Pre Game: It’s the first game of the season, a wonderful time of the year. Not only are there new signings, late nights and multiple a games a week. No it is also the return of the glorious Multi-Bet. Tonight’s Multi Bet comes in the form of two semi realistic options, and one blind bet as per the traditions of drinking among friends. We will be keeping an eye on these throughout the night
Lineups have been announced. Seeing as this idea was inspired by the Guardian it seems fitting that I get my lineups from them.
Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina; Flanagan, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique; Henderson, Lucas, Adam, Downing; Suarez, Carroll. Subs: Doni, Meireles, Kuyt, Spearing, Ngog, Kelly, Robinson.
Sunderland (4-4-1-1): Mignolet; Bardsley, Brown, Ferdinand, Richardson; Larsson, Cattermole, Colback, Elmohamady; Sessegnon; Gyan. Subs: Westwood, Gardner, Wickham, Vaughan, Ji, Bramble, Laing.
So Liverpool hand debuts to Jose Enrique, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stuart Downing. This will give fans an instant chance to see the new boys in action. One surprise is that Luis Suarez is starting the game, considering he’s had about 48 seconds of rest since dazzling at the Copa America. Perhaps even more surprising though, is that Liverpool actually have a bench with some quality on it. No silly, it’s not David Ngog but the presence of Meireles and Kuyt suggests that there is some extra fire power should Liverpool go down.
On Sunderland’s end, ex dirty Manc Wes Brown makes his first start. Sebastien Larsson also has his first start, but promising striker and Liverpool target Conor Wickham starts on the bench. Keep in mind, as a Liverpool fan and someone sitting in his lounge room, I don’t have access to stats at the tip of my fingers. Oh wait I do, it’s called the Internet.
Jinx Alert: In all the previews I have read so far, there have been mentions of how Sunderland hasn’t won at Anfield in god knows how long, and also very rarely score. This of course is the sort of talk that leads to heavy defeats and mounting frustrations. Let’s keep that out of the commentary please. Hey, one can have blind hope right? No, not in football commentary you can’t. It will get mentioned, and my buttocks will clench a little each time they do.
Premier league preview is on, how exciting is this? It is very exciting. Exciting enough to keep us from switching back to The Dark Knight on Channel 9. Yes, that exciting.
Just had a look at the Multi Bets. There are no multiple thousand dollar wins on offer tonight. The highest pay out is $500. This writer is slightly disappointed he can only buy a few nice items of clothing with his imaginary money.
The teams are out on the pitch. Daniel Agger is not injured yet, unless he pulls something taking of his jumper.
I can now confirm Daniel Agger’s jumper is off, huzzah!
Sunderland are kicking off, here we go. The crowd noise is deafening
1 min: Sunderland immediately play it long, and it sails out for a goal kick.
1 min: Suarez is already trying to take on the whole field, this time with limited success
2 min: Liverpool concede the first corner. Will the defense hold up?
2 min: Yes it does, for now. Although the marking wasn’t stunning
4 min: Liverpool concede another corner, although neither team has really piled on pressure yet.
5 min: PENALTY!! Suarez dispossessed Sunderland and was clean through on goal. Just as he was going to round the keeper he was taken down by Kieran Richardson. He clipped him and is given a yellow card for his trouble
6 min: And Suarez has missed! He skied it over, looked like it was almost going wide as well. Not a great start for the star man. Sunderland have been handed a lifeline
7 min: Larsson hooks a free kick high and wide of any Sunderland heads in the box. It was Suarez esque in the way it missed the target.
9 min: Sunderland seem to be gradually throwing their way towards the goal.
11 min: Henderson almost gets a nod at goal. Great cross by Downing but just missed.
11 min: Liverpool have a free kick on the edge of the area. First chance for Charlie Adam to show Liverpool fan’s his dead ball skills
12 min: GOAL!!!! Liverpool 1 – 0 Sunderland. And he does! Charlie Adam plays a great ball in at the front post . Suarez nips in front of the defenders and just nods it past Mignolet
15 min: Multi Watch – I selected Liverpool to win in one bet and Liverpool to win by 1 goal in another. I would like to see more though, even at the expense of my vast riches
16 min: Possession is in, Liverpool are 57% to Sunderland’s 43%. Liverpool have also looked the more dangerous going forward so far. Some good attacking build up by Jordan Henderson is stopped when Suarez tumbles over apropos of nothing. They can’t all be penalties.
