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REDS CRUISE TO REEBOK WIN
Liverpool temporarily reclaimed top spot after goals from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard secured a 2-0 victory over Bolton at the Reebok.
Strikes either side of the break saw the Reds leapfrog Chelsea for a few hours before Chelsea took on West Brom in the evening fixture.
A quartet of missed chances from Gerrard, Robbie Keane and substitutes Fernando Torres and Lucas Leiva prevented a more convincing scoreline but Liverpool did more than enough to bounce back from their Carling Cup exit.
It was no surprise to see Benitez make nine changes from the side that lost 4-2 at White Hart Lane in midweek, Sami Hyypia and Daniel Agger the only survivors. Jamie Carragher was selected ahead of youngster Stephen Darby at right-back, while Torres had to settle for a place on the bench.
It was another Spaniard who instead pulled the strings for Liverpool in an action-packed first half which brought due reward. Xabi Alonso pinged balls around midfield as if playing to the beat of Bolton's rather annoying North Stand drum.
Up front Keane made some excellent runs but a combination of his own profligacy and a lack of ammunition from out wide prevented a follow up to last week's West Brom brace.
The Irishman missed an absolute sitter on 30 minutes after failing to make contact with a low drill through the six-yard box from Kuyt.
Instead it was the Dutch international who did the business for Liverpool during the opening period.
He should have already found the net by the time he opened the scoring on 28 minutes, this after an intricate one-two with the marauding Steven Gerrard. The skipper cut back from the byline but his teammate put too much backlift into his shot and hit the bar.
Never mind, he soon made amends. Much is made of Liverpool's strength at full-back, but the superb Fabio Aurelio once again produced the goods at a stadium where he scored his first Reds goal in March.
The visitors had strung together some 10 to 15 passes when the ball reached Aurelio down the left. The Brazilian sent a pinpoint cross to the head of Kuyt, whose 10-yard nod was reminiscent of Alan Shearer.
The Dutchman must have been reminded of his Feyenoord days, when goal poaching was his main duty, as his effort looped beyond a despairing Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Daniel Agger could have made it two with a free header from a Riera cross, while both he and Alonso came close with long shots.
It was actually Bolton who found the net next when Gary Cahill headed home from a corner, but referee Rob Styles was quick to spot some pushing and, much to Gary Megson's chagrin, disallow the goal.
A spate of unnecessary set-pieces after the restart spelled danger for Liverpool and had Sammy Lee, back on the Reebok touchline for the first time since leaving Bolton, screaming at his charges.
Bolton were doing what they failed to do in the first half and closing the visitors down.
It was this harrying that allowed half-time substitute Ricardo Gardner to ghost behind the Liverpool defence on 51 minutes before rounding Pepe Reina. An open goal begged to be rippled but the subsequent miss had Gardner holding his head in his hand. Keane, standing 50 yards down field, knew how he felt.
The incident saw Agger clatter into the post and lose a tooth
Minutes later Keane made way for Torres, who immediately presented Gerrard with a gilt-edged chance with an undefendable cross from the right. The captain, who celebrates 10 years at the club next week, only had to touch the ball into the net but mistimed his slide and instead hit wide.
Liverpool, whose midfielders were now smothered by a wall of white shirts, needed a second.
It finally came on 73 minutes when Torres teased Andy O'Brien on the 18-yard line. It soon became clear that he was waiting for Gerrard to join him in the box, and, when the cross arrived, his patience paid dividends as the skipper flicked beyond a helpless Jaaskelainen with his forehead.
Torres was denied a comeback goal of his own with 10 minutes left on the clock when he broke loose before losing a battle of wits with Bolton's goalkeeper.
There were three more incredible misses to describe, first when Gardner lobbed the ball over Reina and the crossbar when a simply conversion would have done,
Next Torres whacked a Lucas Leiva cut-back wide of the target from six yards, before the Brazilian missed with the goal at his mercy.
Teams
Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Samuel, Cahill, O'Brien, Steinsson, Taylor, McCann, Muamba, Nolan (c), Davies, Elmander. Subs - Basham, Gardner, Habsi, Helguson, Obadeyi, Shittu, Smolarek
Liverpool: Reina, Aurelio, Agger, Hyypia, Arbeloa, Riera, Alonso, Mascherano, Kuyt, Gerrard (c), Keane. Subs - Babel, Benayoun, Cavalieri, Darby, Dossena, Leiva, Torres
Referee: Rob Styles
Conditions:
Attendance: Unavailable
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Xabi Alonso
Breakdown
12:47 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpool get the game underway at The Reebok
2 mins : Reina is caught out of position but Bolton can't take advantage
2 mins : Gerrard tries to win possession off Cahill but the Bolton man does his job
4 mins : Keane beats the offside trap but Jaaskelainen is out quickly to catch
5 mins : The ball falls kindly to Taylor outside the box but his snap-shot drifts wide
6 mins : Good cross from Steinsson as Bolton exert the early pressure
9 mins : Kuyt wins a free kick in a dangerous area on the right
10 mins : Good cross from Riera but the ball breaks for a white shirt and Bolton clear
12 mins : More good play from Riera but again his driven cross is well defended. We're getting on top now
17 mins : Kuyt's cross is deflected behind for the game's first corner
18 mins : It comes to nothing although Agger was close to getting on the end of it
18 mins : Riera again has space on the left and crosses for Agger who glances an effort just wide
19 mins : Best passing move of the game so far from Bolton but the final ball is poor and Liverpool escape
20 mins : Jaaskelainen makes a save from Keane who shoots low after good play from Riera
22 mins : Kuyt almost opens the scoring with a fierce shot which crashes back off the post after an incisive breakaway
26 mins : The game has gone a bit quiet - not too many chances
28 mins : GOAL! Dirk Kuyt: Aurelio crosses from the left and Kuyt heads home a deserved opening goal
30 mins : Keane misses a golden chance to double the lead when he somehow fails to make contact in front of goal
34 mins : Agger goes for goal from long range but drives a left footed effort wide of the far post
41 mins : Liverpool in total control - Bolton unable to get the ball for any length of time
45 mins : Bolton get a corner in first half stoppage time
45 mins : Cahill's header finds the net but Reina is fouled and the goal is ruled out
13:34 GMT : Half Time Reached
13:50 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Substitution: Ricardo Gardner for Fabrice Muamba:
46 mins : Gardner makes an instant impact and wins a free kick on the left
48 mins : Reina makes a save after Elmander beats the offside trap
49 mins : Nolan drives in a free kick which Reina holds well. Bolton have improved since the break
51 mins : Gardner charges forward and rounds Reina before drilling a shot wide when he should have scored
56 mins : Aurelio is down holding his rib and will need treatment before play continues
58 mins : Substitution: Fernando Torres for Robbie Keane:
61 mins : Torres slides a cross towards Gerrard who fails to find the target
62 mins : Taylor smashes a free kick goalwards but the ball just goes over
65 mins : Bolton win another corner and are looking the side more likely to score at the moment
68 mins : Gerrard gets a chance but clips a long range effort just wide of the far post
73 mins : GOAL! Steven Gerrard: Gerrard dives in to head home Torres' cross to double Liverpool's lead
80 mins : Torres has a one on one but loses control and the chance is gone
81 mins : Stinging drive from Alonso which is met by a decent stop from Jaaskelainen
82 mins : Substitution: Ebi Smolarek for Matthew Taylor:
82 mins : Substitution: Lucas Leiva for Dirk Kuyt:
89 mins : Substitution: Yossi Benayoun for Albert Riera:
90 mins : Lucas misses a golden chance to add a third in the final minute
14:38 GMT : Match Over
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