Full time: Liverpool 0-0 Bolton Wanderers
Post match musings: Bolton spent much of this match under the cosh, but their 6,000 travelling fans should be very proud of their team. It was a brave and disciplined defensive performance in which all of their players stepped up and their centre-backs and goalkeeper in particular were excellent. They rode their luck at times - Matt Mills should have been sent off and they could have conceded a penalty for a Spearing tug on Henderson - but who’d begrudge them their good fortune on a day when so many plucky underdogs have prevailed against the big boys. That’s your lot from me, enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep!!! It’s all over and on a day when Manchester City and Chelsea crashed out of the FA Cup with home defeats to lower league opposition, Bolton have given Liverpool a run for their money and earned a replay at the Macron Stadium.
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90+4 min: Lucas shoots straight at Bogdan with what could be the final shot of the night. How have Liverpool failed to score?!?!
90+3 min: Sterling crosses into the Bolton penalty area from the left and Lallana tees up Jordan Henderson for a shot from the edge of the Bolton penalty area. He sends the bouncing ball high over the bar.
90 min: We’re in the final minute of normal time in a match Liverpool really won’t want to go to a rpelay. They’re facing quite the fixture pile-up this season, compared to last year when, basically, they had the entire season off after failing to qualify for Europe and going out of both cups early doors. Borini squanders a chance to win this match for them, fizzing the ball narrowly wide with his head when he should have scored.
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89 min: Yellow card I forgot to tell you about: Darren Pratley, for a foul on Glen Johnson about five minutes ago. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
87 min: Sterling and Couthinho combine well down the inside left channel and the Brazilian dinks a cross into the penalty area. Adam Lallana leaps to head goalwards, but is unable to keep the ball down and his effort drops just over the bar.
84 min: Bolton substitution: David Wheater comes on for Dean Moxey, who’s had a good game.
82 min: Having been put through on goal, Jordan Henderson appears to be yanked back by Jay Spearing and goes to ground. He appeals for a penalty, but doesn’t get one.
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80 min: The game enters its final 10 minutes as Adam Lallana tries to pick his way through the massed ranks of their defence. He’s finally forced to shoot from about 15 yards, but Bogdan saves comfortably.
78 min: Since Borini came on, Raheem Sterling has moved to the right for Liverpool and his influence has waned. Liverpool are collectively piling on the pressure, but the Bolton defence is showing little sign of buckling. They’ve been very disciplined.
76 min: Fabio Borini concedes a needless free-kick just outside the Bolton penalty area, giving Bolton some respite from the almost relentless pressure Liverpool are putting them under. Bolton advance up the field and win a corner, which Mignolet punches clear.
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73 min: Bolton substitution: Liverpool old boy Jay Spearing on, Bolton captain Matt Mills off.
71 min: Bolton get the opportunity to clear their line when Neil Danns is awarded a free-kick after getting an arm across the face from Lazar Markovic.
69 min: On a quick counter-attack, Coutinho picks out Fabio Borini with a clever reverse pass. The Italian’s shot is tipped around the post by Bogdan, who was at full stretch. Great save. From that corner, Liverpool win another one, but nothing comes of it.
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68 min: Liverpool win a free-kick a long way out from goal and Jordan Henderson sends the ball into the mixer. Tim Ream clears. The ball finds it’s way back to Henderson, who tries to pick out Lallana in the penalty area. Dorian Dervite heads clear. Good bread-and-butter defending from Bolton.
67 min: Another Liverpool substitution: Manquillo off, Fabio Borini off. It seems the sum total of Jordan Rossiter’s involvement will be a seat on the bench where he has a nice view.
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67 min: Liverpool substitution: Lucas on, Joe Allen off.
63 min: Joe Allen attempts to slip the ball through to Manquillo just inside the Bolton penalty area, bt Tim Ream intercepts and sends Bolton off on a counter-attack. The ball is crossed into the Liverpool penalty area from the left and bounces kindly for Eidur Gudjohnsen about nine yards from goal. It’s not quite kind enough: unmarked, he gets a shot off but is unable to keep it down.
61 min: Eidur Gudjohnsen sidefoots wide from the edge of the Liverpool penalty area after getting on the end of a Moxey cross from the left. He too should have done better.
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58 min: Liverpool are peppering the Bolton goal. Sterling, Coutinho and Manquillo all go close, but fail to score. Philippe Coutinho shot from distance, but Bogdan got down to save well with his left hand. With the ball bouncing about eight yards in front of the goal, Dean Moxey slipped as he shaped to clear it, enabling Javier Manquillo to try his luck with a follow-up. He drags it wide when he really should have scored.
