Barclays Premier League

FULL TIME

A potentially fatal blow for Liverpool's lingering title hopes as they're held 2-2 by plucky Birmingham at Anfield. For all their dominance the Reds struggled to find a way past a resolute Blues defence and indeed had to rely on a dodgy penalty decision to earn them a point. Rafa Benitez's side remain seventh, a mammoth 11 points behind leaders Chelsea, while Birmingham move up a place to 15th. Boos at full time, but certainly not from the jubilant travelling fans. Full time at Anfield, Liverpool 2 Birmingham 2.

LATE TWIST?

No chances for a while but is this set up for one late twist?

ADDED TIME

Four minutes for either side to find a dramatic winner.

RESPITE

Respite for the Blues who win a free kick in Liverpool's half. The Anfield cameraman will be relieved - his neck was in danger of being permanently angled to the left, such has been Liverpool's dominance of this second half.

SHOT COUNT

Incredibly, Liverpool have had 27 attempts on Joe Hart's goal this evening. Birmingham? Just five, but goals scored is the only important statistic.

BIRMINGHAM SUB

Goalscorer Benitez is given a breather by McLeish with Gary McSheffrey his replacement.

PENALTY APPEAL

Noisy appeal for a second Liverpool penalty in 14 minutes, but Bowyer got some of the ball as well as Steven Gerrard in a penalty box challenge. The corner is headed wide by Ngog.

SLACK DEFENDING

Persistence from Johnson wins a Liverpool corner, from which Jerome is fortunate to get away with some slack defending. He lets the ball hit him just six yards out, but the Reds are too slow to react and the striker can thump clear.

LIVERPOOL SUB

Final throw of the dice from Rafa Benitez - Alberto Aquilani makes his Premier League debut, replacing Lucas.

WHISTLES OVER

Gerrard tries a pot-shot 20-yards which whistles over the bar.

NGOG CHANCE

Another quickfire Liverpool move involving Gerrard has Birmingham chasing shadows but Ngog stabs the low cross behind.

YARD SHORT

Gerrard nearly finds Kuyt with a peach of a cross into the box which the Dutchman is just a yard short of reaching.

LIVERPOOL SUB

Liverpool's injury curse strikes again. Yossi Benayoun looks like he's become their second hamstring victim of the night, so perennial substitute Ryan Babel is on.

ERRATIC

Birmingham need to keep their heads here if they want a point (or three) from this game. The Blues are starting to look a bit erratic as the Reds pile forward.

LIVERPOOL 2-2 BIRMINGHAM

STEVEN GERRARD duly despatches the penalty and Liverpool are level. Alex McLeish will be absolutely furious when he sees a replay of that, but Carsley still shouldn't have dived in like he did.

BOOKING

I have to say, replays show that Carsley didn't touch Ngog. Both players are booked in a skirmish after the decision.

PENALTY!

And after all that, a daft trip could end Birmingham's brave rearguard. Ngog skips into the area and to the byline, where Carsley takes him out without playing the ball. Peter Walton says penalty.

BIRMINGHAM SUB

Former Liverpool player Gregory Vignal is on for Birmingham, replacing McFadden.

STERLING DEFENDING

Pressure from the hosts but Birmingham hold firm, dealing with several crosses and low shots with some sterling defending.

BOOKING

McFadden, enduring a torrid time down Birmingham's left, takes out Kuyt and picks up a deserved booking. The Scot just doesn't do defending.

OFF THE POST

But a flash of brilliance from Glen Johnson very nearly undoes them. He skips past McFadden and drives a perfect cross to Gerrard, whose six-yard header clips the post and drops wide.

TIGHT

Well Alex McLeish will be delighted with the first 17 minutes of this half. His disciplined side have kept things tight.

INSUA SHOT

Yep, there's another one. Insua this time, but Hart's gloves go untroubled.

RESTRICTING

Just like as in the first half Liverpool have the ball glued to their feet, but at the moment the visitors are simply restricting them to long range efforts. Birmingham look comfortable.

HARMLESSLY WIDE

The shots continue to rain on Hart's goal but the latest, a Benayoun 25-yarder, simply drifts harmlessly wide.

UNEXPECTED?

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised with this scoreline - Birmingham have pedigree against Liverpool, after all. The Blues are unbeaten in six against the Reds in the Premier League. The last four meetings have been drawn, with Birmingham completing a famous double in 2004-05.

ON TARGET

Lucas fancies his chances from range again. This one's on target, but Hart makes a comfortable save.

