By Jake Glavies
Steven Gerrard vs Wolverhampton
Steven Gerrard and the rest of the Liverpool squad just can’t seem to catch a break lately.
Winners of just seven of its past 24 matches, in all competitions, Liverpool had another rough outing Tuesday, drawing 0-0 with league bottom-dweller Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. The lone bright spot was the return of Gerrard, who played his first match since leaving a Jan. 13 contest against Reading with a hamstring injury. Though the Reds are currently in fifth place in the Premier League, Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Manchester City are nipping at their heels, though they’ve played two fewer matches.
The draw further hits home just how far off last season’s second place pace Rafael Benitez’s team is at the moment. Playing without the injured Fernando Torres, the Reds managed just one shot on goal for the day. But the blame for these offensive woes can’t be placed solely on Liverpool’s shoulders. Wolves boss Mick McCarthy set out to clamp down on the Reds frontline, fielding four defenders and five midfielders. Defender Jody Craddock played a large part in the draw, as he foiled a number of promising plays.
Liverpool had a chance to go up early, but Albert Riera headed a second-minute Gerrard corner past the goal. Later, Dirk Kuyt looked to get his third goal in two games, but Craddock was there to deny him from 20 yards out.
Wolves were playing with a sense of purpose as they looked to avoid relegation and stay in the top tier in English soccer. Currently 17th in the league, the squad holds a slim one goal lead over Burnley; Hull City and Portsmouth round out the Premier League Top 20.
McCarthy’s team was surely happy to see West Ham, who rests just one spot ahead in the standings, draw 1-1 with last-place Pompey. The Hammers hold a goal differential lead over Wolves, though both teams have registered 20 points this season.
As for Liverpool, the loss drops the team just out of Champions League qualification for the time being – a spot it certainly doesn’t want to be in with such a tight group atop the league standings.
