2007–08 Liverpool F.c. Season
The 2007–08 season was the 116th season in Liverpool Football Club's existence, and their 46th consecutive year in the top flight, which covers the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008.
| 2007–08 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Tom Hicks and George Gillett | |||
| Manager | Rafael Benítez | |||
| Premier League | 4th | |||
| FA Cup | Fifth round | |||
| League Cup | Quarter-finals | |||
| UEFA Champions League | Semi-finals | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Fernando Torres (24) All: Fernando Torres (33) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 44,459 v Manchester United (16 December 2007, Premier League) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 41,095 v Porto (28 November 2007, UEFA Champions League) | |||
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Having finished third the previous season, Liverpool had qualified for the UEFA Champions League final qualifying stage.
First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Regular season
August
Liverpool began their Premier League season with a trip to Aston Villa, which they won 2–1. This was followed by the first leg of the Champions League qualifier, at Toulouse. The game, unusually played on a weekday afternoon, was won 1–0 by Liverpool. Next came the first home game, a Premier League game against Chelsea. Liverpool took a lead through Fernando Torres's first goal for the club, but Chelsea hit back with a disputed penalty, ending the game 1–1. Referee Rob Styles appeared to book Michael Essien twice without sending him off, similar to Graham Poll at the 2006 World Cup. Styles later admitted to have made an incorrect decision to award the penalty and, unusually, apologised to Liverpool for his mistake; he was subsequently dropped for the next gameweek.
The third league game of the season, a 2–0 away win at Sunderland, was notable for Mohamed Sissoko's first (and only) Liverpool goal, after more than two years. This was also the Reds' 7,000th league goal. The following Tuesday saw Liverpool play Toulouse at Anfield in the second leg of their Champions League qualifying tie. Before kick-off, the Everton song "Z Cars" echoed around Anfield, in memory of 11-year-old Rhys Jones, a local boy who had been shot dead the previous week. The game finished 4–0 to Liverpool, and the team thereby qualified for the group stage courtesy of a 5–0 aggregate scoreline.
September
Liverpool won their first game of September against Derby County 6–0, Liverpool's biggest league win since April 2003 when they beat West Bromwich Albion by the same scoreline. This win took them to the top of the Premier League table for the first time under Rafa Benitez.
After a two-week international break, Liverpool's next league game was away to Portsmouth. The match ended in a 0–0 draw, after Pepe Reina saved Nwankwo Kanu's penalty kick. The following week, the home league game against Birmingham City, ended in a similar goalless scoreline.
In between those two league draws Liverpool travelled to Porto to begin their Champions League Group A campaign against another team that had previously won the competition. The game, which ended 1–1, saw Jermaine Pennant sent off after receiving two yellow cards.
Liverpool got back on a winning track when they travelled to Reading for a League Cup third round tie. Liverpool beat their hosts 4–2, with Fernando Torres scoring his first Liverpool hat-trick. This was followed up with a league success, away to Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium, where Yossi Benayoun's 75th-minute strike—his second in two games—was enough to secure three points.
October
October's first fixture was the visit of Marseille, Liverpool's second Champions League group stage match. A spectacular individual goal from Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena handed Liverpool a 0–1 loss, their first of the season. Disappointed Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez described the match as possibly the worst performance by the club under his management.
Liverpool remained at Anfield for their following game, the league visit of Tottenham Hotspur. A last-minute, injury-time, equaliser by Fernando Torres earned the team a 2–2 draw to preserve their unbeaten league record. However, Liverpool bounced back to win the away derby to fierce rivals Everton. The match at Goodison Park was a contentious one, with the referee's performance heavily criticised by Everton manager David Moyes. Dirk Kuyt scored two penalties that saw Liverpool come from behind to win 2–1.
The third of Liverpool's Champions League group games was a trip to Istanbul, where they had won the trophy in 2005. On this occasion, however, Liverpool fans had little to celebrate as their hosts Beşiktaş dealt their side's chances of progressing in the competition a serious blow by winning 2–1. The highest seeded team in their group, Liverpool were now bottom of their quartet with only a point from their first three qualifying games.
Liverpool finished the month with a pair of home fixtures. The league visit of Arsenal yielded a 1–1 draw, whilst the League Cup visit of Cardiff City, who featured Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler in their line-up, gave the Reds a 2–1 win and Nabil El Zhar his first Liverpool goal.
