Rafael Benitez sees Fernando Torres as the key to Liverpool's chances of beating Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final.
Norway captain Brede Hangeland scored a first-half goal to hand Fulham, who escaped relegation on the final day of last season, an upset 1-0 home win over Arsenal in the English Premier League on Saturday. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard scored four minutes into stoppage time to cap a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Middlesbrough at Anfield that gives his side maximum points after two rounds.
Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United celebrated the festive season with victories on Friday while Arsenal, the other member of the 'big four', squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Aston Villa. Liverpool beat Bolton Wanderers 3-0 at Anfield with Robbie Keane scoring twice to give the leaders 42 points, one ahead of Chelsea as the Premier League season reached the halfway point.
Chelsea missed the chance to reclaim top spot in the Premier League when they were held to a 1-1 home draw by West Ham United on Sunday, a day after Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal also drew.
Premier League leaders Liverpool stumbled again at home on Saturday, needing two Steven Gerrard goals to salvage a point in a 2-2 draw with Hull City.
Liverpool have signed Ireland captain Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur for 19 million pounds ($37.76 million), the Premier League club said on their website on Monday. The 28-year-old striker, who spent six years at the London club and is Ireland's all-time highest goalscorer with 33 goals, has signed a four-year contract with the Anfield club.
Liverpool piled more misery on Newcastle United with a 3-0 victory at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday. First-half goals from Jermaine Pennant and Fernando Torres, his 25th of the season, and Steven Gerrard's effort after the break strengthened Liverpool's hold on fourth place over city rivals Everton.
The victory takes Pep Guardiola's side into provisional second spot
Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup in stunning fashion on Saturday when Championship (second division) Barnsley beat them 2-1 at Anfield with a last-minute goal by Brian Howard.
Liverpool are banking on the expected return of Fernando Torres against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday to end a dismal record against Spanish sides at Anfield and fire them into the last 16 of the Champions League.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp acknowledged that they would have to defend better in the visit to Stamford Bridge to stop Eden Hazard reprising the sort of solo brilliance that propelled Chelsea to victory at Anfield on Wednesday.
For all their improvement under Klopp, European champions Liverpool have not won at Old Trafford under the German
Liverpool, five-times European champions and last season's Champions League runners-up, eased past the Bavarians and into the quarter-finals with two goals from Sadio Mane and one from Virgil van Dijk after a goalless first leg at Anfield.
Arsenal turned on the style to beat Bolton Wanderers 3-1 on Saturday and get an early-season taste of the top of the Premier League. They top the standings on 12 points, one ahead of Liverpool, who were held to a goalless Anfield draw by Stoke City.
Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in a London derby while Liverpool got back to winning ways with a 4-1 win over Portsmouth.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Liverpool and Chelsea drew 1-1 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Anfield on Tuesday after a stoppage-time own goal from the home side's John Arne Riise. Dutchman Dirk Kuyt gave Liverpool the lead after 43 minutes.
The pain of losing two Champions League semi-finals to Liverpool is driving the Chelsea captain to ensure he does not suffer same fate for a third time.
Liverpool reached the Champions League after a Dirk Kuyt goal deep into extra time gave them a 1-0 aggregate win over plucky Belgian rivals Standard Liege.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued his dream start as Manchester United caretaker manager with a 3-1 Premier League win over Huddersfield on his Old Trafford debut in the dugout on Wednesday.
Arsenal and Liverpool played out a pulsating 1-1 draw while Fenerbahce came from behind for a 2-1 home win over Chelsea in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final, first leg matches.
Former European champions Ajax Amsterdam and Celtic, who both suffered the indignity of being knocked of the Champions League qualifiers by underdogs this season, will meet in the Europa Leagueafter being drawn together in the group stage on Friday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Arsene Wenger reckoned that leaving his leading marksman Alexis Sanchez on the substitutes' bench had been a "debatable" decision but it was one that appeared to backfire on the Arsenal manager in the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on Saturday.
The prospect of the first repeat FA Cup final for 123 years increased on Monday when holders Chelsea and last year's beaten finalists Manchester United were kept apart in the quarter-final draw.
Holders Real Madrid chased away some of their early-season blues when Gareth Bale scored the pick of the goals in a 5-1 rout of FC Basel in their Champions League Group B opener on Tuesday.
Premier League referee Rob Styles has been dropped from this weekend's matches after awarding Chelsea a controversial penalty in Sunday's match at Liverpool.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Wednesday.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp is certain his side will improve next season and feels that his first seven months at the Merseyside club have provided a solid foundation for the future.
United beat Leicester City at Old Trafford in the opening game of the season but Spurs present a very different quality of opponent.
The Senegal international, 26, joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2016 for 34 million pounds ($43.8 million) and has scored 40 goals in 89 games for the Anfield club.
The last flickering embers of Arsenal's Premier League title hopes will all but be extinguished on Sunday unless they beat vibrant Manchester United at Old Trafford. United lead the title race with 77 points and five matches to play, followed by Chelsea (74 points) and Arsenal (71).
Liverpool snatched a 5-3 aggregate victory over Arsenal after late goals gave them a 4-2 win in the Champions League quarter-finals, while Chelsea scored a 2-0 home win over Turkish champions Fenerbahce to overturn a 2-1 first leg deficit.
Arsenal may be down but manager Arsene Wenger said they are very definitely not yet out of the hunt for major honours this season, which they can prove when they face Liverpool for the third time in a week on Tuesday. Wenger takes his weary men to Anfield for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final after two 1-1 draws with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in the last few days.
Liverpool completed a quartet of weekend wins for the top four with a 1-0 defeat of Everton at the Merseyside derby.
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a calf injury, manager Brendan Rodgers said on Friday.
Arsenal regained first place in the Premier League with a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.
Fernando Torres scored his second Anfield hat-trick in less than two weeks as Liverpool thrashed West Ham United 4-0 to go fourth in the English Premier League.
In a YouTube video post, Anelka said Houllier's comments were "of a racist nature" and he alleged that "it (was) not the first time".
Liverpool blew a chance take a vice-like grip on the title race and Chelsea suffered their worst league defeat in 23 years.
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