Full Time, Liverpool 5-0:
Three minutes added
Shelvey sends a cross in the right cleared by Carr.
It falls back to Kuyt in the area, but his shot is blocked.
Birmingham comes forward, and Ridgewell crosses in, but Skrtel clears.
Birmingham retains the ball in midfield, but there is little room for them forward. The whistle blows.
90′, Liverpool 5-0:
Ngog on for Maxi
Liverpool continue to press forward down the right, creating another series of chances in the area.
87′, Liverpool 5-0:
Cole on for Meireles
Goal — Cole — Shot from the right beats Doyle at the near post.
Phillips shoots from distance — saved easily by Reina.
Larsson has a free kick in the final third on the right, but it is cleared well by Flanagan.
The ball is sent back in, but Jerome can’t put it on net.
Birmingham keeps the pressure on, but Reina eventually collects it and releases Kuyt down the right. He finds Joe Cole, who roves into the area and shoots. He beats Doyle at the near post. Goal. 5-0. Poor goalkeepeing.
83′, Liverpool 4-0:The teams trade the ball in midfield, with neither side being able to make it into the final third.
A poor pass at the back by Birmingham allows Shelvey to find Kuyt in space in the area, but he takes one touch too many, and Ridgewell gets back.
Liverpool again comes forward down the right, but Birmingham clears to midfield.
Meireles is nearly picked out by a through ball in the area, but Doyle just gets there first. It’s again not fielded cleanly, and Suarez tries to one touch it in. Doyle, however, recovers.
79′, Liverpool 4-0:
Shelvey on for Robinson
Phillips on for Gardner
The game has reached a calm, now that it’s all but over.
Birmingham has it forward for a spell, and Bentley takes a shot from distance — saved easily by Reina.
Shelvey comes on for Robinson. Phillips comes on for Gardner.
75′, Liverpool 4-0:
Goal — Maxi (hat trick) — Loose ball converted after his own shot.
Maxi Rodriguez makes another run down the right — picked by Suarez. He shoots low, and Doyle saves — but not cleanly. Meireles nearly gets to it, but the defender pushes it right back to Maxi, who scores.
4-0 Liverpool. Hat trick.
72′, Liverpool 3-0: Kuyt is fouled in midfield by Gardner.
Kuyt and Suarez again combine down the right, and Suarez again finds Maxi at the far post, but his header this time is contested, and goes for a goal kick.
Flanagam makes another run down the right — where there is nothing but space, but his ball in is poor.
Liverpool build from their own half, and Flanagan again is open on the right. Some combination play picks out Kuyt, and his cross in for Suarez is cut out by Doyle.
68′, Liverpool 3-0:
Goal — Maxi — Suarez has space on the counter, and he finds Maxi at the far post.
Hleb off for Bentley
A break releases Suarez down the right, and he comes into the area with little pressure. He crosses to a wide open Maxi at the far post, and he finishes easily. 3-0 Liverpool.
65′, Liverpool 2-0: Birmingham comes back forward, but Larsson’s ball is cleared and sent back to midfield. Birmingham pressure in the Reds’ half gives the Blues a chance at the top of the area, which results in a corner.
Larsson’s ball to the near post is flicked on, but ultimately cleared. A nice longball finds Lucas, who finds Suarez at the top of the area, but there is little support and he is cut out.
The sides thereafter exchange the ball in midfield for a spell.
61′, Liverpool 2-0: Birmingham goes on the front foot again, but Hleb sends a wayward ball in the area that ends their spell forward.
Birmingham keeps it off the clearance, but they send a longball forward easily collected by Liverpool.
An interception leaves Faye with a chance to shoot from the top of the area, but he scuffs it.
Going the other way, Suarez makes a great run into the area, cutting between two defenders, but in the end, Doyle gets the ball.
Kuyt makes a long run up the left, picking Suarez out in the area. He loses his footing, but still manages to win a corner.
Liverpool is whistled on the corner.
57′, Liverpool 2-0: Suarez is fouled in a dangerous possession — the proper distance from the top of the area, but he sends it too high.
Suarez has another run forward down the right, but he is closed down well at the top of the area.
Larsson tries to pick out Carr with a ball over the top on the right, but Skrtel beats him out for a goal kick.
53′, Liverpool 2-0: Jerome fouls Lucas in midfield.
A cross in is cleared by Carr for a corner on the right.
The corner is cleared and held up by Jerome. Robinson cuts him out for a throw at midfield.
Ridgewell is called offside after a spell of possession.
49′, Liverpool 2-0:
Yellow card — Robinson — heavy tackle on Jerome
Jerome makes a nice run down the right, sending a cross in — collected by Reina.
He, though, is caught heavily by Robinson for a yellow.
Jerome stays down for a spell, but gets up and walks it off.
Larsson’s ball is headed up and collected by Reina.
Half, Liverpool 2-0:
Four minutes added.
Birmingham has a spell of possession forward, but their final balls are repeatedly poor.
Still, they keep the front foot, but Gardner shoots well wide from distance — he had space.
After another spell on the ball, Fahey takes a poor shot from distance — he didn’t need to.
Suarez has a countering chance. He makes a run in space into the area, and his shot from around the penalty spot isn’t taken well — Doyle saves it easily.
Whistle blows.
44′, Liverpool 2-0: Meireles sends a low cross in from the left, cleared under pressure by Ridgewell.
Liverpool maintains possession in the final third, as Flanagan throws in from the right. He quickly wins a free kick in that area.
Kuyt gets to Meireles’ ball at the far post, but his header down across goal is too wide. He should have scored it.
40′, Liverpool 2-0:
Foster off for Doyle — minor injury incurred earlier.
Meireles finds Maxi on the left, and he runs into the box — ultimately cleared for a corner.