KUYT RIGHT

As you might expect Kuyt in now on the right flank for Liverpool, with Benayoun on the left and Gerrard behind Ngog up top.

KUYT SHOT

Gerrard gets involved straight away, touching a pass to the onrushing Kuyt who hits a tame deflected shot at Hart.

SECOND HALF

We're back playing again at Anfield. Steven Gerrard has been warming up on the field at half time - can he inspire the Reds to a comeback yet again?

HALF TIME

Well, who'd have thunk it? The Reds, despite dominating possession and creating numerous goalscoring chances, inexplicably find themselves behind at the break thanks to Cameron Jerome's magnificent strike. Seven defeats in nine?

LIVERPOOL 1-2 BIRMINGHAM

That is absolutely gobsmacking. I don't think even CAMERON JEROME can believe he's done that. The striker picks up a Ridgewell header just past the centre circle, wriggles ahead of Mascherano and then unleashes a 30-yard thunderbolt past the flailing Reina.

GERRARD ON

Still, his replacement's not too shabby. Huge excitement at Anfield as Steven Gerrard replaces Riera.

RIERA INJURED

Looks like injury-prone Albert Riera's evening could be over. After weeks out with an injury, the Spaniard looks to have tweaked the left hamstring which has been bothering him.

CRUCIAL BLOCK

Benayoun slips in from the left and aims a curler towards the top corner, but Johnson is there with a crucial block.

BENITEZ CHANCE

After a couple of Liverpool crosses cause panic for Birmingham, the Blues suddenly break and fashion a decent chance for Benitez who slips past Skrtel and Agger and takes a through ball wide of the advancing Reina, before shooting wide from an awkward angle.

NO GERRARD

Lucas thinks he's Steven Gerrard for a second, smacking a 30-yarder from the left which sails high and wide. I'd stick to being Lucas if I were you mate.

AGGER HEADER

More enterprising play from Johnson wins a corner for the Reds. Benayoun floats one in for Agger who nods wide from eight yards.

SELFISH

Selfish play from Riera, who cuts inside from the right but with options ahead of him elects to shoot, and the effort is miles over. Cue loud groans from the disgruntled home faithful.

BEST PLAYER

Johnson has the beating of both McFadden and Dann down Liverpool's right, and is the home side's best player by a distance. The former Portsmouth player earns Liverpool another corner, but this one is cleared easily.

CHANCES

A Mascherano piledriver, tipped over by Hart, results in a major panic for the Blues. The corner is swiped at by Ngog, Lucas and Skrtel, with the first cleared off the line by Carsley, but somehow Birmingham survive.

CORNER

Corner for Birmingham, who are playing the better stuff right now. Larsson's delivery, and then resulting cross after a clearance, are both cleared.

QUIET

Anfield has gone pretty quiet. This is a huge test for the home side - how will they respond to yet another setback?

LIVERPOOL 1-1 BIRMINGHAM

Stunning! From nowhere Birmingham have found a way back into this game and it's CHRISTIAN BENITEZ who gets the goal. A free kick is nodded back across the six yard box by Roger Johnson, and Benitez is there to steer home from four yards. His namesake will be spitting feathers at that defending - Liverpool concede from a set piece yet again.

AT IT AGAIN

Back down the other end the marauding Glen Johnson is at it again, taking on two Birmingham players in one movement before seeing a low cross saved by Hart. Fantastic attacking play from the England right back.

OFFSIDE

Birmingham's first foray into the Liverpool box for a while with a deep free kick, but Jerome is flagged offside as the ball comes back in.

TOO STRONG

Lucas very nearly plays in the 20-year-old Ngog for another chance, but the through pass is a touch too strong and rolls to Joe Hart.

BIG NIGHT

It's a big night for Ngog, this. Benitez has shown faith in his abilities by selecting him ahead of the likes of Babel and Voronin up front. Well, he's the star of the show so far.

BIRMINGHAM SUB

Another blow for Birmingham who must make an early substitution. Teemu Tainio has presumably picked up a knock and is replaced by Lee Carsley.

AND AGAIN

And they go close yet again - Insua crosses for Kuyt whose header just clears the bar. Birmingham look powerless to stop this onslaught.

PREQUEL

Incidentally Ngog had gone close a minute before the goal with a close range shot which which Hart tested to the full.

LIVERPOOL 1-0 BIRMINGHAM

They've stepped things up just a gear or two in the last few minutes, and that's enough to steamroll through the Birmingham defence with a goal from DAVID NGOG. Great work from Johnson who gets to the byline - his cross is struck by first Ngog and then Kuyt, Hart saves twice but is powerless to stop Ngog's second attempt. Who needs Fernando Torres?

