Liverpool registered their first home win of the season at the fifth attempt, defeating Reading 1-0. The goal came in the 29th minute from 17-year-old Raheem Sterling. Whilst the score line seemed close, Liverpool had the majority of possession (56.8% vs. Reading’s 43.2%) and created four times as many chances as Reading (20 to 5). It was another case of Liverpool failing to score when they dominated a team, which might have allowed the opposition back into the match.
Liverpool’s First Half Chances
Straight from the beginning of the match, Liverpool directed their attacks down the left hand side. Reading’s right back Shaun Cummings had a tough night coming up against Sterling and Glen Johnson and didn’t rise to the task, with the majority of Liverpool’s best chance coming down his side.
Liverpool’s first chance occurred when Luis Suarez and Sterling combined, but the pass from Suarez was too far behind Sterling which allowed the Reading defenders to recover in time.
Liverpool’s next great chance fell to Nuri Şahin, whose shot went flying over the bar from a Sterling cut back. The move started when Joe Allen passed into the feet of Suarez, who had dropped off (taking Mariabba with him). Suarez’s attempted pass to Şahin was intercepted by McAnuff, but his heavy touch allowed Gerrard to nick in.
 Gerrard’s touch allowed Şahin to play a beautiful volleyed pass into the path of Sterling. Liverpool then broke forward, and Sterling’s cut back found Şahin, but he couldn’t finish.
Midway through the first half, Raheem Sterling scored his first senior goal to give Liverpool the lead.
From McCarthy’s goal kick, the second ball fell to Leigertwood, but his header allowed Wisdom to step in and head the ball forward. From here, Suarez had again dropped off and had time to turn and measure a pass towards the run of Sterling, who had ran in-between his marker and the central defender. Sterling then took the ball on an angle before finishing across the face of McCarthy.
Reading’s Best First Half Chance
After Liverpool took the lead, Reading had two half chances to equalise before half time – one coming from a long range shot and the other from a well worked set piece.
Leigertwood was given space to shoot after Gerrard was caught ball watching, but Liverpool escaped. Not long later, Reading nearly executed a training ground move, but Liverpool was able to scramble the ball clear.
With four players over the ball, the Liverpool wall was unclear if Kebe or Shorey was going to take a shot. Kebe lined up to shoot but ran over the ball as Guthrie rolled it to McAnuff. Shorey then, when being charged down by Şahin, passed into the path of Kebe. As Sterling looked to step across to cover Kebe, Leigertwood ran across and block him off (albeit illegally, but it wasn’t spotted by the referee). This allowed Kebe to receive the ball, but Liverpool eventually got men around the ball and could clear.
If the pass by Shorey was a touch firmer, then Kebe may have had a better chance to cross; although there was no front post runner looking to get on the end of the cross had it occurred.
