Liverpool: Liverpool ensured they maintained their enviable record over Bolton at Anfield with a 3-1 victory thanks to Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson's first goals for the club as well as a second half strike from Martin Skrtel.
The Anfield club have never lost a Premier League game to the Trotters at home, and put in a fantastic performance throughout the team, with Charlie Adam, Lucas, Downing and Luis Suarez in particular enjoying their form.
A late consolation for Ivan Klasnic did nothing but flatter the visitors, who were poor for large periods of the game.
Bolton's notoriously bad record at Anfield was looking safe as early as the 15th minute when the hosts took the lead through Jordan Henderson.
It was the former Sunderland man’s first goal for his new club, and it came in a period of near-total dominance for Liverpool, with Luis Suarez and Charlie Adam impressing early on.
And it was through Suarez that the goal came about, after his fabulous cross with the outside of his right foot met the run of Stewart Downing. Downing’s volley produced a save of the top order from Jussi Jaaskelainen, but the ball was not cleared properly and found Henderson.
Henderson’s initial shot was blocked, but when it came back to him it was dispatched exquisitely into the top corner with his left foot.
And it was exactly what Liverpool deserved for their early efforts. By the end of the first half-hour, Bolton were lucky to be only one goal behind with the Reds producing some magnificent play.
Suarez really should have added a goal to his impressive first half display after he was put clean through on goal and elected to lob Jaaskelainen, only for the ball to land on the roof of the net.
As the match progressed towards half-time, Bolton did make some in-roads into the Liverpool half, with an impressive run from the substitute Mark Davies as he took on the entire defence, but his shot at Pepe Reina was weak.
And throughout this period, the hosts were looking increasingly dangerous on the counter-attack, with the midfield pairing of the deep-lying playmaker in Charlie Adam and the poaching style of Lucas complimenting each other extremely well.
And one final flash point came near the end of the first half, as Downing took on Gretar Steinsson on the edge of the penalty area, only for the Bolton right-back to stick out his hand and block the ball.
With nearly everyone in the stadium howling for a penalty, referee Lee Probert brilliantly spotted that while Steinsson’s feet were inside the area, his hand was not, and he thus gave a free-kick.
And Liverpool started the second half at break neck speed, with two goals in a minute with Charlie Adam at the centre of everything.
It was from his wicked corner early on that first-half substitute Martin Skrtel nodded home, beating his marker Zat Knight far too easily.
And from Bolton’s centre, the ball was stolen with Dirk Kuyt finding Adam, who shrugged off a challenge from Nigel Reo-Coker to fire his shot into the bottom corner on his supposedly weaker right-foot as he became the second player of the day to score his first Liverpool goal.
The Kop were clearly enjoying the performance from Kenny Dalglish’s men, who not only looked more comfortable in possession but also looked more physically capable than their counterparts. The movement from Suarez, Downing, and even Charlie Adam – noted more for his capabilities with the ball than without it – was exceptional.
And while they took their foot off the gas in the next 20 minutes, Liverpool never really looked troubled by the visitors.
They were harshly denied an indirect free-kick as well, when Paul Robinson passed back to Jaaskelainen, and the Fin, under pressure –as ever, from Luis Suarez, picked the ball up. The Uruguayan was howling for the decision, and despite pressure from Henderson and Lucas, Lee Probert waved away perhaps his only wrong decision of the match.
Bolton got an injury time consolation goal through Ivan Klasnic after a mistake from Jamie Carragher, but Kenny Dalglish will have cause for much optimism in his side's quest for Champions League football next season.
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