Saturday 03 November 2007 17:15 Barclays Premiership
"Blackburn Rovers"	0 - 0	"Liverpool"
	(0-0)
GOAL
Team: 1. Brad Friedel, 3. Stephen Warnock, 6. Ryan Nelsen (c), 4. Christopher Samba, 2. Andre Ooijer, 12. Morten Gamst Pedersen, 11. David Bentley, 19. David Dunn, 7. Brett Emerton, 10. Benny McCarthy, 9. Roque Santa Cruz. Subs: 32. Jason Brown, 13. Zarab Khizanishvilli, 5. Tugay Kerimoglu, 22. Keith Treacy, 27. Matt Derbyshire.		Team: 25. Jose Reina, 23. Jamie Carragher, 3. Steve Finnan, 4. Sami Hyypia, 6. John Arne Riise, 8. Steven Gerrard (c), 19. Ryan Babel, 11. Yossi Benayoun, 20. Javier Mascherano, 22. Mohamed Sissoko, 18. Dirk Kuyt. Subs: 40. David Martin, 17. Alvaro Arbeloa, 7. Harry Kewell, 21. Lucas Pezzini Leiva, 15. Peter Crouch.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Dunn (Tugay 57), McCarthy (Derbyshire 89)		Babel (Kewell 63), Benayoun (Crouch 72)
OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS
Referee: M Atkinson
Booked:		Booked: Carragher 58
VENUE		MANAGERS
Ewood Park (capacity ) Attendance: 30,033		Mark Hughes (Blackburn R) Rafael Benitez (Liverpool)

  Price: J

  Official Match Analysis

  REDS HELD AT BLACKBURN

  Liverpool have extended their unbeaten start to the Premier League season after a 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers in a tight game at Ewood Park on Saturday.

  The Reds dominated the second half here and they had chances to run away with it, but they must be content with a point after Brad Friedel made a number of great saves and David Bentley cleared a Crouch header off the line.

  A draw between Arsenal and Manchester United in the day's early kick off at the Emirates Stadium gave the Reds an opportunity to close the gap at the top of the table, and although they've continued their excellent away form, they'll leave here frustrated.

  Injuries to Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres meant that Rafa had to shuffle his pack for this one and that meant starts for Momo Sissoko, Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel. The inclusion of Harry Kewell on the substitutes' bench a welcome boost for the Reds after a horrendous run of injuries.

  With Blackburn on a seven game winning run and Liverpool yet to be beaten in the League, a tight game was expected and the early stages did little to suggest anything otherwise. It took 35 minutes before either side had a chance of note and it almost brought a breakthrough for Blackburn.

  The Reds had been enjoying plenty of possession without carrying much of a threat and they nearly fell behind when Bentley raced clear and shot against the outside of Pepe Reina's left hand post.

  Liverpool responded with the best move of the match in the 41st minute. The quick feet of Yossi Benayoun wrong footing the Rovers defence before Gerrard's pass found Babel and his blistering shot brought an excellent save out of Friedel.

  After a dour opening the game was beginning to open up and David Dunn found space on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area and hit a superb shot that came back off the underside of the crossbar with Reina beaten. It was a real let off on the stroke of half time.

The second half was equally as competitive as the first, but Liverpool would go on to create a hatful of chances.

  Blackburn thought they'd found a way through when Riise sliced his clearance to McCarthy, but he was quickly closed down by Reds defenders. And Liverpool signalled their intent when Kuyt got free on the right only to get his wires crossed with Gerrard and a good chance was wasted.

  Rafa Benitez made a change just after the hour when he replaced Ryan Babel with Harry Kewell and he demonstrated his desire to win and made another attacking move when he replaced Crouch for Benayoun 10 minutes later.

  Spurred on by their army of fans, Liverpool went in search of a winner as the game entered the final quarter. And they twice came within a whisker off snatching the points.

  First in the 79th minute when Kuyt's pass put Gerrard through and Friedel made another great save; and then when Finnan crossed to Crouch and his header was cleared off the line by Bentley.

  Liverpool weren't finished and Kuyt twice had a had chance to win it, but he couldn't find the target.

  Teams

  Blackburn Rovers: Friedel, Warnock, Nelsen (c), Samba, Ooijer, Pedersen, Bentley, Dunn, Emerton, McCarthy, Santa Cruz. Subs - Brown, Derbyshire, Khizanishvilli, Treacy,

  Liverpool: Reina, Riise, Carragher, Hyypia, Finnan, Babel, Mascherano, Sissoko, Benayoun, Gerrard (c), Kuyt. Subs - Arbeloa, Crouch, Kewell, Leiva, Martin.