55 min: Bolton substitution: Emile Heskey off to a standing ovation from both sets of fans. He’s replaced by 20-year-old Conor Wilkinson, who is a Republic of Ireland U21 international.
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54 min: Philippe Coutinho receives a pass on the edge of the final third, turns and slides a pass in behind three Bolton defenders and into the path of Raheem Sterling, who’d scampered into the penalty area. Adam Bogdan is quick off his line to smother the ball.
52 min: Bolton win a free-kick, which Eidur Gudjohnsen blasts over.
51 min: Matt Mills was lucky there. Replays show he did catch Markovic’s trailing leg with a late challenge, causing him to lose his balance. He’s dodge a bullet there: that was a clear goalscoring opportunity he prevented.
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49 min: Jordan Henderson picks out Lazar Markovic on the edge of the Bolton penalty area with a wonderful diagonal pass. The Liverpool player goes to ground, appearing to have been tripped by Matt Mills, who is already on a yellow card. Kevin Friend waves play on, much to the disgust of Brendan Rodgers.
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48 min: Darren Pratley is the centre of attention again, winning a free-kick for his side wide on the left after being bundled over by Adam Lallana.
47 min: Darren Pratley goes on a powerful run into Liverpool territory, but is hunted towards the corner, where he ends up conceding a throw-in. Moments later he is upended by Javier Manquillo, but it is Liverpool who get the free-kick, which prompts bewilderment on the Bolton bench.
Second half: Bolton get the ball rolling, with Lazar Markovic having come on for Jose Enrique in Liverpool’s side. He slots in at left-wing back, a position with which he is almost certainly unfamiliar.
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An email from Phil West: “If Bolton can beat Liverpool somehow, Arsenal fans will pretty much have access to the ENTIRE Chinese buffet of schadenfreude,” he says. I suppose they will, at least until Brighton turn them over tomorrow.
Half-time: Kevin Friend halts proceedings and the sides go in for the break with the score all square. After a bright start in which they pressed Liverpool on to the back foot, Bolton have been under the cosh for the past 25 minutes. They’ve defended well, although their habit of playing a high line and leaving acres of space into which Raheem Sterling can sprint has left them looking vulnerable at times. It’s been a decent game and both managers will be happy enough with their sides performances.
45+1 min: Josh Vela plays a long ball up to Eidur Gudjohnsen on the edge of the penalty area, but Simon Mignolet dashes off his line to get in front of the striker, chest it down and set off up the field. I genuinely don’t know if that is very good goalkeeping or very bad goalkeeping. Anyway, he got away with it.
43 min: Neil Danns sends the ball into the Liverpool penalty area, aiming for Darren Pratley, who concedes a free-kick for a foul on Javier Manquillo.
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40 min: Bolton winger Liam Feeney sends a cross into the Liverpool penalty area from the right, but there’s nobody on hand to convert it. Mignolet gathers.
37 min: Adam Lallana decides to have a shot from distance after cutting in from the right, but fires straight at Bogdan. The cameras cut to injured Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge in the stands and then Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush in the Liverpool directors’ box.
33 min: More good play from Liverpool, with Raheem Sterling crossing from the left to tee up Javier Manquillo at the far post. His header is blocked, but the ball breaks to Adam Lallana who tries to force it home but is crowded off the ball. It’s cleared as far as Glen Johnson, who has a pop from distance only to see his effort saved by Adam Bogdan.
32 min: From the edge of the penalty area, Dean Moxey takes advantage of a poor defensive header to absolutely leather the ball on the half-volley and send it fizzing narrowly wide of Mignolet’s right post. Great effort. If anything, he got his foot across the ball a bit too well, to send it curling outside the upright.
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30 min: Sterling gets into the space behind Bolton’s high defensive line, sprinting down the inside left flank to collect a long ball, then drifting into the penalty area. Matt Mills shows him inside, doing enough to slow down the striker and take the sting out of his attempt on goal, which is straight at Bogdan.
28 min: Eidur Gudjohnsen goes down under a hefty challenge from Mamadou Sakho as they contest a header. He took the full force of the airborne Frenchman in the small of his back, which is always going to hurt. He’ll live.
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26 min: Emre Can puts the ball out of play after it was crossed into the Liverpool penalty area from the right, conceding a throw-in down by the corner flag. Nothing comes of it and Liverpool clear their lines. This has been an entertaining match so far.