17 min: First beer of the Premier League season, it’s good to be back. Granted I had beers last night but Premier League beers are completely different, despite being exactly the same.
18 min: Andy Carroll has been fairly quiet so far, winning a few headers but not making much of an impact. Sunderland try to break away but Gyan is dispossessed near the half way line.
19 min: Almost something for Carroll! Another great ball from Charlie Adam goes up towards the big Georgie, he takes the ball on his chest and slots it, but is penalized for a push on a Sunderland defender.
21 min: Another Sunderland corner, this time cleared in the area after a decent ball from El-Mohammed. Agger seems furious the ball was given for a corner. Larsson’s ball hooks very high. A head gets to it but Reina catches under pressure from two Sunderland players
22 min: A palm stinger from Charlie Adam from 40 yards. From out of nowhere he belts it, yet it is well taken by Mignolet.
23 min: Asamoah Gyan has a pop on the edge of the area after Agger is knocked down by Cattermole. The shot goes well wide of goal
24 min: Lee Cattermole just spits on himself and wipes it off, classy.
25 min: The previously quiet Carroll has been getting stuck in, challenging for high balls. He manages to lay one off to Suarez who tries to cleverly chip across the box to Henderson but it is intercepted
26 min: A long ball to Gyan almost looks like it confuses Reina, as it bounces down in front of him
27 min: Spittle covered Lee Cattermole gets a yellow card for clattering in to Suarez from behind.
28 min: Suarez plays Lucas into the box but it is cleared out before he can get to it. Carroll collects the corner and heads into the centre of the box, but Lucas can’t quite reach the ball
29 min: Sessegnon tries another outside the box shot, but it is tame and easily claimed by Reina
29 min: The Liverpool wide play, non-existent last season, has actually been quite pleasant to watch this game. Downing is full of pace and looks the part. Adam has already got an assist and Henderson isn’t looking too shabby either.
30 min: Sunderland so far seem to be resorting to hitting shots from outside the box and hoping they get in the goal. Cattermole sends a poor ground effort wide of the goal.
32 min: Some clumsy defending from Liverpool allows Sunderland to break down the left, but play is pulled back for a foul by Larsson, he looks confused, and he should be. There was no foul.
33 minutes: Downing cuts through about 3 Sunderland players before shooting from outside the box. He hits the crossbar for his effort, great play from Downing, who seems to be operating on the right now.
36 min: Poor challenge from Flanagan on Larsson. He probably should receive a yellow card for his efforts, but instead walks away with a warning from Phil Dowd.
38 min: Lucas has his requisite attempt at shooting. He fights well to get the shot off but the ball skims wide across the ground
39 min: Cattermole almost breaks into the area, but a great sliding tackle rules him out. Sunderland remain on the attack and Larsson almost gets a bouncing volley off, but it’s blocked.
42 min: Liverpool’s shakiness at set pieces continues. Reina comes out to claim a good delivery from Larsson but misses completely. Luckily no one is there to capitalize.
44 min: Carroll tries a scissor kick, and it does not quite come off. Soon after Carragher brings down Gyan, leading with the studs. The challenge enters him into the referee’s book. Gyan is yet to get up. A poor challenge, but Gyan manages to get up.
45 min: Two minutes of injury time are to be played. Bardsley gets a yellow car as well for taking down Carroll at the halfway line.
HALF TIME: Liverpool have dominated, and the new look team has at times, played some exciting attacking football. The quality of the defence remains to be seen. The set pieces execution has been far from perfect, but there haven’t been many mistakes.
Reader Emails: ………
Maybe the connection is down?
45 min: Liverpool kick off this half, and are on the attack straight away. The ball makes its way into the area, but is cleared with shouts of handball from Suarez. Sunderland then have a crack and Kieran Richardson tries a wishful shot from outside the area which flies over.
47 min: Charlie Adam has another crack from outside the box after some good play by Downing. This one goes over, but is another decent looking shot from the Scot.
50 min: For the minute, Liverpool look to be on the back foot. Some good attacking play from Sunderland brings a good cross into the area, but Jose Enrique handles it with composure.
