Liverpool 5-0 Birmingham: Maxi Rodriguez stuns Anfield with hat-trick as Dalglish’s side keep European hopes alive

EPL,Maxi Rodriguez,Liverpool vs Birmingham City

Related Links

Teams

Maxi Rodriguez scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Liverpool kept their Europa League qualification dream alive with victory against a wretched Birmingham City.

The Argentina international took advantage of a sublime supply line from Luis Suarez to see the Reds past their relegation threatened opponents. There was even time for forgotten man Joe Cole to get on the scoresheet as they closed to within three-points of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

The performance from the visitors would have embarrassed manager Alex McLeish as he watched his defence capitulate in front of his eyes. Luckily for the League Cup winners, Wigan Athletic’s defeat and draws for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackpool ensured they didn’t cede too much ground to the clubs in the relegation zone.

For the hosts, the knee injury record signing Andy Carroll picked up in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal last weekend ruled him out of the starting line-up. The £35 million man was replaced by Maxi Rodriguez, with 17-year-old left-back Jack Robinson handed his first Premier League start in place of hamstring victim Fabio Aurelio.

Jamie Carragher shook off the concussion picked up in a sickening collision with right-back John Flanagan in the previous match against Arsenal to retain the captain’s armband in the continued absence of Steven Gerrard.

Birmingham boss McLeish made two changes to the team that lost 3-1 at Chelsea on Wednesday night. Centre-back Martin Jiranek and midfielder Lee Bowyer replaced Lee Parnaby and Barry Ferguson.

Liverpool started the brighter, with Luis Suarez and Robinson in particular enjoying some nice touches. However, Rodriguez‘s opener in the seventh minute owed much to goalkeeping ineptitude from Ben Foster.

The ex-Manchester United understudy fumbled a regulation 20-yard shot from Jay Spearing straight into the grateful Argentina international’s path for the simplest of tap-ins.

Stung by the set-back, Birmingham went straight up the other end from kick-off and went inches away from a leveller through Cameron Jerome. The striker – without a league strike in 19-games – was edged away from a low Stephen Carr cross by Carragher.

From the subsequent possession, opposite full-back Liam Ridgewell curled in a centre that was blazed over by nine-goal topscorer Craig Gardner.

Carragher again had to be alert in the 19th minute as his close control was tested by a cut-back header from Ridgewell inside the penalty area.

Despite Birmingham’s pressure they again conceded in an all-too easy manner in the 23rd minute as Dirk Kuyt scored his seventh goal in six league starts. Pepe Reina’s goal-kick was flicked into a gaping chasm at the heart of the Birmingham defence by Raul Meireles.

Suarez latched onto the header and shot at Foster under pressure from the cumbersome Jiranek. The on-rushing Kuyt was first denied by the athletic Foster, before he swivelled and shot into the bottom left-corner of the net.

Liverpool were then denied a third just seconds later when the diligent Sebastian Larsson slid in to prevent Raul Meireles from finishing Rodriguez’s cross after he had been played in by Suarez.

Questions had been asked of the patched up Liverpool defence before the game, with full-backs Flanagan and Robinson at an average age of under 18. It was Birmingham, though, who looked like wet behind the ears rookies in the opening half hour.

As a half full of promise for the home side ebbed towards the end, Kuyt and Suarez both went close again. First, Kuyt nudged a deep 44th minute free-kick from Meireles wide of the post when he possibly could have done better.

More slapstick defending from Birmingham then saw Suarez get into space in injury-time after he outmuscled the off-colour Johnson – a reputed Liverpool transfer target – on the half-way line. Uncharacteristic reticence from the Uruguayan then saw him cut inside and shoot timidly at goalkeeper Colin Doyle – who had replaced the stricken Foster, injured in the scramble for Liverpool’s second – in the 40th minute.

A low-key opening to the second period saw the teams exchange possession without truly threatening after Gardner pinged a speculative half-volley at Reina in the 46th minute.

The longer Liverpool confidently held off Birmingham, the more likely a third became. The goal was duly served up by Rodriguez in the 66th minute after Suarez took advantage of more daydreaming at the back.

The Uruguayan turned Johnson and Jiranek and raced onto a hopeful chip upfield from Martin Skrtel. With his now expected composure, the January signing looked up and chipped a delicate cross to the back post that was volleyed in by the Argentine for his second of the game.

Four minutes later, Suarez looked to have teed up Rodriguez for his hat-trick but he failed to properly connect with another cross from the right under pressure from Johnson.

Rodriguez didn’t have to wait any longer to complete his hat-trick and took advantage of more slack defending to complete the job in the 73rd minute. This time, the Argentine followed in his own shot from the edge of the area to slide past Doyle as centre-back Jiranek watched on again.

There was even time for forgotten man Joe Cole to net the fifth in the 86th minute. Doyle must have caught the same affliction as Foster as he somehow allowed the substitute’s scuffed shot to squirm under his body to complete a truly appalling day for Birmingham.