**REDS CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE**

[gerrard]

Barclays Premier League

Stoke City 3-1 Liverpool

Britannia Stadium 26th December 2012 - Kick off 19:45

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report to follow ........

[gerrard]

BarclaysPremier League


QPR 0-3 Liverpool



Loftus Road Stadium 30th December 2012 - Kick off 16:00




Luis Suarez ensured Liverpool ended 2012 in style with two goals in a 3-0 win at Queens Park Rangers.

The Reds were without manager Brendan Rodgers due to illness, but he will have been thrilled with what he saw from his sickbed in Merseyside.

The game was won before half-time thanks to two goals from Suarez and another courtesy of Daniel Agger as Liverpool recovered from a disappointing Boxing Day loss at Stoke City.

It was very much the Suarez show. After just three minutes he'd made his intentions clear, forcing a save from distance after rounding his man.

On 10 minutes it was 1-0, the No.7 receiving possession 30 yards from goal before taking out defender Clint Hill with one touch and then rolling into the bottom corner.

Six minutes later the advantage was doubled when Suarez slalomed into the box and crossed for Raheem Sterling. The ball was cleared into the Uruguayan's path and he again proved himself clinical, increasing his tally for the season to 16 in all competitions.

The home support began to turn on their team but the assault wasn't over. On 28 minutes Stewart Downing executed a short corner to Steven Gerrard, whose whipped cross was nutted low and hard into the net by Agger.

Gerrard and Jordan Henderson almost added their names to the scoresheet before half-time, while the only threat from QPR came via Adel Taarabt, whose occasional touches of inspiration denied Pepe Reina an afternoon off.

Stand-in bosses Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh will have warned against complacency during the interval, this being the ground where Liverpool abdicated a 2-0 lead last season to lose 3-2. One man instrumental in that turnaround was Djibril Cisse, but his afternoon was cut short by manager Harry Redknapp with 45 minutes remaining.

The second period began in the same way as the first, Suarez testing Julio Cesar, this time with a left-foot whack from just inside the area.

But that was where the similarities ended. QPR were now displaying resolve, and Armand Traore almost instigated a goal when he flashed the ball across the six-yard box. Jamie Mackie just couldn't extend his foot far enough.

Stephane Mbia also came close from a free-kick, requiring Reina to make a save following a foul on Taarabt which earned substitute Lucas Leiva a yellow card.

Despite these chances, a comeback never looked likely, though there was bad news for the visitors on 71 minutes when Jose Enrique limped off the field holding his hamstring. Suso was introduced.

Liverpool will now hope to make it a respectable three wins out of four festive fixtures when they entertain Sunderland on Wednesday.[/i]


*lfc.tv

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[gerrard]

Barclays Premier League


Liverpool 3-0 Sunderland

Anfield

2nd January 2013 - Kick off 19:45


Luis Suarez fired his second brace in four days as Liverpool beat Sunderland 3-0 at Anfield.

On a day when the club signed another striker in Daniel Sturridge, top scorer Luis Suarez took his tally for the season to 18 - one more than his total for 2011-12.

He also assisted the opener for Raheem Sterling as the Reds made it three wins from four festive fixtures and climbed to eighth in the table.

Ineligible to play after signing a contract earlier in the day, Sturridge will have liked what he saw from the directors' box. Just as they did at QPR three days ago, the Reds established a firm lead inside the opening 45 minutes - and again Suarez was central.

The first might have come through Stewart Downing on 12 minutes when both Suarez and Steven Gerrard stood aside to allow him a dead ball effort. The England man didn't disappoint but was denied by a scampering save from Simon Mignolet.

Instead it was Sterling who secured the opener on 18 minutes, the second goal of his first full season in the Liverpool team. His lob over the visiting goalkeeper followed fine work from Suarez, who in one movement twisted his body and launched a ball over the top of the Sunderland defence.

Martin O'Neill's side had several chances to breach the Kop net in the first period, but James McLean was twice wasteful with just Pepe Reina to beat. The Liverpool goalkeeper had to work harder to prevent Matt Kilgallon scoring with a half-volley from close range but he was up to the task with a superb reflex save.

Instead it was Liverpool who went in at the break 2-0 ahead, and this time it was all about Suarez. The Uruguay forward stayed on his feet on 26 minutes despite a foul from Carlos Cuellar and completed the task with a low finish which Mignolet handled but could not halt.

Downing almost made it three at the far post after a superb cross from Jordan Henderson, but that would have been greedy after a first half in which Sunderland carried a definite threat.

The second-half could have started with another Sterling goal assisted by Suarez, but this time the 18-year-old's finish was wayward.

Not to worry. On 52 minutes the game was over as a contest when Gerrard dispatched a 60-yard pass from his own half which Suarez controlled before slotting past Mignolet from close range. Gerrard now has eight league assists this season - one more than Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata at the top of that particular table.

Brendan Rodgers elected to swap Sterling with Joe Allen, while Suso also got 25 minutes by replacing the excellent Henderson.

Any changes did not stifle Liverpool's brio, and it was nearly 4-0 when a Gerrard volley ricocheted off Glen Johnson and produced an excellent save from Mignolet.

The Belgian goalkeeper was having a decent game despite the scoreline and again came to the rescue after Suarez controlled brilliantly and poked towards the bottom corner.

Another substitution followed, and this one had significance for those who take an interest in club records, Jamie Carragher replacing Martin Skrtel to go second in Liverpool's all-time league appearances table.

*lfc.tv

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[gerrard]

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE xx