This Saturday's late kick-off,in the Barclays premier league might just not have been the most interesting of matches to tune into,as it featured the struggling Portsmouth with only two wins in their previous 16 outings,hosting a 2nd placed Liverpool side,not at all at their full strength nonetheless looking to win this fixure and temporarily go top of the premier league table,with league leaders Manchesr United having played two games less than them.But Myself being an ardent liverpool supporter,I never try and skip any of the league games no matter what position they might be in.Also every result that they get from now on could change the winds of their title campaign severely.But i was having second thoughts about this one,as lpool were without their talismanic skipper Steven Gerrard(out for 3 weeks with injury)and were also shy of influencial players such as Xabi Alonso and Albert Riera due to injury.And to top it all off,one of the most feared strikers in europe,Fernando Torres,i heard would be left to watch from the bench.Thats a few very massive blows,as i seriously considered turning off the TV after looking at the squad which was setup in something that looked like a 5-4-1 formation with six defenders on the pitch!...right..who gets the goals Rafa?David N'gog?Rookie lone striker?unlikely to say the least...
Regardless i watched,and as expected it was a dull and drab first half,liverpool resumed their usual slow starters' ways,with the only highlight being Fabio Aurelio's free-kick off the left hand post.
Little did i know that the second half was going to be blood-rushing,heart stopping,butterflies-in-gut drama...with what could have been the most unexpected of incidents,David Nugent puts Portsmouth into the lead,with a possibility of being offside,let by.Still i had enough belief in Liverpool to go on and clinch it,but the curse of the draw never passed me.Then Ryan Babel misses an atrocious sitter.Unbelievable.In a game which saw the refree(Howard Webb)all over the place,not always making the right decisions with a countless no. of handball appeals swayed away,and offsides gone for and against,former liverpool lad Peter Crouch commits a horrendous error of a back pass to keeper David James,forcing him to handle the ball due to Dirk Kuyt's charge.(who had now entered the game,thankfully)Free kick in the box-liverpool.GOAL!!!And its 1-1!!! As Fabio Aurelio blasts through the pompey side,stacked like bowling pins inside the penalty area.Relief...Another substitution sees Xabi Alonso walk into the pitch,but still no Torres.The gold was still very much in the mine..
I leave pulling my hair as Torres finally steps into the pitch with 15 mins to go.But in the blink of an eye,pompey are in the lead again,courtesy of a free header for Herman Heraidersson from a set-piece.In complete anguish and disbelief,i kick the shelf beside me,suddenly fearing how far Man-Uniteds lead would go,were liverpool to lose.. 2-1 it stood and for the second time,pompey take the lead,with the tale twisted as fiercely as this season of the premier league itself.
Then theres another blood rush accompanied by a mood swing,as Dirk Kuyt blasts home from close range with intense venom.The tide begins to turn as the score stands at 2-2.Liverpool equalise again.After all thats already been in this match,the final verdict is provided by none other than Torres himself heading home the potential winner,as i punch the air,revved with emotion,with nothing but pure satisfaction .Theres hope yet!!We'd done it again...3-2!!!.F**king unbelievable really...What a show,lads.Snatching the 3 point parcel right out of pompeys hands,(but you'vre relly got to fel bad for them after their performance.)Liverpool are league leaders only for the while,but with a lot of confidence after this terrific show of class and character from potential champions.
I just wanted to write this piece,in an attempt to explain the emotion that travels through me during a liverpool game,the club that i support and love.Every result plays its toll on me long after the game is done,as them winning their first barclays premier league title(19th league title)is all that matters to me when i watch the league.Its this about football that never ceases to amaze me,the fact that it never fails to deliver.Seems stupid that i'm talking so much about a mid-league game,albeit important,but at the same time NOT a champions league final or something!And Even though this was a small time league match,it produced 5 goals of a thrilling saga with one clubs title hopes hanging in the balance,whose fate could change after each twist in the game.Tomorrow you could see Aston Villa beat man united to the top,all punditry aside...What a league battle we have in store but thats just how it is,its perfect,its genius,its heavenly.It is the beautiful game.And we live to love it,and love to live it.
--YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE--liverpool F.C
