Saturday, 2 March 2013

Wigan Athletic v Liverpool: live - Telegraph.co.uk

60 min We have a McManaman on the pitch - Callum McManaman. Wigan are starting to ring the substitutions. Someone once hacked Callum's Wikipedia page and wrote that he was related to Liverpool legend Steve McManaman. That was news to Steve.

58 min Coutinho has very quick feet - too quick for McArthur, who crunches the Brazilian and earns a yellow card for his sins.

53 min Wigan have now conceded more goals than any other team in the Premier League this season and, judging by the frequency Liverpool are cutting through their back four, 4-0 will not be the final score. Suarez is strutting around the pitch in the manner of a man who knows he's got his marker in his pocket. In fact, Caldwell has just been hauled off and on comes Alcaraz.

GoalGOAL! Wigan 0 Liverpool 4 - Luis Suarez
Johnson surges from his own half, past three pathetic Wigan challenges, before timing his through-ball to perfection as Suarez, on the shoulder of the last defender, spins, sprints forward, latches onto the pass, runs into the Latics box and fires the ball under Al Habsi for his hat-trick.

48 min Liverpool have not won at Wigan since 2007 but that is surely going to chance unless Wigan A) are blessed with a miracle or B) change their tactics or personnel. Neither of which has happened yet.

E-mail Pretty sure they're protesting the away prices at other BPL games, as the Liverpool allotment at Wigan sold out at quite reasonable prices (as compared to Arsenal, etc,) - Mark Provenzano

46 min The second-half is under way and, surprisngly, there are no changes for Wigan. Less surprisngly, Liverpool haven't made any either.

45+2 min Free-kick to Wigan on the stroke of half-time. Maloney wants it but Beausejour is pulling rank. He manages to get the ball up and down over the wall but Reina is untroubled and tips over. And there's the half-time whistle.

42 min Some lovely one-touch play in and around the Wigan area is a delight to the eye and only a despairing toe or valiant block from the out-classed Wigan defence is preventing this from being a landslide.

38 min A terrific cross-field pass from Johnson picks out Suarez and his touch does Boyce like a kipper before a first-time volley is well saved by Al Habsi, and Allen is denied on the follow-up by McArthur. Liverpool are running riot here.

36 min Wigan nearly hit back through Di Santo, who climbs brilliantly to meet a Beausejour cross, but Reina tips it over.

GoalGOAL! Wigan 0 Liverpool 3 - Luis Suarez
A free-kick 25 yards out is taken by the Uruguayan, whose effort skims the head of Maloney in the wall. Goalkeeper Al Habsi gets fingers to it as he dives to his left but the ball is deflected onto the post and goes in.

30 min Cries for a free-kick echo around the DW stadium as Reina drops the ball and then reclaims it outside his area after attempting to punt the ball upfield. It's a free-kick to Liverpool, though, as the referee penalises Di Santo for obstruction.

28 min The Latics are a threat from set pieces and, from a corner kick, Caldwell leaps highest to head goalbound but Reina makes a comfortable save at his feet.

27 min Wigan are having to shoot from distance as Kone sees his shot blocked by Agger before Maloney's follow-up effort is pulled well wide.

21 min Wigan almost strike back immediately but Boyce is denied by a superb reflex save by Reina. Now Liverpool are breaking at the other through Suarez, who latches on to a wayward backpass and tries to cut inside, but is foiled by a last-ditch tackle. Boyce and McArthur are now squaring up inside the Wigan area as they blame each other for nearly letting Suarez in. It's all going off.

GoalGOAL! Wigan 0 Liverpool 2 - Luis Suarez
More sublime play by Coutinho, who takes the ball forward, drops the shoulder and wrong-foots his would-be tackler before feeding an inch-perfect pass into Suarez. The Uruguayan takes the ball inside the box behind the Wigan defence, gives a little dummy, the keeper goes down early and Suarez rolls the ball home for his fourth goal in five games against the Latics.

