Carroll nets twice to sink City
Source: Agencies |
April 13, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ENGLAND striker Andy Carroll scored his first goals for Liverpool with a double in a 3-0 defeat of fourth-placed Manchester City on Monday to maintain its faint hopes of Champions League football next season.
Carroll, the most expensive English player after his 35 million pound (US$57.28 million) transfer from Newcastle in January, lashed in the opener from the edge of the box after 13 minutes and added his second shortly after Dirk Kuyt's strike.
"The first goal was a great strike and the second was a great ball in and a good flick-on," Liverpool manager Kenny Daglish said. "That won't do him any harm, to score his first goals at Anfield.
"I think it is a gratifying performance for everyone."
City's first half went from bad to worse after striker and captain Carlos Tevez hobbled off with a hamstring injury and is set to miss the FA Cup semifinal against Manchester United on Saturday.
Kuyt slotted the ball neatly into the net on 34 minutes before Carroll's second, a header from a Raul Meireles cross, left Liverpool in sixth place on 48 points with six games remaining. City remains fourth on 56 points from 32 matches.
"The fans have been fantastic ever since I've been here," a beaming Carroll, who made his debut against United on March 6 after a long spell out with injury, told Sky Sports.
Fellow forward Kuyt said the signing of Carroll and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in January had made a huge difference to Liverpool.
"It makes it a lot easier if you get more quality in the team," the Netherlands forward said.
"We were very happy with the signings of Andy and Luis and I think you can already see the quality."
Liverpool will now seek to beat Tottenham to fifth place, and possibly even City to fourth, though Kuyt said the task would be a difficult one.
"We like to look up to fifth place. I know it's very difficult but we have to try," he said.
An apologetic Roberto Mancini said his team would put the defeat out of their minds ahead of the FA Cup derby - City's last realistic chance of silverware this season.
"It's important to forget this and we prepare for the semifinal," the Italian said. "Tonight I made a mistake, it's my fault. I'm very sorry for the fans.
"We conceded a lot of chances in the first 20 minutes, after that we played."
Mancini made three changes from the team that thrashed Sunderland 5-0 last week. Striker Edin Dzeko, still to score in eight league matches since joining from Wolfsburg in January, replaced Mario Balotelli and midfielders Gareth Barry and James Milner came in for Nigel de Jong and David Silva.
While Daglish gave 18-year-old John Flanagan a debut at right back with a defensive crisis that has claimed Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson, Martin Kelly and Sotirios Kyrgiakos to injury or illness.
Carroll, the most expensive English player after his 35 million pound (US$57.28 million) transfer from Newcastle in January, lashed in the opener from the edge of the box after 13 minutes and added his second shortly after Dirk Kuyt's strike.
"The first goal was a great strike and the second was a great ball in and a good flick-on," Liverpool manager Kenny Daglish said. "That won't do him any harm, to score his first goals at Anfield.
"I think it is a gratifying performance for everyone."
City's first half went from bad to worse after striker and captain Carlos Tevez hobbled off with a hamstring injury and is set to miss the FA Cup semifinal against Manchester United on Saturday.
Kuyt slotted the ball neatly into the net on 34 minutes before Carroll's second, a header from a Raul Meireles cross, left Liverpool in sixth place on 48 points with six games remaining. City remains fourth on 56 points from 32 matches.
"The fans have been fantastic ever since I've been here," a beaming Carroll, who made his debut against United on March 6 after a long spell out with injury, told Sky Sports.
Fellow forward Kuyt said the signing of Carroll and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in January had made a huge difference to Liverpool.
"It makes it a lot easier if you get more quality in the team," the Netherlands forward said.
"We were very happy with the signings of Andy and Luis and I think you can already see the quality."
Liverpool will now seek to beat Tottenham to fifth place, and possibly even City to fourth, though Kuyt said the task would be a difficult one.
"We like to look up to fifth place. I know it's very difficult but we have to try," he said.
An apologetic Roberto Mancini said his team would put the defeat out of their minds ahead of the FA Cup derby - City's last realistic chance of silverware this season.
"It's important to forget this and we prepare for the semifinal," the Italian said. "Tonight I made a mistake, it's my fault. I'm very sorry for the fans.
"We conceded a lot of chances in the first 20 minutes, after that we played."
Mancini made three changes from the team that thrashed Sunderland 5-0 last week. Striker Edin Dzeko, still to score in eight league matches since joining from Wolfsburg in January, replaced Mario Balotelli and midfielders Gareth Barry and James Milner came in for Nigel de Jong and David Silva.
While Daglish gave 18-year-old John Flanagan a debut at right back with a defensive crisis that has claimed Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson, Martin Kelly and Sotirios Kyrgiakos to injury or illness.
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