Liverpool 2 Birmingham City 2:THIS WAS about a woeful night as Liverpool could experience without losing. Despite scoring the opener they were 2-1 down and even the equaliser shamed them, as David Ngog, who had put his team ahead, appeared to dive as Lee Carsley slid into a challenge. The substitute Steven Gerrard converted the penalty in the 71st minute, but his side have now taken a single victory from nine fixtures.
In theory it was a night to be relished by Liverpool. The line-up was far closer to full strength and the opposition were among the weaker visitors to Anfield. The opener from Ngog felt overdue, even though it needed just 13 minutes for it to be notched. By then, the young Frenchman had already seen one attempt saved.
Liverpool seemed to be gliding effortlessly past the left flank of the opposition. Glen Johnson and Dirk Kuyt cause havoc in the initial phase of the game and goalkeeper Joe Hart had already denied Ngog once before the opener. He was not to be denied.
Johnson explored that promising avenue on the right and the goalkeeper made fine saves from the eventual scorer and Kuyt, before Albert Riera set up Ngog for an unanswerable finish.
These, nonetheless, are unsettling days for Liverpool and overwhelming superiority did not prevent an equaliser.
James McFadden’s free-kick from the right was headed by Roger Johnson and Scott Dann before Christian Benitez, a €8 million signing from Mexican club Santos Laguna in the summer, recorded his first goal for the club.
Life had begun to go wrong for Liverpool again and Gerrard’s return to action had its origins in ill-fortune.
The captain, who has been absent with a groin strain, came on in the 45th minute because of recurrence of Riera’s hamstring problems.
There was nothing whatsoever wrong with Cameron Jerome’s muscles as he held off Javier Mascherano and lashed a dipping, 30-yarder over Pepe Reina to re-establish the lead.
Liverpool have too much pride ever to concede that Birmingham could be their bogey club. All the same, Benitez had not beaten them in the league over six attempts since he was appointed manager.
Benitez had his men back out on the field well in advance of the due start to the second half. This was presumably to imply that his line-up was in no mood to waste time as they set matters to right.
Birmingham continued to show the composure with which a pair of goals can endow visitors to even this stadium.
The initial reaction from Liverpool amounted to no more than long-range efforts by Lucas and Yossi Benayoun. Hart had no difficulty in dealing with first attempt and the other went wide.
This was not the onslaught expected of the home team on this pitch at a moment of jeopardy. Gerrard could not ensure instant impetus. He is, after all, a relative convalescent whom Fabio Capello has excused the trip to Doha for Saturday’s England friendly with Brazil. With the club captain subdued, Anfield was muffled.
Birmingham were calm, as if realising that all the anxiety was the property of Liverpool. Gerrard could not take advantage when Johnson found him with a cross and the midfielder headed against the post.
The incident did at least lift the tempo of the team and the volume of the crowd.
The equaliser arrived in dubious fashion. Carsley’s trailing leg made no apparent contact as Ngog skipped past him on the bye-line, but referee Peter Walton awarded a penalty that Gerrard converted in the 69th minute.
Ngog and Carsley were cautioned over the incident. The striker did seem to have dived and so lifted Liverpool’s hopes.
Guardian Service
LIVERPOOL:Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas (Aquilani 82), Kuyt, Benayoun (Babel 77), Riera (Gerrard 45), Ngog. Subs not used:Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Spearing, Darby. Booked:Ngog.
BIRMINGHAM:Hart, Carr, Roger Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Bowyer, Tainio (Carsley 15), McFadden (Vignal 67), Benitez (McSheffrey 86), Jerome. Subs not used:Maik Taylor, Phillips, Espinoza, Queudrue. Booked:McFadden, Carsley.
Referee:Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).
