Liverpool

5-0

Luton

Babel 45, Gerrard 51, 64, 72, Hyypia 57

 

 

The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Third Round Proper Replay
8pm, Tuesday 15 January 2008
Anfield
Live on Sky Sports
Winning clubs receive £40,000
The FA Live TV fee is £150,000 per club.
Click here for fixtures



It was the Steven Gerrard show at Anfield after his hat-trick helped Liverpool crush Luton Town 5-0 in their FA Cup Third Round Replay.

Both sides would have been pleased to let their football do the talking for once with Anfield currently swamped in speculation regarding Rafa Benitez's future whilst Luton Town boss Kevin Blackwell's departure has already been confirmed for next month due to the behind-the-scenes finance issues that have plagued the club's season.

The home team were undoubtedly the better side in a feisty first half as Gerrard and Xabi Alonso combined well to launch attacks seemingly at will against a determined yet ultimately outclassed Luton midfield.

The game's first chance came on eight minutes, when Gerrard surged goalwards and put Ryan Babel through. His first time curling shot beat keeper Dean Brill but not the post, bouncing back into play before being safely cleared.

The home side's attacking play often looked threatening until the final pass, with Liverpool guilty of trying to walk the ball in on a number of occasions and Fernando Torres should have done better when he blasted over from eight yards on the right edge of the box.

Luton’s endeavours couldn’t be faulted against a side 62 league places higher than themselves and if Fourth Round places were handed out on effort alone they surely deserved to be in the draw.

At the very least their resolute defence deserved to go into the break goalless but it wasn't to be as Babel eventually made Liverpool's superior possession and pressure pay in the last minute of the half.

Torres, who atypically for him misfired for the majority of the game, ran at Luton's defence which opened up leaving him free to put Babel through on goal and after composing himself he slotted past Brill seconds before the referee blew for the break.

Liverpool then had the tie sewn up within 20 minutes of the restart as Luton's first half resistance was left behind in the dressing room.

On 51 minutes, a deep Jermaine Pennant cross was knocked back across the box by Peter Crouch and Gerrard had the simplest of headers from four yards.

2-0 then became 3-0 when Sami Hyypia rose to head a Gerrard corner goalbound, although he was fortunate to get a healthy deflection which was enough to beat Brill.

Gerrard's second goal on 64 minutes came after a blocked Torres shot fell nicely for him and he showed great composure to side foot the ball into the net from 14 yards.

Liverpool's usual captain - he gave the armband to Jamie Carragher (above) for the tie to commemorate his 500th game for the club - then celebrated his treble on 72 minutes with a long range shot comfortably beating the Luton keeper to put the gloss on an already emphatic victory.

Liverpool: Charles Itandje, Alvaro Arbeloa, Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia, John Arne Riise, Jermaine Pennant, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard (Leiva Lucas 73), Ryan Babel, Peter Crouch (Dirk Kuyt 65), Fernando Torres (Fabio Aurelio 73).

Subs Not Used: David Martin, Harry Kewell.

Luton Town: Dean Brill, Richard Jackson, Don Hutchison, Keith Keane, Alan Goodall, David Bell (Paul McVeigh 73), Steve Robinson (O'Leary 68), Matthew Spring, Darren Currie, Calvin Andrew (Paul Furlong 68), Drew Talbot.

Subs Not Used: Sam Parkin, Lewis Emanuel.

Attendance: 41,446

Referee: Peter Walton