CLAIMED

Benayoun tricks his way into the Birmingham box and tries to find Riera with a pass inside, but Joe Hart claims well.

CONFIDENT

Confident start from the Blues this. Carson Yeung looks very happy sat in the Anfield director's box. And warm to boot, wrapped in something more suited for a Russian winter than an English autumn.

BOWYER SHOT

Lee Bowyer, Birmingham's top scorer this season, hammers a shot in from the edge of the area which isn't too far over Reina's bar. The Blues fans very wittily sing "you're getting sacked in the morning" to Rafa Benitez. Somehow lads, I don't think so. This guy's more durable than some freak show they call 'Jedward' on a popular karaoke Saturday night TV show.

SKIPPER

Incidentally in Gerrard and Carraghers's absence, Dirk Kuyt is the Liverpool skipper tonight.

TWO UP

Subdued on and off the pitch in the opening few minutes. Birmingham are playing with two up front - a brave ploy from McLeish.

SYSTEM

Benayoun is on the right for Liverpool, with Dirk Kuyt supporting David Ngog up front.

KICK OFF

Peter Walton blows his whistle and we're playing at Anfield.

MINUTE'S SILENCE

Before kick off Anfield observes a minute's silence to mark yesterday's Remembrance Sunday.

BIRMINGHAM LINE UP

Alex McLeish makes two changes from the side which drew 1-1 with Man City last time around, and they're both as expected. Joe Hart returns in goal after being ineligible against his parent club, while Teemu Tainio replaces the suspended Barry Ferguson in midfield. Former Liverpool defender Gregory Vignal is on the bench. Full line up: Hart; Carr, Johnson, Ridgewell, Dann; Larsson, Bowyer, Tainio, McFadden; Benitez, Jerome. Subs: Taylor, Vignal, Queudrue, Carsley, Espinoza, McSheffrey, Phillips.

LIVERPOOL LINE UP

Steven Gerrard is on the bench for the Reds but there's no place in the squad for Fernando Torres, who may have undergone a required groin operation with the international break forthcoming. Glen Johnson returns to the starting XI as Rafa Benitez makes four changes from the Champions League draw with Lyon last week, with Martin Skrtel, Albert Riera and David Ngog also drafted in. Sotiris Kyrgiakos and Andriy Voronin are dropped. Full line up: Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Insua; Kuyt, Mascherano, Lucas, Benayoun, Riera; Ngog. Subs: Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Darby, Aquilani, Spearing, Gerrard, Babel.

KICK OFF 2000 BST

Will Liverpool's woeful fortunes continue, or are Birmingham about to feel the full frustration of Torres and co? Join us from 1930 BST for tonight's team news followed by live text commentary on what could be a captivating evening of Premier League football.

THE REF

Anfield was a much happier place when Peter Walton was last here, for Liverpool's 6-1 drubbing of Hull in September, just before the beginning of their current nightmare run. The 50-year-old from Northampton earned the ire of Birmingham fans and players alike the last time he took charge of a Blues game, denying James McFadden a strong penalty appeal during their 2-1 defeat at Spurs.

TEAM NEWS

As usual Liverpool are sweating on the fitness of groin injury victims Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, with only the Spaniard likely to feature. Two players definitely out are suspended Jamie Carragher and Philipp Degen, but Alberto Aquilani (virus), Fabio Aurelio (calf), Albert Riera (hamstring) and Glen Johnson (calf) could figure. Keith Fahey (knee) and Garry O'Connor (groin) are doubs for Birmingham, while Barry Ferguson is suspend.

BLUES BUOYED

As for Birmingham, they lie precariously one point above the relegation zone, but taking four points from two games since Carson Yeung's takeover has given the club a major boost. Last weekend's 1-1 draw with Man City showed they have the quality to take on the big boys, so they'll fancy their chances of getting a result tonight.

PREVIEW

Liverpool's rollercoaster season, which actually resembles more of a train wreck at the moment, continues apace with another one of those ‘must win' games, this time at home to Birmingham City. The Reds have lost six of their last eight games and are in serious danger of being left with just the FA Cup to try and win this season, despite 2009-10 only being three months old. They have been fortunate in one respect though – neither Aston Villa, Spurs or Manchester City have laid a genuine claim for a Champions League spot, and indeed the Reds will move up to fifth with a win tonight.