Benjani scored two goals as
Blackburn stunned Liverpool
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Two goals from Benjani heaped more pressure on
under-fire Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson as his side were
comprehensively beaten at Ewood Park.
Blackburn struck first, Martin Olsson coolly driving through
Pepe Reina's legs before Benjani smashed a second. And Rovers drove
on against hapless Liverpool, Benjani tapping in a close-range
third after David Hoilett's run.
Steven Gerrard managed a consolation goal but then blazed a
penalty over the bar with six minutes to go.
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Liverpool's failure to string a run of results together this
season has put Hodgson, whose side have only won once on the road,
under significant pressure.
The Englishman came under heavy fire after losing to Wolves over
Christmas but their subsequent 2-1 win over Bolton appeared to have
bought him some time.
However, this will rank amongst one of Liverpool's worst
setbacks this season, along with the 3-1 loss against Newcastle,
and 2-0 defeats by Stoke and Everton, and it is difficult to see
how he will be able to avoid more negative headlines after a
disastrously below-par display which will leave the doom mongers
sharpening their knives.
It could have been so different, had Liverpool built on a
promising opening five minutes during which Fernando Torres headed
wide after a clever one-two with Paul Konchesky.
But inconsistency has dogged both these mid-table sides this
season, with each starting the game on 25 points. And Liverpool
showed their incredibly flaky nature by losing their momentum
almost immediately.
Blackburn boss Steve Kean has also been under pressure after
replacing Sam Allardyce, who was fired by Venky's, the club's new
owners.
But despite that sacking and a seemingly failed bid for
Brazilian star Ronaldinho this week, there is an air of optimism
beginning to circle around Ewood Park, with talk of big money being
made available by their Indian owners.
And the players fed off that, showing constant endeavour and
creating a series of chances on the counter attack.
Mame Diouf had the best of these when Olsson's wicked cross
flashed beyond Martin Skrtel but it took the striker by surprise
and he could only shin the ball into the hands of Pepe Reina.
Even with Gerrard, Torres and Joe Cole in the starting line-up,
Liverpool attacks were in short supply and Rovers took a deserved
lead on the half-hour mark.
Ryan Nelsen's long ball found Diouf who played in the
overlapping Olsson and the Swede drove his finish through the legs
of Reina.
And Blackburn heaped more misery on Liverpool before half-time
when Benjani picked up the ball inside the box, spun Sotirios
Kyrgiakos expertly and smashed a fierce effort past Reina and into
the roof of the net.
Hodgson looked on crestfallen from the sidelines, with his hands
planted in his coat pockets and that was a mood echoed by his
players' body language on the pitch.
Almost inevitably, Benjani, who had only scored one goal this
season before the start of the match, made it 3-0 on 56
minutes.
Hoilett skinned Martin Skrtel as he hit the bye-line and broke
into the box before squaring to Benjani who tapped into the net
easily to leave the crowd cruelly singing: "you're getting sacked
in the morning" in the direction of Hodgson.
Liverpool did manage to dominate possession in the second half
but that was primarily a product of Blackburn sitting back on their
healthy lead and relying on the superb centre-back partnership of
Nelsen and Christopher Samba, who Rovers will be desperately keen
to keep at Ewood Park.
Joe Cole's 25-yard drive was well saved by Mark Bunn as
Liverpool finally fired a warning shot.
And they did pull one back when Gerrard, playing his 550th game
for Liverpool, lashed into the corner from close range.
Gerrard was then handed a chance to make the remaining six
minutes extremely tense when he was brought down by Michel Salgado
in the box.
But the Liverpool captain blazed his penalty well over the bar
to compound the Reds' agony.
