Liverpool Tops Middlesbrough 2-1

For the first time since Rafa took over, we have won both of our first two Premier League games. Both the games could have ended in a draw (or worse), but somehow we managed to scrape a win on each occasion.

Middlesbrough will be disappointed with yesterday's result. They could easily have won the game, but thanks to Carra and Gerrard's late heroics, we managed to snatch the game away from them.

Despite the result, Southgate will be proud of his team after the way they played yesterday. Most teams tend to be a bit defensive when they come to Anfield, but Boro played for all three points and nearly got away with it.

Liverpool's performance was better than in the games against Standard Liege or Sunderland, but it still wasn't enough to give us a comfortable victory that we should have got. Instead, we had to depend on Carragher and Gerrard to come to the rescue very late into the game.

Early in the game, Kuyt had a shot comfortably saved by Ross Turnbull who played instead of Brad Jones who was injured during warm ups. Torres and Keane linked up better in this game and managed to create some chances, but nothing that really threatened the Boro 'keeper.

Once again Gerrard, like in the first half of the Sunderland game, failed to dominate the midfield the way he usually does. I suppose we'll have to wait for Masch to be back before Gerrard feels comfortable moving forward.

Benayoun was a big disappointment left of midfield. He was practically invisible throughout the match. For some reason, he and Kuyt switched positions in the first half and switched back a few minutes later after the move failed to have any impact. Babel replaced him after 65 minutes and continued where Yossi had left off. He rarely got to see the ball and when he did, he promptly lost possession.

Mido, who replaced Alves on the 60th minute, immediately troubled the Liverpool defense and sent an accurate cross to Tuncay who nearly scored after flicking the ball over his head to get past Carra. It would have been a great goal had he scored, but he volleyed it straight at Reina who saved it. Mido finally scored for Boro in the 70th minute with a low shot from outside the box.

Carra, who never scores (four goals in 11 years), finally equalized in the 86th minute when his shot went into the net after a deflection off Pogatetz. Gerrard scored the winning goal (and made me fall off the chair in surprise) with seconds to go in stoppage time with one of his trademark shots.

Xabi Alonso didn't have a great game. He was the one who sent in the cross that helped Gerrard score that winner, but he didn't influence play the way he did in that second half against Sunderland. He took the corner kicks and they were mostly terrible and never troubled the Boro defense.

Anyway, we have six points from two games. That's something. And at least we've improved, if only by a little bit. A must win match against Standard Liege at Anfield next. Let's hope for a better performance then.