52 min: Flanagan has the ball stolen away from him and another great delivery from Larsson connects with Gyan who head it straight at Reina. It immediately goes to the other end where Carroll powers a header wide.
54 min: Jose Enrique sends a terrific ball looking for Andy Carroll but Wes Brown is there to clear it up. The resulting corner gets to Andy Carroll again but he can’t keep it down.
56 min: GOAL!!!! Sunderland 1 – Liverpool 1. Gyan manages to hustle away from three players before a pinpoint cross from Richardson finds Larsson who volleys it in powerfully. Great goal, and it could change the tone of the game. John Flanagan really should have done better with that, he was nowhere near his man.
57 min: Multi watch: This goal fucks me
58 min: Lucas plays a poor pass straight out. They appear to have a slight case of the jitters now
58 min: Sessegnon has another crack now, but scoops it over. Sunderland appear to be relishing their attacking now.
59 min: Henderson body checks Colmack to the ground, and earns a yellow card
60 min: Jordan Henderson is off to be replaced by Liverpool’s energizer bunny Dirk Kuyt. He almost makes an immediate impact when Suarez does very well to keep the ball in. His shot is deflected out. The corner from Adam is met by Carroll who draws a good save from Mignolet. Another cross is floated in soon after and Carroll nods over.
62 min: In a tussle over the ball, Asamoah Gyan barges Carragher over, and then refuses to get up. Carragher doesn’t have time for this and makes it known. Gyan’s ankle looks like it’s giving him grief. He is brought off the field for now, and looks set to be replaced
65 min: Adam now gets a booking for bringing down Cattermole, who wants to make more of it before backing down. Dong Won Ji is brought on for the injured Gyan. Larsson skies the free kick, Liverpool can breathe a sigh of relief
67 min: 23 minutes left, and Liverpool fans will be hoping that these new players and Kenny’s touch will guide Liverpool to their expected first win. If they don’t pull this off, one will assume questions will start being asked immediately.
68 min: Sunderland really look like they could take this one. Young Flanagan does not look like he has been coping since the goal. Letting Dong Won Ji cruise past him too easily. Luckily it is cleared up before it spirals further downward for Liverpool.
70 min: Suarez tries to pick out Dirk Kuyt running in to the area, who can’t reach it. He also receives a yellow card for an earlier challenge. Liverpool, who have had problems killing off games in previous seasons look in danger of not being able to overcome the equalizer. The fluidity and tempo in attack seems to have been lost. That being said, Carroll almost gets off a power shot, but it is deflected out. The corner is incredibly well taken but no one gets on to it.
74 min: Suarez comes off for Raul Meireles. Liverpool’s biggest goal scoring threat has now been removed, but an Meireles has also proven to be an adept goal scorer
77 min: Larsson earns himself a yellow now for falling on to the ball and then trying to have passionate loving intercourse with it. The second half has basically been one whistle blow after another, and the air has been sucked out of the game.
79 min: Agger now gets booked, for throwing the ball away. Larsson now comes off to a few jeers, he no doubt angered Anfield with his spectacularly taken goal. David Vaughan comes on
83 min: Sessegnon plays a nice ball through to Ji Don Wong, but Enrique muscles his way through and guides the ball out.
85 min: Adam smashes his way into the area, but finds no one in support and his cross is instantly cleared.
86 min: Carroll nodes just wide, and this game now seems to have slipped away from Liverpool.
90 min: 4 minutes of stoppage time announced, but it doesn’t look like this game will be clinched by either team.
92 min: Absolutely nothing
92 min: John Flanagan messes up again, which leads to Sessegnon laying it on to Cattermole, who blazes over again. Flanagan has played absolutely awful this second half, really showing his inexperience.
94 min: A misplaced pass from Charlie Adam looks like it will be it for Liverpool.
94 min: It’s all over! Liverpool played like everyone had hoped they would all off season during the first half. Then they played like the Liverpool everyone saw this time last season in the second half. Liverpool’s problem of not being able to beat the mid table team continues into the new season.
Multi Watch – The dream is over. For another week money will have to be earned through working, instead of blindly pressing into a machine. Hang on a minute, that sounds exactly like work
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