November
Liverpool began the month of November with a 0–0 away draw at Blackburn Rovers, further extending their unbeaten run in the league. They followed this by finally injecting life into their Champions League campaign with an emphatic 8–0 home victory over Beşiktaş. A hat-trick from Yossi Benayoun, a goal from captain Steven Gerrard and two each from both Ryan Babel and Peter Crouch gave Liverpool fans something to celebrate as Liverpool established a new record for margin of victory in a Champions League match (the previous best, 7–0, had been held jointly by Arsenal and Juventus).
On 10 November, the Champions League win was followed up with a Premier League one, as Liverpool beat Fulham 2–0 at Anfield. Fernando Torres came off the bench to break the deadlock in the 81st minute, and Steven Gerrard scored a penalty won by Peter Crouch four minutes later to seal the victory.
After another international break, the team's 13th league game took place, on 24 November at Newcastle United. Steven Gerrard, who had been booed by the Newcastle fans for his part in England's failure to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008, opened the scoring for the Reds and two more goals from Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel gave Liverpool a 3–0 win.
The team ended the month by hosting their penultimate Champions League group game, the must-win visit of Porto. Liverpool won 4–1 and, as Fernando Torres scored the first two Champions League goals of his career, club captain Steven Gerrard set a personal milestone of his own by equalling Michael Owen's club record of 22 goals in the Champions League.
December
The club kicked off a busy month by registering a 4–0 league win against Bolton Wanderers at Anfield. This win stretched Liverpool's winning streak to five games, during which they scored 21 goals and conceded just one, and continued their unbeaten league run.
However, this unbeaten start to the league season was cut short the following week when the visit to Reading resulted in a 3–1 defeat on 8 December. After the hosts converted a penalty for a challenge that television replays showed had occurred on the line, Steven Gerrard equalised for Liverpool before two second-half goals from Reading handed Liverpool their first league loss of the season.
Three days later, yet again needing a win to guarantee their survival in the competition, Liverpool travelled to Marseille for their final Champions League Group A fixture. Marseille had previously hosted English teams in Europe on six occasions and won all six times, and only needed a draw to progress themselves. However, Liverpool registered their second 4–0 win of the month to finish second in their group and progress to the round of 16.
On 16 December, Liverpool hosted arch-rivals Manchester United in a vital Premier League match. The match ended with a 1–0 victory for Manchester United, their fourth in their last five league visits to Anfield, giving the latter a nine-point lead over Liverpool in the Premier League. The only goal was scored by Carlos Tevez. Arsenal beat Chelsea 1–0 later in the day to give themselves a ten-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the Premiership.
Liverpool travelled to Chelsea for the League Cup quarter-final on 19 December. They were beaten 2–0 through a deflected goal from Frank Lampard and an injury-time goal from Andriy Shevchenko. Peter Crouch was sent off after a two-footed tackle on Mikel John Obi.
Three days before Christmas, Liverpool hosted Portsmouth, looking to get their Premier League campaign back on track after two successive defeats. Liverpool continued a record of remaining undefeated at Anfield against Pompey since 1951 by triumphing 4–1. Fernando Torres scored twice to continue his good run of scoring, while the other goals came from Yossi Benayoun and a Sylvain Distin own goal. In the Boxing Day fixture, Liverpool managed a 2–1 victory over Derby, with goals from Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard respectively, before playing out a goalless draw at the City of Manchester Stadium in their final game of 2007.
January
Liverpool's first game of 2008 was a home game against Wigan, which ended in a 1–1 draw. This was followed by their first FA Cup game of the season, the third round tie against Luton Town, which also finished 1–1. In the replay a week later, Liverpool beat them 5–0 at home, in which Steven Gerrard scored his second Liverpool hat-trick. On 26 January 2008, Liverpool defeated Havant & Waterlooville 5–2, despite going behind twice in the first half. After that they travelled to Upton Park, where they faced West Ham United. An injury time penalty from Mark Noble saw them slump to a 1–0 defeat, their third of the league season.
Martin Škrtel was the first signing by Liverpool in the January transfer window. The undisclosed fee was rumoured to be £6.5 million, which would be the highest amount paid by the club for a defender. Mohamed Sissoko, who had found himself playing fewer games after the arrivals of Javier Mascherano and Lucas, transferred to Juventus, and Jack Hobbs, who had played some first team games this season, joined Scunthorpe United on loan until the end of the season.
February
Liverpool's first game of February was against Sunderland at Anfield, which was won 3–0. On 10 February, Liverpool travelled to Stamford Bridge and played out a 0–0 draw with Chelsea.