24 min: Eidur Gudjohnsen wins a corner for Bolton after getting in behind the Liverpool defence and gambolling along the byeline into a thicket of bodies in red shirts. Dean Moxey takes the corner and floats the ball to the edge of the penalty area. Darren Pratley gets his head to the ball, but sends it high over the bar.
23 min: Philippe Coutinho is limping, holding his thigh. Looks like he’s got a problem with his hamstring, although it doesn’t look like he’s torn it.
22 min: Darren Pratley burst forward from midfield, charging down the left flank with the ball at his feet. With few options open to him, he’s forced to turn and pass the ball backwards, taking all the momentum out of Bolton’s attack.
20 min: Joe Allen attempts to square the ball for Adam Lallana in the Bolton penalty area, but his low drive from the right is blocked and cleared. Liverpool are starting to look dangerous.
19 min: Liverpool win a corner, having reasserted their dominance after a shaky start. Adam Lallana’s delivery is Gerrard-esque and his flat drive from the quadrant fails to clear the first defender.
18 min: Jose Enrique picks out Raheem Sterling with a wonderful curling pass from the left touchline just inside his own half. Sterling had made a darting run into space behind the Bolton back three, but was unable to capitalise.
17 min: Josh Velo drags Joe Allen to the ground with the kind of tackle any rugby league player would be proud of. Yellow card.
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15 min: Looking at that Matt Mills challenge on Raheem Sterling, the Bolton captain might conceivably have got a red card. He hauled Raheem Sterling back as the youngster attempted to dart past him after flicking the ball over his head.
14 min: Josh Vela does well to put a stop to a promising looking Liverpool attack involving Coutinho, Sterling and Joe Allen, getting across the penalty area to put the ball out of play off Jose Enrique.
13 min: Bolton skipper Matt Mills picks up the first yellow card of the evening, for a foul on Raheem Sterling.
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12 min: The ball drops nicely for Jordan Henderson on the edge of the Bolton penalty area. He tries his luck and gets the ball on target with a nice volley. Adam Bogdan saves well, flinging himself to his right to prevent the ball rolling in to the bottom corner.
11 min: Another corner for Bolton, but nothing comes of it.
8 min: Joe Allen and Raheem Sterling combine down the right for Liverpool, probing for an opening as Javier Manquillo goes to ground in pain after being tugged by Dean Moxey as he made a run into space. Referee Kevin Friend chooses not to stop play and - what do you know? - Manquillo gets back to his feet and carries on as if there’s not a huge amount wrong with him. Allen loses control of the ball and stabs it out of play.
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7 min: Liverpool break on a counter attack and Raheem Sterling attempts to play a weighted pass behind the Bolton defence for Adam Lallana to chase. Adam Bogdan spots the danger, rushes off his line and collects the ball.
5 min: Mamadou Sakho concedes a throw-in just inside his own half as Bolton continue to press and harry.
3 min: Bolton continue to dominate in the early stages and win a corner. Gudjohnsen, Heskey and Matt Mills line up in front of Jose Enrique and then peel off in different directions as the ball sails into the penalty area. There’s a bit of a scramble as the ball pinballs around the middle of the penalty area, before Liverpool clear.
2 min: Anfield is sold out this evening, with Bolton having taken their full ticket allocation. Darren Pratley attempts to play Eidur Gudjohnsen in behind the Liverpool defence, but Javier Manquillo intercepts and clears. Bolton have settled well.
1 min: Play is under way at Liverpool, with Bolton polaying into the Kop. They win a free kick and the ball is launched towards Emile Heskey. He’s unable to chest it down properly.
The combined age of Bolton’s front two: 73.
The combined age of Liverpool’s front(ish) two: 42
Not long now: The teams march out on to the pitch, with Liverpool’s players wearing red shirts, shorts and socks. Bolton’s players wear white shirts, black shorts and white socks. The players line up and shake hands, while You’ll Never Walk ALone blares out over the PA. Here’s hoping for a good match.
On BT Sport: Liverpool old boys Steve McManaman and Jason McAteer are discussing Emile Heskey’s pitching up at Bolton. McAteer, who also played for Bolton, reveals that all three of them played in a Liverpool Legends match in Singapore a couple of months ago and says Heskey was caught offside about 25 times.
McAteer: “I don’t know how he got a contract at Bolton.”
McManaman: “I was man of the match.”
McAteer (laughing): “Yeah, they’ve signed the wrong player. Nah, it’s great for Emile.”
So, are we in for another shock? With the top three in the Premier League having gone out of the FA Cup this afternoon and the fourth-placed team having been held by Cambridge United from League Two, Liverpool will need to be very careful this evening. Bolton will certainly fancy their chances of adding Liverpool’s scalp to the pile of big-name hair lying forlornly in the corner.
