The Liver Bird  

I've seen some Merseyside derbies in my time but that could quite possibly be my favourite ending ever, you just couldn't make it up! After a battle between the two sides over 90 minutes it was the forgotten Divock Origi who found himself in the right place at the right time to take all three points for Liverpool. 
I have to hand it to the Toffees they look a far stronger side under Marco Silva and they held their own at Anfield for the majority of the match. Liverpool have improved vastly in defence compared to last season and that showed when Alisson was forced into a close-range reaction save, stopping Andre Gomes' header. The danger wasn't quite clear but Joe Gomez's quick thinking ensured the Reds cleared it off the line. 
Annoyingly for Liverpool, while their defence is ten times better their attack seems to have gone a bit quiet over recent weeks and for me, this isn't necessarily to do with the forward players. I'm not sure what other people's opi…

Liverpool welcome Everton to Anfield on Sunday afternoon for the 232nd Merseyside derby. A loss at the hands of PSG in the Champions League during the week will have dented the Reds' confidence levels slightly but the chance of another victory over Everton will surely spur on Klopp's side.

Liverpool will be without captain Jordan Henderson who is serving a suspension. Klopp has also hinted that some players may be rested after a difficult game in Paris where several members of the team picked up knocks. For Everton, they are in a very strong situation as manager Marco Silva has no real injury worries to contend with. 

At the time of writing, Everton are 6th having lost just one of their last five games in the league. The Reds are in 2nd place, still unbeaten and chasing Manchester City who will remain two points ahead at the top if Klopp's side seals all three points. Liverpool have won four out of their last five league games, drawing the remaining match with Arsenal in Nov…

Long time, no blog... I must apologise for the lack of content on The Liver Bird lately. I've struggled quite a bit balancing blogging since starting work a couple of years back now and it always seems to be even more difficult towards the Christmas period with fixture pile ups and festivities. However, I am here and I will certainly still be writing about my beloved Reds just perhaps a tad infrequently.

Anway... I am glad you have all survived the international break. I genuinely feel like part of me is missing during these parts of the season, don't know where to put myself, but we're back and it's Watford up next for Jurgen Klopp's side.

Liverpool have pretty much a full squad for this game with just the one doubt hanging over Jordan Henderson. For Watford, they are also looking strong as Capoue returns from a suspension and Will Hughes regains fitness.

The last time the two sides met was in March this year, the game ended 5-0 for Liverpool with four goals from the…

Liverpool had the better chances at the Emirates on Saturday evening but could not find a way to collect all three points against Arsenal. 
The Reds started in a lively fashion and despite Arsenal's increasing possession stats, Klopp's side were still able to make the most of it on the break. 
A goal in the first half from Sadio Mane was incorrectly ruled offside, Mane being involved in the second phase of play after Firmino, who was onside, played the pass. It was a harsh decision and had it been given it could have provided Liverpool with a real boost early on in a difficult game. 
You don't necessarily expect a defender to have the best chances for your side but Virgil van Dijk went close on three occasions for Liverpool. It was extra frustrating for me watching on as I had a quid on van Dijk to score anytime arghhhhh haha. I particularly enjoyed his effort when he remained up from a corner and took it down like a world class striker if only he'd sent it to the left or…

Liverpool travel to Arsenal on Saturday evening in what is set to be an exciting game for the neutral but a nervous time for any Kopites or Gunners. 
The Reds come into this fixture on the back of a 4-1 win over Cardiff. Arsenal, on the other hand, drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace in their most recent fixture which was a surprise for many.  The Londoners started the season with some tough fixtures but had quietly (we'll not so quietly actually, their performances have caught everyone's eye) gone about their business until that hiccup against Palace. 
Liverpool remain unbeaten in the league at the moment alongside City and Chelsea but Arsenal have lost twice so far this season. 
Injuries for the Reds mean doubts are banging over Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson. 
Arsenal have taken a bit of a hit and also have a league cup game to contend with prior to our clash. Koscielny remains out, Bellerin is a doubt while both Kolasinac and Monreal will undergo late fitness tests. 
The last time the…

Liverpool make the short trip to Huddersfield this weekend as the Reds look to pick up where they left off prior to the international break. A draw with City for many at the time felt like quite a frustrating result for the Reds but having had time to ponder, in the grand scheme of things, if Klopp's side can get back in the saddle this weekend, things are looking rather rosy.