Liverpool played Barnsley on 16 February in the FA Cup fifth round and lost 2–1 at Anfield, but then beat Inter Milan on 19 February in the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen first leg, winning 2–0.
Their last game of the month, against Middlesbrough on 23 February, produced a 3–2 win for Liverpool, with a Fernando Torres hat-trick.
March
Liverpool's first game in March was away against Bolton which they won 3–1 through an own goal by Jussi Jääskeläinen and strikes from Ryan Babel and Fábio Aurélio, his first for the club. On 5 March, Liverpool played against West Ham. Liverpool won this game 4–0, with a goal from Steven Gerrard and another hat-trick from Fernando Torres, making him the first Liverpool player in over 60 years to net hat-tricks in successive home games. Three days later, Liverpool beat Newcastle 3–0 at home, with goals from Jermaine Pennant, Torres and Gerrard. On 11 March, Liverpool became the second English team in a week to win at the San Siro by winning against Inter Milan 1–0, with Torres again the scorer. Back in the league, Javier Mascherano scored his first goal for Liverpool and Fernando Torres scored his 20th league goal of the season, becoming the first player at the club since Robbie Fowler to do so as Liverpool won 2–1 over Reading. However, their seven match winning streak was ended when they lost 3–0 to Manchester United. Javier Mascherano was sent off by referee Steve Bennett for dissent after Mascherano questioned the controversial booking of Fernando Torres. Liverpool's final fixture of March was against Everton at Anfield. Torres scored the only goal early in the match, and Liverpool held on to win 1–0, giving them a five-point lead over Everton for fourth place.
April
On 1 April, in the Champions League, Liverpool faced Arsenal for the first of three consecutive meetings, a 1–1 draw at the Emirates Stadium with Dirk Kuyt scoring an away goal. On 5 April they drew 1–1 once again at the Emirates. Peter Crouch scored for Liverpool to take the lead but Nicklas Bendtner scored the equalizer for Arsenal, while Damien Plessis made his debut. In the third game, Liverpool beat Arsenal 4–2 (5–3 on aggregate) to reach the Champions League semi-final. In the following game, Steven Gerrard scored in his 300th Liverpool appearance in the Premier League in a 3–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers. The following Saturday, Liverpool put out a weakened side against Fulham ahead of their semi-final first leg with Chelsea and won 2–0, with Jermaine Pennant and Peter Crouch getting on the scoresheet. On 22 April, Liverpool played Chelsea at Anfield in the Champions League semi-final first leg. Liverpool looked to be going into the second leg with a 1–0 advantage through Dirk Kuyt, but in the final minute of stoppage time John Arne Riise accidentally headed a Salomon Kalou cross into his own net, giving Chelsea a slight advantage through the away goal. The next Saturday, at Birmingham City, Liverpool again put out a weakened side before the 2nd leg with Chelsea. Damien Plessis started again, and Liverpool fought back from 2–0 down to 2–2, with Crouch and Benayoun scoring. That point secured fourth spot for Liverpool. The next Wednesday Liverpool played Chelsea in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge, but lost 3–2 in extra time (4–3 on aggregate), sending Liverpool out of the Champions League.
May
On 4 May, Liverpool beat Manchester City 1–0 at Anfield. On the final day of the Premier League, Liverpool won 2–0 away at Tottenham, with Andriy Voronin scoring his sixth of the season and Torres' 24th league goal, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's record for the most goals scored by a foreign Premier League player in a debut season.
