Anfield Red

25th October, 2009. If that date doesn’t mean anything to you, then you obviously don’t follow Liverpool as closely as I thought. That date of course marks Liverpool’s 2-0 league victory over Manchester United. Since that glorious afternoon, Liverpool have gone through a house of horrors, falling or drawing in three consecutive league matches.

Whilst that run of form may be common for most mid-table clubs, it’s quite obvious that it was just not good enough for a club as big as Liverpool. Amidst the despair of falling out of the Champions League and losing our grasp on top four football in the league, it became bitterly clear that the depth of the squad was exposing Rafa’s squad at the worst time.

Sunday’s derby encounter with Everton provided the club with quite possibly their best chance to make up ground on the competition, after Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham failed to record three points over the weekend. And for the first time in a while, Liverpool managed to get a couple of bounces to go their way.

Javier Mashcerano’s deflected shot off Joseph Yobo managed to find the net, and Dirk Kuyt sealed the three points in the 80th minute in a match that Liverpool had no business winning. Everton’s defence for the most part played exceptionally well, thwarting most of Liverpool’s chances on the afternoon.

It was quite clear to see who the man of the match was, as Pepe Reina made some spectacular saves to keep a clean sheet for the first time since, you guessed it, the match against Manchester United.

Quite honestly, this is a game that almost mirrored the match earlier this season against Birmingham City, where Liverpool had most of the chances but failed to convert. Call it a bit of good karma, but this was a match where Liverpool probably should have walked away with a point.

Now just two points behind Arsenal for a place in the top four, it would appear that the club has righted the ship once again. But if you’ll recall the happiness and sunshine pumping after the United match, you’ll clearly realise that we’re right back where we were about a month ago: feeling good about our prospects for the league campaign.

This time, however, I’d hope the club tables that joy and presses on. There are far too many hurdles remaining, and given the absence of Fernando Torres from the lineup, it’s crystal clear that Liverpool are far from being out of the woods. For now, let’s take the three points and move on to the next challenge: winning two consecutive league matches.