13 min Allen is nearly presented with an opening, after good play from Coutinho and Gerrard, but the Welshman is slightly wrong-footed and can't retrieve a pass that is placed agonisingly behind him.

10 min Bustling play from Di Santo down the right flank as Liverpool's defence struggles to get the ball away. Wigan have the worst home record in the Premier League - a distinction they share with QPR (just 10 home points in the PL) - but they're really having a go here.

6 min After that incredible start, the two teams have settled down into a familar pattern of play - both happy to play the ball along the ground to feet. It's end to end stuff, though, as Kone tries to outmuscle Carragher before the England veteran's experience tells and he starts a Liverpool counter-attack, only for Suarez to be caught offside.

GoalGOAL! Wigan 0 Liverpool 1 - Stewart Downing
Just 101 seconds on the clock and Liverpool break the deadlock. Reina boots the ball upfield from his 18 yard line and picks out Coutinho. The Brazilian twists his marker on the left before standing up a fine cross which Downing heads in from six yards.

1 min And we're off. It's a bright start by Wigan as the ball is spread wide by Di Santo, Boyce whips it in but Kone is caught in two minds - whether to shoot or pass - and tamely volleys the ball straight to Reina.

17.25 The Wigan fans are singing "I'm a believer" in unison before kick-off. They're keeping the faith, and they'll need to.

17.20 There appear to be a lot of empty seats at the away end. Here's a tweet from Sam Matterface: "protest about ticket prices in the #LFC end at the DW"

17.12 The team news is in...

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is not deemed fit enough to play against Wigan. As a result manager Brendan Rodgers makes one change to the team which beat Zenit St Petersburg in their last match nine days ago, replacing Jordan Henderson with January signing Philippe Coutinho as Reds captain Steven Gerrard makes his 400th league start.

Wigan are unchanged from the side that beat fellow strugglers Reading 3-0 last weekend as they go in search of back-to-back league wins for the first time since Nov 3.

Wigan: Al Habsi, Scharner, Caldwell, Figueroa, Boyce, McCarthy, McArthur, Beausejour, Kone, Di Santo, Maloney.
Subs: Robles, Alcaraz, Henriquez, Gomez, McManaman, Espinoza, Stam.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas, Allen, Downing, Suarez, Coutinho.
Subs: Gulacsi, Assaidi, Henderson, Coates, Fernandez Saez, Shelvey, Wisdom.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

17.10 Just time for some required reading before we kick off. Let's start with...

Luis Suarez: every kid dreams of playing for Liverpool

Coutinho aims to dazzle for Reds in "world's toughest league"

Liverpool step up their quest to find the new Steven Gerrard

17.05 Rodgers has said the philosophies of Martínez gave him a helping hand in his own progress as a coach. The 40-year-old admits when he took over at Swansea City, having been sacked at Reading seven months previously, he benefited from the groundwork done by the Spaniard.

Quote "He did a terrific job at Swansea for the couple of years he was there, it made my job easier going in. I could then work on other aspects. Every manager who comes in after someone you will always respect what he has done. Certainly with me and Roberto, he did an excellent job there." - Brendan Rodgers

17.00 Hello and welcome to this evening's entertainment - Wigan v Liverpool. First things first, here's our very own John Ley with his pre-match notes...

Brendan Rodgers v Roberto Martínez could be the managerial duel of the future if, as expected, the Wigan manager moves on. The Spanish coach has an impressive home record against the Merseysiders.

Liverpool have played well since January (an FA Cup aberration apart), which makes their current position disconcerting.

Narrowly missing out on the Europa League might be more desirable than qualifying, thus ensuring fewer distractions for a top four bid next season.

Steven Gerrard and Luis Suárez still hope for fourth. That is not going to happen.

Betting: Home 14-5, Away 8-11, Draw 13-5.

Stat of the game: Arouna Koné has scored six goals in his last six games in all competitions for Wigan.

Chris Bascombe's prediction: Wigan Athletic 1 Liverpool 2.

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