EPL Match Report: Liverpool 1 VS Wigan 1

Torres made to suffer as Liverpool support act bungle again By JOHN EDWARDS, 3rd January 2008, The Daily Mail

Liverpool 1 Wigan 1

Fernando Torres delivered in his usual style, but Liverpool's over-reliance for goals on their £21million record signing continued to look the fatal flaw in Rafa Benitez's title masterplan at Anfield last night.
The former Atletico Madrid striker's impact on English football has been remarkable and his 16th goal in 24 appearances should have been enough to add Wigan to the list of teams who have succumbed to his lightning skills.

With a second goal eluding them, though, Liverpool were always vulnerable to a moment's fallibility or opportunism and they were pegged back by a combination of both 10 minutes from time.

Steven Gerrard failed to clear his lines from a free-kick deep into the Liverpool area, and Titus Bramble pounced on the loose ball to fire an unstoppable drive beyond Pepe Reina from the edge of the box.

Much as Torres has been a revelation, acclimatising to his new surroundings in a matter of days and carrying Liverpool's attack almost on his own, the lack of goals from other areas presents dangers and is having an increasingly detrimental effect on Benitez's hopes of ending an 18-year drought in the League.
Liverpool are now 12 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, albeit with a game in hand, and the customary Benitez lament of chances being created but not taken is beginning to sound distinctly hollow.

No amount of hard-luck stories will close the gap on the usual top three of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Rather, they will merely reinforce the view that, for all the money spent on expensive reinforcements, Liverpool are no nearer the champions tag that has proved out of reach since Kenny Dalglish's reign.

Benitez is close to capturing the central defender he needs as cover for Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger, but finding someone to share the scoring burden with Torres cannot be far behind on his list of priorities.

With Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin looking more willing workers than prolific finishers, on the evidence so far, and Peter Crouch continuing to pay the price for seeing England recognition as a sign that he no longer needs to bother with the basics, the only other source of goals has been the ever-productive Gerrard.

When the Liverpool skipper is preoccupied with other duties and Torres finds himself creating openings, rather than pouncing on them, as was the pattern for most of a frustrating 90 minutes, Benitez's side look limited.

How Liverpool must have wished the roles had been reversed in the 22nd minute when Torres supplied the return pass in a one-two with Javier Mascherano, who side-footed weakly at Wigan's former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.

Torres laid on two further first-half chances for Gerrard that were squandered before providing a reminder of the aspect of his game that sets him apart from the rest — a flashing 42nd-minute header that brushed the roof of the net, with Kirkland beaten.

Wigan had more than held their own and even threatened in front of the Kop with a Michael Brown volley that flew narrowly wide and a hurried shot from Antonio Valencia, who should have done better than slice wide from the right of the area.
An overdue example of the quality expected of title pretenders finally nudged Liverpool in front in the 49th minute as Gerrard released the overlapping Steve Finnan on the right for a low cross which Torres turned in with ease.
For a few fleeting moments, the anxiety that had preceded it, fed no doubt by the galling memory of Sunday's fruitless quest to find a way through Manchester City's unyielding defence, seemed to disappear as Liverpool stormed forward in search of a second goal.

Harry Kewell was inches too high with a ferocious drive in the 74th minute and Gerrard was denied by a double save from Kirkland in the 84th minute that evoked memories of his Coventry heroics prior to Gerard Houllier investing so heavily in him nearly seven years ago.

All the earlier fragility returned in an instant, though, as Gerrard erred for once and Bramble, fresh from opening his Wigan account against Aston Villa at the weekend, took aim from the edge of the area.

'I was delighted for Titus, because he has had unfair treatment down the years,' said manager Steve Bruce, who left Anfield with a hardearned point for the second time this season, following Birmingham's goalless draw in September.

'People forget he is still only a young man and that he has played centre half for a team who have finished in the top five twice. So he can't be that bad.

'I can see him emerging as a really good player and he played his part in a very disciplined performance.

'You need your goalkeeper to play well when you come to Anfield, and Chris enjoyed it out there against his old club.

'There is a bit of belief about the players, a bit of confidence, and quite right too when you consider what they have done.

'We are out the bottom three, for a week and a half at least, so we can afford to smile.'

Goals: Torres (49) 1-0; Bramble (80) 1-1.

Liverpool (4-4-1-1): Reina; Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Aurelio; Pennant (Kuyt, 86), Mascherano (Crouch, 85), Alonso, Kewell (Benayoun, 74); Gerrard; Torres.
Substitutes not used: Itandje (gk), Riise.

Wigan Athletic (4-4-2): Kirkland; Melchiot, Scharner, Bramble, Kilbane; Valencia, Brown, Landzaat, Taylor (Koumas, 79); Bent, Heskey (Sibierski, 84).
Substitutes not used: Pollitt (gk), Boyce, Olembe.

Referee: S Bennett (Kent).

Booked: Liverpool Mascherano, Torres; Wigan Scharner.

Man of the match: Bramble.

Attendance 42,308.

Goal Highlights:

Liverpool v Wigan Athletic