Meireles’ ball is headed out easily, but Liverpool sends it back in. Foster punches it away, but Liverpool have numbers forward and rush into the box. They keep it in the area at length, but multiple shots get blocked and Robinson eventually shoots over.
There were multiple penalty claims — Carr definitely handed the ball to block Maxi’s shot.
Foster comes off.
36′, Liverpool 2-0: Liverpool possess the ball in the final third for a while, but Flanagan’s low cross is ultimately cut out.
Birmingham finally wins the ball back with a throw on the left, but they can do little with the ball.
Suarez comes up the left and wins a corner, but nothing comes of it.
32′, Liverpool 2-0: Birmingham has a chance to go forward, but a wayward pass in the Liverpool half gives it back to the Reds, who build up slowly.
Spearing takes a shot from distance — deflected back to Liverpool. Suarez finds Maxi in the area, and sends a ball across goal — but Larsson gets back to save the goal. Meireles was there and could have easily put the game away.
Lucas sends a cross in, but it is well too long, and goes for a throw.
Birmingham has some space forward, and a Carr cross in for Larsson results in a one-touch ball on target, but it is easily saved by Reina.
Kuyt is fouled off the goal kick.
28′, Liverpool 2-0: Ben Foster is shaken up, and he may have to be taken off.
Larsson gets possession in the right corner, but Lucas and Robinson close down and win a goal kick.
24′, Liverpool 2-0:
Goal — Kuyt — After two great Foster saves, Kuyt converts the third ball.
Birmingham builds under pressure in their own half, ultimately conceding possession back to Liverpool in midfield. A longball for Maxi results in some contact at the top of the area, but nothing is called.
Liverpool retain possession for a spell — also in their own half.
A Reina goal kick finds Kuyt’s head, and he puts it over the top to Suarez, who runs behind the defense into the area down the center.
Ben Foster makes two amazing saves — one on Suarez and another on Kuyt — but Kuyt finds the loose ball and puts it past Foster. 2-0 Liverpool.
20′, Liverpool 1-0: The teams exchange in midfield for a minute, and then Carr makes a run up the right. He finds Larsson, but his cross in is cleared by Robinson.
Birmingham keeps the ball, but they make little progress down the right.
Jerome gets behind Robinson, but he is able to close down and concede the corner.
Liverpool clears the corner, but it stays with Birmingham. The next ball in finds a Blue at the far post, but Carragher gets a touch for the clearance.
16′, Liverpool 1-0: Skrtel makes a terrible back-pass that nearly allows Birmingham to equalize, but Reina is able to get there first.
Birmingham keep it in Liverpool’s half some — the run of play has evened out after the goal.
Gardner is called offside after a nice ball from Larsson.
A Larsson free kick from midfield is caught easily by Reina.
12′, Liverpool 1-0: Birmingham goes on the obligatory post-concession front foot, but they are unable to crack Liverpool’s defense.
Jerome fouls Carragher at the back.
Birmingham will now have to change their approach — something they generally don’t like to do away from St. Andrews.
8′, Liverpool 1-0:
Goal — Liverpool — Maxi pounces on a Ben Foster rebound mistake.
Flanagan comes forward down the right, and he and Suarez nearly combine for a 1-2.
Liverpool keeps the pressure on, but ultimately Birmingham has a chance to break — cut out well by Lucas.
Liverpool enjoy a spell of possession in the Birmingham half — the Blues are sitting behind the ball.
A shot by spearing isn’t fielded cleanly by Foster, and Maxi runs in and finishes past the diving keeper.
Goal! 1-0 Liverpool.
4′, 0-0: Birmingham makes a neat run up the right, but it is cut out well at the edge of the area by Robinson.
The teams exchange possession casually, feeling each other out.
Hleb is fouled in his own half, but Birmingham opts to simply send it long.
A nice ball across center nearly finds Maxi in space above the area, but Birmingham close well.
9:45 a.m. ET: With the race for fifth looking a more distant prospect, the focus for at the end of Liverpool’s season has largely become establishing momentum going into next year’s campaign and giving some of the Reds’ young players a run.
With the options in defense so limited, both John Flanagan and Jack Robinson will get the starts at full back on Saturday against Birmingham city.
Alex McLeish’s side remains on the fringes of the relegation battle, five points above the drop, but they will likely need upwards of five points in their remaining matches to ensure Premier League security.
Both sides come in on decent runs of form. Liverpool is 3-1-1 in their last five, while the Blues are 2-1-2.
Lineups for the match are as follows:
Liverpool:
Pepe Reina (25), goalkeeper
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Jamie Carragher (23), center back
Jack Robinson (49), left back
John Flanagan (38), right back
Jay Spearing (26), midfielder
Lucas (21), midfielder
Maxi Rodriguez (17), midfielder
Raul Meireles (4), midfielder
Dirk Kuyt (18), forward
Luis Suarez (7), forward
Substitutes:
Joe Cole (10)
Christian Poulsen (28)
Sotirios Kyrgiakos (16)
David Ngog (24)
Jonjo Shelvey (33)
Peter Gulacsi (42)
Conor Coady (35)
Birmingham:
Ben Foster (26), goalkeeper
Martin Jiranek (28), center back
Roger Johnson (5), center back
Liam Ridgewell (6), left back
Stephen Carr (2), right back
Craig Gardner (8), midfielder
Lee Bowyer (4), midfielder
Alexander Hleb (22), midfielder
Keith Fahey (18), midfielder
Sebastian Larsson (7), midfielder
Cameron Jerome (10), forward
Substitutes:
Stuart Parnaby (21)
Kevin Phillips (9)
David Bentley (11)
Colin Doyle (13)
Curtis Davies (32)
Matt Derbyshire (14)
Jean Beausejour (23)