Premier League
| 11 August 2007 1 | Aston Villa | 1–2 | Liverpool | Birmingham, West Midlands |
| 17:15 BST | Mellberg  26'Bouma 58'Barry 67',  85' (pen.)Petrov 89' | Report | Laursen 31' (o.g.) Pennant 55'Reina 84'Gerrard 87' | Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 42,640 Referee: Mike Riley |
| 19 August 2007 2 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Chelsea | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 16:00 BST | Torres 15' Kuyt 30'Pennant 40'Gerrard 43'Carragher 61' | Report | Essien 12' A. Cole 59'Ben Haim 63'Lampard 62' (pen.), 70'Terry 74' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,924 Referee: Rob Styles |
| 25 August 2007 3 | Sunderland | 0–2 | Liverpool | Sunderland, Wearside |
| 12:45 BST | Etuhu 27' | Report | Sissoko 37' Arbeloa 67'Voronin 87' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 45,645 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 1 September 2007 4 | Liverpool | 6–0 | Derby County | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 15:00 BST | Alonso 29', 69' Babel 45'Torres 56', 77'Voronin 76' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,076 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 15 September 2007 5 | Portsmouth | 0–0 | Liverpool | Portsmouth, Hampshire |
| 12:45 BST | Bouba Diop 29' Johnson 64'Davis 90+3' | Report | Alonso 31' Sissoko 76' | Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 20,388 Referee: Mike Riley |
| 22 September 2007 6 | Liverpool | 0–0 | Birmingham City | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,215 Referee: Lee Mason |
| 29 September 2007 7 | Wigan Athletic | 0–1 | Liverpool | Wigan, Greater Manchester |
| Report | Benayoun 75' | Stadium: DW Stadium Attendance: 24,311 Referee: Mark Clattenburg |
| 7 October 2007 8 | Liverpool | 2–2 | Tottenham Hotspur | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Voronin 12' Torres 90+2' | Report | Keane 45', 47' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,986 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 20 October 2007 9 | Everton | 1–2 | Liverpool | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 12:45 | Hyypiä 37' (o.g.) Hibbert  53'Neville 90' | Report | Kuyt 54' (pen.), 90+2' (pen.) | Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 40,049 Referee: Mark Clattenburg |
| 28 October 2007 10 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Arsenal | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 16:00 | Gerrard 7' | Report | Fàbregas 80' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,122 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 3 November 2007 11 | Blackburn Rovers | 0–0 | Liverpool | Blackburn, Lancashire |
| 17:15 | Report | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 30,033 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| 10 November 2007 12 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Fulham | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 17:15 | Torres 81' Gerrard 85' (pen.) | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,073 Referee: Steve Tanner |
| 24 November 2007 13 | Newcastle United | 0–3 | Liverpool | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| 12:45 | Report | Gerrard 27' Kuyt 46'Babel 66' | Stadium: St. James' Park Attendance: 52,307 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 2 December 2007 14 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Bolton Wanderers | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Hyypiä 17' Torres 45'Gerrard 56'Babel 85' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,270 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 8 December 2007 15 | Reading | 3–1 | Liverpool | Reading, Berkshire |
| 17:15 | Hunt 17' (pen.) Doyle 60'Harper 67' | Report | Gerrard 28', 59' | Stadium: Madejski Stadium Attendance: 24,022 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 16 December 2007 16 | Liverpool | 0–1 | Manchester United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 13:30 | Gerrard 33' Mascherano 63' | Report | Evra 15' Anderson 33'Brown 36'Tevez 41' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,459 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 22 December 2007 17 | Liverpool | 4–1 | Portsmouth | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Benayoun 13' Distin 16' (o.g.)Torres 66', 85' | Report | Benjani 57' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,071 |
| 26 December 2007 18 | Derby County | 1–2 | Liverpool | Derby, Derbyshire |
| McEveley 67' | Report | Torres 11' Gerrard 90+2' | Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 33,029 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 30 December 2007 19 | Manchester City | 0–0 | Liverpool | Manchester, Greater Manchester |
| 16:00 GMT | Report | Torres 85' | Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium Attendance: 47,321 Referee: Uriah Rennie |
| 2 January 2008 20 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Wigan Athletic | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Torres 49' | Report | Bramble 80' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,308 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 12 January 2008 21 | Middlesbrough | 1–1 | Liverpool | Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire |
| Boateng 26' | Report | Torres 71' | Stadium: Riverside Stadium Attendance: 33,035 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 21 January 2008 22 | Liverpool | 2–2 | Aston Villa | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Benayoun 19' Crouch 88' | Report | Harewood 69' Aurélio 72' (o.g.) | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,590 Referee: Mark Clattenburg |
| 30 January 2008 23 | West Ham United | 1–0 | Liverpool | Newham, London |
| Noble 90+3' (pen.) | Report | Stadium: Upton Park Attendance: 34,977 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 2 February 2008 24 | Liverpool | 3–0 | Sunderland | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Crouch 57' Torres 69'Gerrard 89' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,244 Referee: Rob Styles |
