Reds rule over Blues again
Written By: Robert Halter
Chelsea faced Liverpool at Stamford Bridge for the second time in the space of ten days, in the first Premier League encounter the Reds took all three points after going ahead through Maxi Rodriguez before a Blues leveller from Daniel Sturridge was then cancelled out by Glen Johnson’s late winner. But attentions now turned to the Carling Cup quarter final and a place in the semis as Chelsea and Liverpool locked horns again in a Tuesday night fixture towards the end of November. In the third minute, David Luiz was yellow carded by referee Phil Dowd, after being judged to have dived after his trailing leg went over Sebastian Coates in the Liverpool penalty area. But on twenty minutes, Liverpool were awarded a spot kick after Alex handled the ball and was then booked, following Jose Enrique’s cross in. The responsibility fell to Andy Carroll but his penalty was saved by Ross Turnbull, straight down the middle as the Blues keeper turned the ball away to safety. On forty minutes, Enrique tried at goal with a right footed shot at a tight angle but Turnbull was unfazed. In added on time for the first half, Chelsea threatened with a Romelu Lukaku header but he put the ball over from a Jose Bosingwa cross. The Reds had a reprieve on fifty five minutes, after Coates fouled Fernando Torres and from Frank Lampard’s resulting free kick, Florent Malouda cannoned the ball against the woodwork and then Coates cleared from under the post to keep out Luiz’s advancing header. After riding their luck, Liverpool went ahead two minutes later, when Jordan Henderson released Craig Bellamy down the right flank and his low cross in was put away by Rodriguez into the bottom left corner, as just like the previous meeting between the two sides, Rodriguez had given the Reds a 1-0 lead. Liverpool then put one foot into the semis on sixty two minutes, after Ramires had given a free kick away for a foul on Bellamy and from the left side of the pitch, Bellamy’s free kick found Martin Kelly unmarked and his downward header went into the bottom right corner to increase Liverpool’s advantage. Bellamy tried again from a free kick four minutes later but this time his low drive was collected by Turnbull. Time was running out for Chelsea as from a Lampard corner, Torres put his header straight into the hands of Pepe Reina. There proved to be no way through for Chelsea as in consecutive matches at London’s SW6, Liverpool left with a victory and awaited the draw for their opponent in the last four of the Carling Cup.