Huddersfield are struggling to say the least and so far this season they have yet to find the back of the net at home. The Terriers currently sit 18th in the table on just three points. By contrast, the Reds are in third only due to goal difference, joint on points with both Chelsea and Manchester City.

Injuries for Liverpool took a bad turn during the international break as news of knocks and even broken bones began to filter through. A suspected broken thumb for Sadio Mane has seen him undergo hand surgery, Naby Keita left the field with an injury in the Guinea v Rwanda match and Mo Salah also went off injur…

In just a few hours Liverpool will walk out at Anfield against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. The Sky Blues are currently sitting top of the Premier League table thanks to a better goal difference than Jurgen Klopp's side. Liverpool will be desperate to make the most of this chance against City and to put distance between themselves and every other team in the league for the time being.

Onlookers Chelsea will be begging that this game ends in a draw and to be honest it's definitely a possibility. If it is a draw, it'll be a 2-2 or a 3-3 because I'm convinced this game will have goals. For me, the way in which City play will massively assist Liverpool and players such as Mane, Salah and Firmino should be able to capitalise on the gaps left by the visitors.

Injuries for Liverpool are pretty much the same, thankfully though, for the Reds, Naby Keita who went off against Napoli with a back problem may still be able to feature having been checked over thoroughly by medi…

1) First time since 1990Saturday's victory over Spurs at Wembley made it five wins on the bounce for Liverpool. It's the first time the Reds have won five games in a row at the start of the season since 1990.

Jurgen Klopp's side were in complete command for the majority of the game and it could have been 4 or 5-0 at one stage but the Reds lacked a little when it came to the final ball. Despite this, goals from Gini WIjnaldum (confirmed by goal-line technology) and Roberto Firmino were enough for Liverpool to take all three points.

A late surge from Spurs wasn't enough for the home side to take away any points but it was a great goal from a tight angle by Lamela with two minutes of extra time to go.

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2) Selfish strikers, good or bad?One of the many positives of this Liverpool side is the fact that the goals can come from anywhere. We have an immense front three and if one or even two of them are having a bad day, you are almost guaranteed that the oth…

The international break is over, hooray! My god that week seemed to drag but we're back and Liverpool make the trip to London to face Spurs at Wembley on Saturday afternoon.

The Reds are sitting pretty at the top of the table with four wins out of four. Victories against teams such as Crystal Palace and Brighton are precious to the Reds who would have struggled to secure all three points in games like this last season. When it came to sides like City, Arsenal etc the Reds could usually guarantee that their performance would be much, much better. Here's hoping that's the case on Saturday.

Spurs shocked several football fans recently in the league when they beat Manchester United 3-0 but then followed this up with a loss to Watford who came from behind to get the better of Pochettino's side.

There is no doubt that Spurs, despite not buying anybody in the transfer window, have a very strong side with some game changers in their starting XI but do they have enough in terms of…

1) Alisson needs to tone down the anticsI like seeing a bit of skill as much as the next person but not from my bloody goalkeeper. I mentioned in a previous post that Alisson only performs these tricks because he's confident and there's nothing wrong with having a confident keeper but he needs to stop his antics.

The Brazilian gifted Leicester their goal just after the hour mark and for a time it felt as though the home side might be able to get back into the game. Thankfully for Alisson that never happened and hopefully he's now learnt his lesson. Away from that daft mistake, he looked strong once again when called into action against the Foxes.
2) Sadio Mane could be the star of this seasonMane now has four goals in four matches for the Reds and when our Egyptian king couldn't quite find the net early on, it fell to Sadio to put Liverpool 1-0 up. A strong finish from an Andy Robertson cross was just what Klopp's side needed and I feel Mane could be a very important…

Liverpool face Leicester in a 12:30 kick off on Saturday in what will be Klopp's fourth match of the season. A duo of draws on Thursday evening allowed the Reds to find out who was in their Champions League group and who they would face in the League Cup. Both results meant that Liverpool's fixture list in September and October has suddenly got a lot busier.

And so, it would be useful for the Reds to start September with a win. Leicester have lost just one of their opening games, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United at the start of the season. The foxes are currently 7th in the table on six points, three points behind the Reds who remain top of the table.

