remaining, but Steve Stone missed with a header he took himself, rather than leaving it for Sheringham who would almost certainly have scored.
Liverpool looked more dangerous in the second half, though still couldn't find a way past Hislop although a shot from Riise early in the second half left the Pompey 'keeper with little to do as he fired well over the bar. Emile Heskey at least worked the goalkeeper with a shot which was heading for the top corner, but Hislop was well positioned and made a svae he would have been expected to make.
Though despite looking better up front in the second half, Liverpool looked even worse at the back than they had in the first half. Biscan almost scored in his own net midway through the half with a diving header, but saw the ball bounce luckily off the corner of the bar, which was also struck later by Yakubu with a powerful drive from 25 yards out after being given space and time in which to run at the Reds' defence.
The Nigerian was unlucky not to have finished Liverpool off, and the Reds almost took advanatage of the fact that he didn't with Pongolle having two chances towards the end of his brief debut.
The first chance was well created by himself, running at the defence before getting into an excellent position to score a dramatic late equaliser. But the 18-year-old failed to hit the target, dragging his shot just wide of Hislop's right post, while he put a shot wide of the other post moments later, though it was a more difficult chance with a number of Portsmouth defenders in between him and the goal with a couple of players throwing themselves in front of the young Frenchman and doing just enough to put him off.
It was a poor all round performance by Liverpool, arguably their first disappointing display in the league this season. With 29 games still to play, and key players on their way back in the coming weeks, the Reds have plenty of time to make up ground on those above them, but there simply can't be any more slip ups in the upcoming fixtures if Liverpool are to have any chance of catching up the likes of Man United and Arsenal.
Gerard Houllier's team take on struggling Leeds United at Anfield on Saturday, before their defence of the Worthington Cup begins with a trip to Blackburn.
LFC-1 Star Man: Steven Gerrard.