| 10 February 2008 25 | Chelsea | 0–0 | Liverpool | Fulham, London |
| 16:00 | Belletti 3' Carvalho 74'Alex 78' | Report | Babel 41' Riise 63' | Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,788 Referee: Mike Riley |
| 23 February 2008 26 | Liverpool | 3–2 | Middlesbrough | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Torres 28', 29', 61' | Report | Tuncay 9' Downing 83' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,612 Referee: Lee Mason |
| 2 March 2008 27 | Bolton Wanderers | 1–3 | Liverpool | Bolton, Greater Manchester |
| Cohen 79' | Report | Jääskeläinen 12' (o.g.) Babel 60'Aurélio 75' | Stadium: Reebok Stadium Attendance: 24,004 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 5 March 2008 28 | Liverpool | 4–0 | West Ham United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Torres 8', 60', 81' Gerrard 85' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,954 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 8 March 2008 29 | Liverpool | 3–0 | Newcastle United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Pennant 43' Torres 45'Gerrard 51' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,031 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 15 March 2008 30 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Reading | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Mascherano 19' Torres 48' | Report | Matějovský 5' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,524 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 23 March 2008 31 | Manchester United | 3–0 | Liverpool | Trafford, Greater Manchester |
| 13:30 GMT | Brown 34' Ferdinand 60'Ronaldo 78'Nani 81' | Report | Mascherano 11'  44'Torres 44'Arbeloa 53' | Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 76,000 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 30 March 2008 32 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Everton | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 16:00 | Torres 7' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,295 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 5 April 2008 33 | Arsenal | 1–1 | Liverpool | Islington, London |
| 12:45 | Bendtner 54' | Report | Crouch 41' | Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,111 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 13 April 2008 34 | Liverpool | 3–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 13:30 | Gerrard 60' Torres 82'Voronin 90' | Report | Santa Cruz 90+2' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,283 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 19 April 2008 35 | Fulham | 0–2 | Liverpool | Fulham, London |
| Report | Pennant 17' Crouch 70' | Stadium: Craven Cottage Attendance: 25,311 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| 26 April 2008 36 | Birmingham City | 2–2 | Liverpool | Birmingham, West Midlands |
| Forssell 33' Larsson 35' | Report | Crouch 63' Benayoun 75' | Stadium: St Andrew's Attendance: 29,252 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 4 May 2008 37 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Manchester City | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 16:00 | Torres 58' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,074 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 11 May 2008 38 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0–2 | Liverpool | Haringey, London |
| 15:00 | Report | Voronin 69' Torres 74' | Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 36,063 Referee: Uriah Rennie |
Classification
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chelsea | 38 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 65 | 26 | +39 | 85 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 3 | Arsenal | 38 | 24 | 11 | 3 | 74 | 31 | +43 | 83 | Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round |
| 4 | Liverpool | 38 | 21 | 13 | 4 | 67 | 28 | +39 | 76 | |
| 5 | Everton | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 55 | 33 | +22 | 65 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 71 | 51 | +20 | 60 | Qualification for the Intertoto Cup third round |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
For further information on European qualification see Premier League – Competition
Results by round
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 38 | 21 | 13 | 4 | 67 | 28 | +39 | 76 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 43 | 13 | +30 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 24 | 15 | +9 |
Big Four Games
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 |
Cup Competitions
Football League Cup
| 25 September 2007 Third Round | Reading | 2–4 | Liverpool | Reading, Berkshire |
| 19:45 | Convey 28' Halls 64' | Report | Benayoun 23' Torres 50', 71', 86' | Stadium: Madejski Stadium Attendance: 23,567 |
| 31 October 2007 Fourth Round | Liverpool | 2–1 | Cardiff City | Liverpool |
| 19:45 | El Zhar 48' Gerrard 66' | Report | Purse 65' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,780 |
| 19 December 2007 Fifth Round | Chelsea | 2–0 | Liverpool | Fulham, London |
| 19:45 | Lampard 59' Shevchenko 90' | Report | Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,366 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
FA Cup
| 6 January 2008 Third Round | Luton Town | 1–1 | Liverpool | Luton |
| 16:00 | Riise 76' (o.g.) | Report | Crouch 73' | Stadium: Kenilworth Road Attendance: 10,226 |
| 15 January 2008 Third Round Replay | Liverpool | 5–0 | Luton Town | Liverpool |
| 20:00 | Babel 45' Gerrard 52', 64', 71'Hyypiä 57' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,446 |
UEFA Champions League
Third qualifying round
Liverpool | 15 August 2007 First leg | Toulouse  | 0–1 | Liverpool | Toulouse, France |
| Report | Voronin 43' | Stadium: Stadium Municipal Attendance: 36,000 Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece) |
