Good evening and welcome along to our live coverage of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Huddersfield from the John Smith’s Stadium.
The Reds have not suffered back-to-back league defeats under Jurgen Klopp but after last week’s loss at Swansea — not to mention their FA Cup exit at the hands over West Brom over the weekend — the visitors need a big performance and result this evening.
Kick off is at 8pm and we’ll bring you all the build-up between now and then, including the all-important team news. Stick with us!
TEAM NEWS: Klopp has left Virgil van Dijk on the bench for this evening’s game, potentially with one eye on Tottenham at the weekend, but Jordan Henderson returns to Premier League action after a four-week layoff.
TEAM NEWS: As for Huddersfield, manager Dave Wagner has made four changes from the team which lost to Sunderland last time out, with defender Terence Kongolo handed a first Premier League start. Tom Ince drops to the bench against his former club.
The teams are in the house.
Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to BT Sport ahead of kick off, with VAR issues discussed again.
"I don't speak to BT anymore" 😂😂😂 - Jurgen Klopp spoke to @DesKellyBTS about VAR issues on Saturday and what he heard after the #FACup game. #HUDLIV pic.twitter.com/qd8QDFnunE
— eir Sport (@eirSport) January 30, 2018
There are three top-flight games this evening, with Swansea hosting Arsenal and West Ham facing Crystal Palace in a London derby. We’ll keep you up-to-date with any of goals from those games as we go here.
- Swansea v Arsenal (7.45pm)
- West Ham v Crystal Palace (7.45pm)
- Huddersfield Town v Liverpool (8pm)
Not long until kick off now. Here’s a quick reminder of tonight’s team.
Huddersfield: Lossl, Hadergjonaj, Kongolo, Schindler, Jorgensen, Lowe, Mooy, Hogg, Billing, Mounie, Depoitre.
Subs: Smith, Coleman, van La Parra, Pritchard, Ince, Quaner, Hefele.
Liverpool: Karius, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Robertson, Can, Henderson, Milner, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: van Dijk, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mignolet, Ings, Solanke, Alexander-Arnold.
Now that you’ve seen the line-ups, which way do you think this one is going to go?
Poll Results:
You thought half-and-half scarves were bad…
The teams are out at the John Smith’s Stadium, where the atmosphere is electric as you can imagine. We’re just about set.
KICK OFF: The visitors get us underway, as they play from left to right as we look in this first half. The place is bouncing.
1 min – Liverpool enjoying some early possession here as they look to test Huddersfield’s porous rearguard, with the hosts starting much like Swansea did last Monday when they frustrated Klopp’s side.
3 mins – Firmino has a snapshot from distance after nice inter-play between the Brazilian and Mane, but it’s easy for Huddersfield ‘keeper Jonas Loessl.
4 mins – Huddersfield struggling to retain possession in these early exchanges with Liverpool applying a high press game. Dave Wanger’s side haven’t won in the Premier League since mid-December, a run of form which has seen them fall to within two points of the drop zone.
6 mins – As soon as Liverpool are on the ball, Huddersfield instantly drop into their rigid defensive structure and will look to hit the visitors on the break. Patience will be the name of the game for the Reds this evening.
There’s been a goal at the London Stadium, where Crystal Palace have taken an early lead courtesy of Christian Benteke’s header after good work from Andros Townsend.
11 mins – Not a lot to report from this match so far. Liverpool are enjoying all the possession but haven’t been able to do much with it yet, as Huddersfield get numbers behind the ball and look to nullify the threat of Firmino, Salah and Mane.
15 mins – That’s much better from Huddersfield, who look to go wide and pick out their big men in the middle. Florent Hadergjonaj does well to skip down the right and whip in a dangerous cross but Lovren is well positioned to head clear.
16 mins — Chance! Huddersfield have come alive and are causing Liverpool problems. Chris Loewe bombs down the wing this time and his low cross finds its way to Laurent Depoitre, who forces Karius into a smart stop from 15 yards.
Arsenal have taken the lead at the Liberty Stadium through Nacho Monreal.
19 mins – Worrying signs for Liverpool with Dejan Lovren and Loris Karius not looking particular solid together as Huddersfield continue to launch it forward towards Steve Mounie and Depoitre.
Arsenal’s lead didn’t last long, however, as Sam Clucas has just equalised for Swansea. It’s now 1-1 at the Liberty Stadium.
ACTION SHOT: James Milner skips past Christopher Schindler.
23 mins – Emre Can tries his luck from range with a curling effort, which just bounces in front of the ‘keeper and makes it slightly awkward for Jonas Loessl, who parries it wide.