Injuries for Liverpool mean they are still without defender Dejan Lovren who remains out with a pelvic issue. Jamie Vardy sits this one out as he serves a three match ban and Matty James is unavailable due to an Achilles injury.

The last time the two sides met was in December last year at Anfield. The Reds went down af…

1) We can win ugly

For me, the main thing we should take away from today's victory over Brighton is the fact that Liverpool are now a team that can "win ugly". It's a phrase that's been thrown around regularly for teams such as Manchester United or Chelsea, teams who are always in the mix at the top of the table and seem to have that annoying ability to see out a result despite playing terribly.

I wouldn't go as far to say Liverpool were terrible on Saturday, far from it, but the Reds were definitely below par. For me though, instead of being a negative, this is actually extremely encouraging. Similar to the Palace result, the Reds were able to hold on to a slim lead and convert it into an all-important three points. 

Brighton were always going to be a difficult side to play against because the Reds have always struggled under Klopp against organised teams. This season however, Klopp seems to have found the key to unlock the points in these tight situations and …

Liverpool welcome Brighton to Anfield on Saturday afternoon as the Reds look to continue their winning start in the Premier League. Crystal Palace created a bit of a test for Jurgen Klopp's side on Monday night but back at Anfield many are hoping the Reds might be able to make the most of their effective attack.

Injuries for Liverpool mean they are still unable to call upon Dejan Lovren. For Brighton, they are potentially going to be without Lewis Dunk who picked up an injury in Brighton's win over Manchester United. 

The last time the two sides met was in May this year. Liverpool put four past Brighton at Anfield with goals from Salah, Lovren, Solanke and Robertson. The Reds also put several goals in the Brighton net during their last trip to the Amex. In December 2017 the game ended 5-1, Firmino scored a brace that day.

It's very early days but Liverpool fans all over are already daring to think about the title. Even the neutrals are starting to say that the Reds are the on…

Liverpool collected an important victory over Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace on Monday evening with James Milner and Sadio Mane on the scoresheet. The Reds needed to keep their momentum going after a solid win from Manchester City at the weekend and Jurgen Klopp’s side did just that.
In seasons gone by, this is exactly the sort of game that Liverpool would have failed to see out. Palace away from home was always going to be a tricky fixture but the Reds did very well to maintain their composure and continue a consistent run of attacks.
Palace’s main threat Zaha got a few chances to try and punish the Liverpool defence but on the whole, Liverpool’s back four dealt with any danger. A shot from Townsend also had Kopites panicking when his long-range shot thankfully smashed off the bar.
A particular highlight should be placed on the young Joe Gomez playing alongside the superb Virgil van Dijk, I don’t need to sing the latter's praises, we all know how lucky we are to have signed that man b…

The Reds travel to Selhurst Park on Monday evening as Klopp's side look to get the better of Roy Hodgson's men. In a game that some are calling an easy three points for Liverpool it's important to remember that Palace have tended to get the better of us in recent seasons and Hodgson is capable of grinding out a result.

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The last time the two sides met was in March this year, Salah and Mane both scored in the second half to secure victory for the Reds who were 1-0 down initially. The last match at Anfield came in August last year with Sadio again on the scoresheet, this time in a 1-0 win for the Reds.

In their last ten trips to Selhurst Park in all competitions, Liverpool have picked up four wins, they have drawn on two occasions and lost four times. 

Injuries for Liverpool mean they are unable to call upon Dejan Lovren who remains out with a pelvic issue he was carrying during the World Cup. Joel Matip is expected to return to the bench. Crystal Palace, …

Liverpool collected their first victory of the Premier League season in some style on Sunday after putting four past West Ham with no return. Expectations were high for the Reds who had strengthened their side during the summer transfer window but there was no reason to fear as Klopp’s side made this game look relatively straightforward.

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The Liverpool XI featured new signings Keita and Alisson but Shaqiri and Fabinho started on the bench. Keita, in particular, made a real impression on the game leaving pundits drooling over his obvious ability. He’s the kind of player who is always looking for the next ball, the next pass, the next move forward and just going off Sunday’s performance I think we can expect to see a lot from him this season.

The first goal for the Reds came from a familiar face, Mr Mo Salah! In the right place, at the right time, the Egyptian king was never going to miss this opportunity as he converted Andy Robertson’s cross. I was never in any d…