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Fourth round FA Cup carnage
Wow! Wow! Wow! There may not have been too many upsets in the third round of the Cup, but there’s been carnage this afternoon in the fourth. After Cambridge United did so well to hold Manchester United last night, Championship side Middlesbrough have beaten Manchester City at the Etihad, while League One outfit Bradford have pulled off the remarkable feat of coming from 2-0 down to beat Chelsea 4-2. That’s a sensational comeback from the Bantams, so hats off to them. Meanwhile at White Hart Lane, Leicester City have beaten Tottenham Hotspur. Be afraid, Liverpool. Southampton have also exited the tournament, going out to Crystal Palace.
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Liverpool v Bolton Wanderers - line-ups
Bolton striker Emile Heskey will lead the line against his former club in the FA Cup fourth round. The 37-year-old is paired up front with fellow veteran Eidur Gudjohnsen.
Liverpool, with a Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at Chelsea on Tuesday, make four changes, with defender Glen Johnson and midfielder Joe Allen making their first appearances since mid-December after returning from injury. Steven Gerrard is left out completely.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Manquillo, Sakho, Can, Johnson, Henderson, Allen, Jose Enrique, Lallana, Sterling, Coutinho.
Subs: Lovren, Lambert, Lucas, Borini, Rossiter, Markovic, Ward.
Bolton: Bogdan, Mills, Dervite, Ream, Vela, Danns, Pratley, Moxey, Feeney, Gudjohnsen, Heskey.
Subs: McNaughton, Spearing, Hall, Trotter, Lonergan, Wheater, Wilkinson.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
The case for an upset: Did you know that Liverpool and Bolton have met on eight occasions in the FA Cup and it’s Bolton who have advanced on all but two occasions? Liverpool have drawn a blank in three of their four FA Cup matches against Bolton at Anfield and have only kept two clean sheets in their past 17 FA Cup matches.
The case against an upset: The FA Cup final could mark Steven Gerrard’s final appearance in a Liverpool shirt and is being played on his birthday. Also, Liverpool have far more money than Bolton, are better at football than Bolton and looked very impressive indeed against Chelsea earlier this week. With the return leg of that Capital One Cup semi-final looming, Gerrard will be rested today, but Brendan Rodgers has said that 17-year-old midfielder his heir apparent, 17-year-old midfielder Jordan Rossiter, will definitely “be involved” this evening.
A bona fide Scouser, Rossiter has made just one senior appearance for Liverpool thus far, playing 79 minutes of his side’s Capital One Cup win over Middlesbrough earlier this season. I’m looking forward to seeing him in action as I’ve heard good things about him and already like the cut of his jib: note the no-nonsense buzz-cut in the photo below. He’s also eschewed the gloves, hat, snood and tracky-bottoms options, which suggests that here is a tough young man who means business! Grrrr!
Bolton Wanderers: Having replaced Dougie Freedman as manager of Bolton Wanderers in October early, Neil Lennon has overseen nine wins, four draws and just three defeats in all competitions, leading the financially hamstrung Trotters out of the drop zone and up to the dizzy heights of 15th in the process. Tonight’s run-out against Liverpool at Anfield will provide Lennon, his players and their supporters with a welcome distraction from the grind of the Championship. ““We’re taking 30 to 40 buses from here to Anfield,” he said. This club has been starved of days like this. We have to get the performance right. There’s no point going there and getting hammered.”
Liverpool: Eighth in the Premier League with 35 points, Liverpool are currently on a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions and have been looking a lot more stout in defence since their manager Brendan Rodgers introduced a new 3-4-2-1 system against Manchester United last month. ““I felt that somewhere it would come, it was just a case of finding solutions to allow us to do that,” said Rodgers. “The restructuring of the system has allowed the players to come in and work this way. It’s given them comfort defensively and made us a real creative threat with the ball. Now we’re seeing the quality of the new players and how they have settled.”
Good evening one and all
Welcome to our minute-by-minute coverage of this fourth round FA Cup tie between Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers at Anfield. This evening marks the return of EMile Heskey to Anfield, where he enjoyed so much success as he helped Liverpool to their famous treble of 2000-01. I met the big man earlier this week to discuss his psychic relationship with Michael Owen and other things ahead of today’s match. You can watch the video below, while a longer written version will materialise before your eyes if you click on this link. He’s a top lad, is Emile. No doubt he’ll get a warm reception if he features for the Championship side tonight.