Toulouse | 28 August 2007 Second leg | Liverpool | 4–0 | Toulouse | Liverpool, England |
| Crouch 19' Hyypiä 49'Kuyt 87', 90+1' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,118 Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany) |
Group stage
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Porto | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 11 |
| Liverpool | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 5 | +13 | 10 |
| Marseille | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 7 |
 Beşiktaş | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 6 |
Liverpool | 18 September 2007 1 | Porto | 1–1 | Liverpool | Porto, Portugal |
| 20:45 | L. González 8' (pen.) | Report | Kuyt 17' Pennant | Stadium: Estádio do Dragão Attendance: 41,208 Referee: Ľuboš Micheľ (Slovakia) |
Marseille | 3 October 2007 2 | Liverpool | 0–1 | Marseille | Liverpool, England |
| 20:45 | Report | Valbuena 77' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,355 Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria) |
Liverpool | 24 October 2007 3 | Beşiktaş | 2–1 | Liverpool | Istanbul, Turkey |
| 20:45 | Hyypiä 13' (o.g.) Bobô 82' | Report | Gerrard 85' | Stadium: BJK İnönü Stadium Attendance: 32,500 Referee: Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark) |
Beşiktaş | 6 November 2007 4 | Liverpool | 8–0 | Beşiktaş | Liverpool, England |
| 20:45 | Crouch 19', 89' Benayoun 32', 53', 56'Gerrard 69'Babel 78', 81' | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,143 Referee: Markus Merk (Germany) |
Porto | 28 November 2007 5 | Liverpool | 4–1 | Porto | Liverpool, England |
| 20:45 | Torres 19', 78' Gerrard 84' (pen.)Crouch 87' | Report | López 33' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,095 Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy) |
Liverpool | 11 December 2007 6 | Marseille | 0–4 | Liverpool | Marseille, France |
| 20:45 | Report | Gerrard 4' Torres 11'Kuyt 48'Babel 90+1' | Stadium: Stade Vélodrome Attendance: 53,000 Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway) |
Knockout phase
Round of 16
Inter Milan | 19 February 2008 First leg | Liverpool | 2–0 | Inter Milan | Liverpool, England |
| Kuyt 85' Gerrard 90' | Report | Materazzi 30' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,999 Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium) |
Liverpool | 11 March 2008 Second leg | Inter Milan | 0–1 | Liverpool | Milan, Italy |
| Burdisso 50' | Report | Torres 63' | Stadium: San Siro Attendance: 80,000 Referee: Tom Henning Øvrebø (Norway) |
Quarter-finals
Liverpool | 2 April 2008 First leg | Arsenal | 1–1 | Liverpool | London, England |
| Adebayor 23' | Report | Kuyt 26' | Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,041 Referee: Pieter Vink (Netherlands) |
Arsenal | 8 April 2008 Second leg | Liverpool | 4–2 | Arsenal | Liverpool, England |
| Hyypiä 30' Torres 69'Gerrard 86' (pen.)Babel 90+2' | Report | Diaby 13' Adebayor 84' | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,985 Referee: Peter Frojdfeldt (Sweden) |
Semi-finals
Chelsea | 22 April 2008 First leg | Liverpool | 1–1 | Chelsea | Liverpool, England |
| Kuyt 43' | Report | Riise 90+4' (o.g.) | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,180 Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria) |
Liverpool | 30 April 2008 Second leg | Chelsea | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Liverpool | London, England |
| Drogba 33', 105' Lampard 98' (pen.) | Report | Torres 64' Babel 117' | Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 38,900 Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy) |
Top scorers
| P | Player | Position | PL | FAC | LC | EC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fernando Torres | Striker | 24 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 33 |
| 2 | Steven Gerrard | Midfielder | 11 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 21 |
| 3 | Peter Crouch | Striker | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11 |
 Yossi Benayoun | Midfielder | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 11 | |
 Dirk Kuyt | Striker | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 11 | |
| 6 | Ryan Babel | Midfielder | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
Disciplinary record
| N | Pos. | Nat. | Name |  |  |  | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | MF |  | Mascherano | 7 | 1 | 0 | |
| 23 | DF | | Carragher | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | MF | | Xabi Alonso | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | FW | | Fernando Torres | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | MF | | Gerrard | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | DF | | Arbeloa | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | MF | | Pennant | 4 | 1 | 0 | |
| 22 | MF |  | Sissoko | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | DF |  | Hyypiä | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | DF |  | Riise | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | FW | | Kuyt | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | MF |  | Lucas | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | FW | | Babel | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | DF | | Fábio Aurélio | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 | GK | | Pepe Reina | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | FW |  | Voronin | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | DF |  | Finnan | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | MF | | Benayoun | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 37 | DF |  | Škrtel | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 48 | DF | | Insúa | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | FW | | Crouch | 0 | 1 |
Last updated: 11 May
Source: Match reports in Game Log
Only competitive matches = Number of bookings; = Number of sending offs after a second yellow card; = Number of sending offs by a direct red card.