26 mins — GOAL! Huddersfield 0-1 Liverpool (Emre Can)
Moments after being denied by the ‘keeper, there was no stopping this Emre Can thunderbolt. Roberston’s cross is headed away and it falls perfectly for the midfielder, who fires it low, via a slight deflection off Philip Billing, past Loessl.
West Ham are level in tonight’s London derby.
29 mins – It’ll be interesting to see what Huddersfield do now having gone behind. Liverpool have had plenty of the ball but now the hosts will have to come out of their shell and make a game of this.
ACTION SHOT: Jurgen Klopp has watched his side dominate possession and take a deserved lead through Emre Can.
34 mins – Since going behind, Huddersfield have dropped even deeper and are now just allowing Liverpool to have the ball. It’s all one-way traffic.
36 mins – Very disappointing showing from Huddersfield so far, with the hosts offering very little. It has been a stroll in this first period for Liverpool and they’re looking increasingly dangerous going forward.
38 mins — You feel Huddersfield’s best opportunity to expose Liverpool’s vulnerability will be from set-pieces, and they have prime attacking position here after Mane committed the foul.
39 mins — Close! Chris Loewe stands over the free-kick and attempts to whip it around the wall but it sails just wide, although Karius had it covered.
45 mins — GOAL! Huddersfield 0-2 Liverpool (Firmino)
Liverpool are coasting. Mane releases Firmino down the left and as the Brazilian dummies to cross, he slots it in past the ‘keeper at the near post. That’s goal number 19 this season for the forward.
HALF TIME: Huddersfield 0-2 Liverpool
And that’s it for the first half. Klopp’s men are firmly in control with Huddersfield offering absolutely nothing. A walk in the park so far for Liverpool.
KICK OFF: We’re back underway at the John Smith’s Stadium. No changers from either side.
50 mins – Huddersfield have showed no signs of intent and the game is following the same pattern in this second half. Liverpool probing for a third.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has just come on for his Arsenal debut, but at the other end Petr Cech has just gifted Jordan Ayew a second Swansea goal and the hosts lead in that one.
52 mins – Frustration growing around the John Smith’s Stadium as the home side continue to sit deep, which is just giving Liverpool a free ride. There’s no tempo or intensity from Huddersfield and a few groans can be heard when an aimless ball forward trickles through to Karius.
54 mins — Chance! Can looks forward for Mane and picks him out with a pin-point cross, but the Senegal international doesn’t get enough purchase or direction on his header to beat the ‘keeper.
ACTION SHOT: Emre Can celebrates his first-half goal.
64 mins – Dave Wanger has made his first change in the hope it will make some difference to the complexion of this game. Colin Quaner has replaced Mounie up top.
67 mins – Not a lot happening. Liverpool will have had tougher training sessions than this.
68 mins — Chance! Can once again picks Mane out with a carbon copy of the move earlier in the half and this time the striker’s diving head goes wide.
ACTION SHOT: Andrew Robertson and Huddersfield’s Florent Hadergjonaj compete for the ball.
71 mins — Penalty? Huge appeals from Huddersfield after a coming together between Robertson and Collin Quaner in the box, but the striker went down far too easily.
Things have gone from bad to worse for Arsenal at the Liberty Stadium, where Swansea — the Premier League’s bottom club — now lead 3-1. Clucas has his second.
77 mins — Penalty! Emre Can has been superb all evening and he’s taken down in the box with Salah stepping up to take the spot kick.
78 mins — GOAL! Huddersfield 0-3 Liverpool (Salah)
And that’s goal number 26 for Mo Salah as he converts from the spot.
79 mins – Huddersfield make their final two changes with Tom Ince on for Chris Loewe and Rajiv van La Parra replacing Aaron Mooy.
83 mins – Time for Liverpool to make a couple of changes as Georginio Wijnaldum replaces Jordan Henderson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain comes on for Mohamed Salah.
It’s full time in the night’s other games with Arsenal suffering a damaging defeat to Swansea and the London derby ending 1-1.
- West Ham 1-1 Crystal Palace
- Swansea 3-1 Arsenal
87 mins – Rare sight of goal for Huddersfield but Ince fails to hit the target and that just about sums up Huddersfield’s night.
89 mins – Final change for the visitors as Dominic Solanke is introduced with Roberto Firmino making way.
90 mins – Into injury time now.
FULL TIME! Huddersfield 0-3 Liverpool
Well, that was a stroll in the park for Klopp’s side. Emre Can and Roberto Firmino set the Reds on their way before a late Mo Salah rounded the scoring off to secure a much-needed three points.
We’ll have a report and reaction to come, but until next time, goodbye!
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