  Referee: M Atkinson

  Conditions: Unavailable

  Attendance: Unavailable

  Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Steven Gerrard

  Breakdown

17:17 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Blackburn get the game underway
2 mins : Babel has started on the right, Yossi on the left
3 mins : Rovers on the front foot
3 mins : Great tackle from Javier on Emerton
6 mins : It took three of them to stop Stevie then
7 mins : The yellow and purple ball is back
8 mins : Bentley hits one with his left foot - that's rubbish.
9 mins : Benitez looks well hacked off with something
10 mins : The travelling Kop are SO loud
12 mins : Good defending by Finnan
12 mins : The Reds starting to get a bit of possession today
15 mins : Pedersen heads one from the edge of the box - easy for Pep
20 mins : Blackburn corner...that's a poor delivery from Bentley
21 mins : Mrs Voronin went into labour last night, hence Andriy's not in the 16
24 mins : Mark Hughes is having a right benny at Bentley
26 mins : Good football by Liverpool's front men but there's not a lot of space and no one in the box to hit
30 mins : Reds stringing some passes together
30 mins : ...it comes to Yossi...he hits it but Stephen Warnock blocks well to deny his old team
32 mins : Carra boots it into the stands. Riise doesn't look happy but they can't score from row Z John Arne
34 mins : The camera has just cut to someone playing a rubik cube!
35 mins : Great chance for Bentley but he didn't convince with his left-foot and he hits the outside of the post
37 mins : The ref gives Rovers a weak free-kick midway in our half
37 mins : Javier is limping
39 mins : Carra handballs in a dangerous position
40 mins : Pedersen hits the wall
41 mins : Bentley tries a spectacular one...again, no probs for our man between the sticks
42 mins : Good feet from Yossi...to Gerrard...lays it off for Babel who cuts inside onto his right foot...good save from Brad
43 mins : Babel has just knee'd Ooijer in the buttocks
44 mins : Gerrard is through but the linesman flags...Ooijer was DEFINITELY playing him on. muppets
45 mins : What a strike from David Dunn...hits the bar. Liverpool escape
18:03 GMT : Half Time Reached
18:19 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Kuyt and Stevie get the second half under way
46 mins : Stevie gets past Samba but that's good covering by Ooijer
47 mins : Carra blocks from Benni
48 mins : Yossi caught in possession
50 mins : Babel hits one...corner
51 mins : Gerrard delivers but Nelson heads clear
52 mins : Another corner...too deep again
52 mins : Riise looks to have picked up a knock
54 mins : Samba can't make his mind up in the box and the chance is gone...corner
57 mins : Substitution: Tugay for David Dunn:
58 mins : Kuyt is through wide right but he can't seem to make his mind up and his cross is weak
58 mins : First Booking: Jamie Carragher:
59 mins : Dangerous free-kick here...
59 mins : Pedersen hits the wall again but it trickles out for a corner
60 mins : Rafa is calling his subs over...it's gonna be Kewell
62 mins : Kuyt again takes too long on the right...Gerrard is screaming at him
63 mins : Substitution: Harry Kewell for Ryan Babel:
65 mins : Appeals for hanball against Carra in the box...ref says corner
65 mins : Bentley heads narrowly over...Rovers on top
67 mins : Liverpool perhaps lucky not to have given away a pen with that Carra handball
68 mins : The travelling Kop are singing for big Pete
69 mins : Emerton whacks one wide
70 mins : Big Pete is stripping
70 mins : Warnock handballs midway inside his own half
71 mins : Gerrard rolls it to Riise but his shot is disappointing
72 mins : Substitution: Peter Crouch for Yossi Benayoun:
74 mins : Great ball from Stevie but Crouch goes too early...offside
77 mins : Kuyt finds a bit of space...he has a punt...no chance from there Dirk
79 mins : Magnificent defending from Carra
79 mins : Liverpool cut through the home defence...it's Stevie...oh his left-foot shot is too close to Brad...corner
80 mins : Crouch gets on it...cleared off the line. This is more like it Reds
84 mins : Javier tries one from long range...not this time
84 mins : Pedersen whips in a decent cross...Riise does well there
86 mins : Crouch knocks it down...Gerrard hits it. Great save from Brad. Liverpool look far more likely here
88 mins : I can't describe that without getting sacked so I won't
89 mins : Substitution: Matt Derbyshire for Benny McCarthy:
90 mins : Kuyt unlucky there...
19:06 GMT : Match Over

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