Squad statistics
- Last updated on 11 January 2009
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Premier League | Champions League | FA Cup | League Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 3 | DF | IRL | Steve Finnan | 35 | 0 | 21+3 | 0 | 6+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | FIN | Sami Hyypiä | 44 | 4 | 24+3 | 1 | 12+1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF |  DEN | Daniel Agger | 6 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | NOR | John Arne Riise | 44 | 0 | 22+7 | 0 | 5+5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 7 | MF |  AUS | Harry Kewell | 15 | 0 | 8+2 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Steven Gerrard | 52 | 21 | 32+2 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 1+2 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | FW | ESP | Fernando Torres | 46 | 33 | 29+4 | 24 | 10+1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | FW | UKR | Andriy Voronin | 28 | 6 | 13+6 | 5 | 4+3 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ISR | Yossi Benayoun | 47 | 11 | 15+15 | 4 | 7+4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1+2 | 1 |
| 12 | DF | BRA | Fábio Aurélio | 29 | 1 | 13+3 | 1 | 7+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | ESP | Xabi Alonso | 27 | 2 | 16+3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | FW | ENG | Peter Crouch | 36 | 11 | 9+12 | 5 | 5+3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Jermaine Pennant | 25 | 2 | 14+4 | 2 | 2+3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | ESP | Álvaro Arbeloa | 41 | 0 | 26+2 | 0 | 8+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | FW | NED | Dirk Kuyt | 48 | 11 | 24+8 | 3 | 10+2 | 7 | 2+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | NED | Ryan Babel | 49 | 10 | 15+15 | 4 | 8+5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | ARG | Javier Mascherano | 41 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | BRA | Lucas Leiva | 32 | 1 | 12+6 | 0 | 2+5 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | MLI | Mohamed Sissoko | 14 | 1 | 6+3 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Jamie Carragher | 55 | 0 | 34+1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 25 | GK | ESP | Pepe Reina | 52 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | GK | FRA | Charles Itandje | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | ARG | Sebastián Leto | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 34 | MF | ENG | Jay Spearing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | MF | ENG | Ray Putterill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | MF |  SCO | Ryan Flynn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | SVK | Martin Škrtel | 20 | 0 | 13+1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | FW | ENG | Craig Lindfield | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | DF | ENG | Stephen Darby | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | GK | ENG | David Martin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | FW |  MAR | Nabil El Zhar | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 |
| 44 | DF | ENG | Robbie Threlfall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | DF | ESP | Mikel San José | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | DF | ENG | Jack Hobbs | 5 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 47 | MF | FRA | Damien Plessis | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | DF | ARG | Emiliano Insúa | 3 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Transfers
In
| # | Player | From | Fee | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Andriy Voronin |  Bayer 04 Leverkusen | £Free | Summer |
| 11 | Yossi Benayoun | West Ham United | £5,000,000 | Summer |
| 9 | Fernando Torres | Atlético Madrid | £20,000,000 | Summer |
| 19 | Ryan Babel | Ajax | £11,500,000 | Summer |
| 21 | Lucas | Grêmio | £6,000,000 | Summer |
| 30 | Charles Itandje | Lens | £1,400,000 | Summer |
| 33 | Sebastián Leto | Lanús | £1,800,000 | Summer |
| 47 | Damien Plessis | Lyon | Undisclosed | Summer |
| 37 | Martin Škrtel |  Zenit Saint Petersburg | £6,500,000 | Winter |
| 20 | Javier Mascherano | West Ham United | £17,000,000 | Winter |
Out
| # | Player | To | Fee | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jerzy Dudek | Real Madrid | Released | Summer |
| 9 | Robbie Fowler |  Cardiff City | Released | Summer |
| 10 | Luis García | Atlético Madrid | £4,000,000 | Summer |
| 11 |  Mark González | Real Betis | £4,000,000 | Summer |
