Liverpool: Steven Gerrard equalized with a
disputed penalty as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Birmingham to fall
11 points behind Premier League leader Chelsea.
Liverpool trailed 2-1 in the 71st minute at Anfield
yesterday when striker David Ngog went down in the area after
a challenge by Lee Carsley, although the Birmingham midfielder
clearly made no contact and afterward accused the French
striker of cheating.
"He went past me and I was nowhere near (him). It's a
joke," Carsley said. "I didn't touch him at all. When (the
ref) sees that he will be really disappointed. I know for a
fact that, if I went home knowing I'd done something like
(Ngog did), I'd be embarrassed.”
"We're supposed to be teaching the kids and leading by
example, and that's just an embarrassing case of cheating."
Gerrard, having come off the bench despite a lingering
groin injury, scored from the spot to keep his team in seventh
spot in a horror season that also has Liverpool facing
elimination from the group stage of the Champions League.
Liverpool has been beaten six times in its past nine
matches in all competitions, drawing twice and winning only
once.
"We can talk about the penalty, whether it was or not,"
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "Maybe it wasn't a
penalty, but I think we deserved to win because we had way too
many opportunities."
The Reds have 19 points, while Birmingham is 15th with 12
points after a seventh straight league game against Liverpool
without losing. Chelsea has 30 points, five ahead of Arsenal
and Manchester United. Tottenham has 22, Aston Villa 21 and
Man City 20.
Although Fernando Torres was missing with a groin injury,
Benitez surprisingly selected Gerrard on the bench and then
watched his side go ahead in the 13th minute through Ngog.
Glen Johnson set up the chance with a weaving run down
the right. Goalkeeper Joe Hart blocked shots from Ngog and
Dirk Kuyt, but Alberto Riera lobbed the ball back toward the
Frenchman, who powered it into the roof of the net with a
first-time volley.
Birmingham leveled from a free kick in the 26th. Headed
passes by Roger Johnson and Liam Ridgewell set up Christian
Benitez for an close-range header to score.
Liverpool lost Riera just before halftime with a
recurrence of his hamstring trouble and Gerrard went on as his
replacement. But the Liverpool captain had not touched the
ball before his side fell behind to Cameron Jerome's amazing
strike in first-half stoppage time.
The striker collected a headed clearance by teammate
Scott Dann, shrugged off a challenge and fired a dipping
30-meter shot that flew past goalkeeper Pepe Reina and under
the crossbar.
Gerrard almost made it 2-2 in the 63rd minute when his
header hit the outside of the post after a cross from Johnson.
Still, the Liverpool captain equalized in contentious
circumstances.
Ngog burst into the area from the left and went down
under a challenge from Carsley, although it appeared clear
from TV replays that no contact had been made. Referee Peter
Walton awarded the spot kick and Gerrard sent Hart the wrong
way.
"This is a shame for the game. Why not stay on your
feet?" Birmingham manager Alex McLeish said of Ngog's fall.
"Peter Walton's a great referee but he's got that one wrong.
If we hadn't lost the penalty, I felt we would have won it."
Gerrard lobbed an 18-meter shot over the bar before
Liverpool sent on Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani for his
home debut with eight minutes remaining but to no avail.
Bureau Report