| 17 | Craig Bellamy | West Ham United | £7,500,000 | Summer |
| Djibril Cissé | Marseille | £6,000,000 | Summer | |
| 29 | Gabriel Paletta | Boca Juniors | £1,200,000 | Summer |
| 30 | Daniele Padelli | Sampdoria | Loan return | Summer |
| 32 | Boudewijn Zenden | Marseille | Released | Summer |
| Paul Barratt | Worcester City | Released | Summer | |
| David Roberts | Bangor City | Released | Summer | |
| Florent Sinama Pongolle | Recreativo Huelva | £2,700,000 | Summer | |
| Danny O'Donnell | Crewe Alexandra | £100,000 | Summer | |
| Ryan Wignall | Vauxhall Motors | Released | Summer | |
| Lee Woodward | Unknown | Released | Summer | |
| Jon Pringle | Unknown | Released | Summer | |
| Stephen Behan | Unknown | Released | Summer | |
| Michael Burns | Bolton Wanderers | Released | Summer | |
| Jon Routledge | Tottenham Hotspurs | Released | Summer | |
| Charlie Barnett | Tranmere Rovers | Released | Summer | |
| Laurence Gaughan | Celtic | Undisclosed | Summer | |
| 45 | James Smith | Stockport County | Undisclosed | Winter |
| Jimmy Ryan | Shrewsbury Town | Undisclosed | Winter | |
| 22 | Mohamed Sissoko | Juventus | £8,250,000 | Winter |
| Josh Mimms | York City | Released | Winter | |
| Lee Peltier | Yeovil Town | £200,000 | Winter |
Loaned out
| # | Player | To | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Paul Anderson | Swansea City | Season |
| 26 | Scott Carson | Aston Villa | Season |
| 34 | Miki Roque | Xerez | Season |
| 35 | Danny Guthrie | Bolton Wanderers | Season |
| 36 | Ryan Flynn | Hereford United | November to December |
| 36 | Adam Hammill | Southampton | Season |
| 37 | Lee Peltier | Yeovil Town | July to December |
| 38 | Craig Lindfield | Notts County | November |
| Chester City | January to February | ||
| 41 |  Besian Idrizaj | Crystal Palace | August to November |
| Wacker Innsbruck | February to June | ||
| 44 | Robbie Threlfall | Hereford United | November to May |
| 45 | James Smith | Stockport County | August to November |
| 46 | Jack Hobbs | Scunthorpe United | January to May |
| Jimmy Ryan | Shrewsbury Town | August to November | |
| Josh Mimms | York City | October to December | |
| Godwin Antwi | Hartlepool United | Season | |
 Nikolay Mihaylov | Twente | Season | |
| Anthony Le Tallec | Le Mans | Season | |
| Aridane Hernández | Fuerteventura | Season |
- In:
£29,950,000+ - Out:
£64,200,000+ - Total spending: £34,250,000+
Reserves and U-18s
Summary
The reserves side were crowned champions of the Barclays Premier Reserve League North this season on 7 April 2008, the 17th reserve league title for the club. They became National Champions after beating Southern Champions Aston Villa Reserves 3–0 in the Premier Reserve League Play-off Final at Anfield on 7 May 2008. The reserves also reached the finals of the Liverpool Senior Cup and the Lancashire Senior Cup, and won the international football tournament Dallas Cup. Krisztián Németh, who scored 9 goals in 12 matches, was the top scorer in the Premier Reserve League North. The under-18s finished fifth in the Premier Academy League and qualified for the last 16 in FA Youth Cup. Nathan Eccleston was the best scorer in the youth team with 18 goals.
New players
After the departure of Steve Heighway, Dutchman Piet Hamberg came in to run the academy. As well as some changes to background personnel, the reserve and youth sides were bolstered by several new players:
|
|
Players this season
Reserves
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
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- Squad numbers refer to players' first team squad number where applicable. Reserve and youth games are 1–11.
Under-18s
|
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Records
- Mohamed Sissoko's goal against Sunderland was not only his first (and only) goal for the club but also Liverpool's 7000th league goal.
- The 6–0 defeat of Derby County was the first time Liverpool had scored six in the league since April 2003 against West Bromwich Albion.
- The 8–0 victory over Beşiktaş was the biggest ever win in the Champions League, surpassing two previous 7–0 victories by Juventus and Arsenal.
- The 4–0 win over Marseille was Liverpool's biggest away win in the Champions League.
- The 2–0 win at Anfield against Inter was Liverpool's 100th win at Anfield in European competition.
- Liverpool scored a hat trick in every competition they played in this season.
- Liverpool were the first Premiership team to score 100 goals in all competitions.
Notes
External links
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