2004–05 Liverpool F.C. season

The 2004–05 season was the 113th season of competitive football played by Liverpool. It began on 1 July 2004 and concluded on 30 June 2005, with competitive matches played between August and May. Liverpool finished fourth in the previous Premier League season. However, they were unable to improve on this position finishing in fifth place, 37 points behind eventual winners Chelsea with a record of 17 wins, 7 draws and 14 defeats. Liverpool fared better in cup competitions. Although they were eliminated by Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup, they reached the final of the League Cup, which they lost 3–2 to Chelsea. Despite their lack of success domestically, Liverpool were successful in the UEFA Champions League. They won the competition for the fifth time, defeating Italian team Milan in the final.

Liverpool acquired eight players in the transfer market, including Djibril Cissé, Xabi Alonso and Luis García. They were supplemented by the arrival of Mauricio Pellegrino, Fernando Morientes and Scott Carson during the January transfer window. A total of four players departed including Markus Babbel, Danny Murphy and Michael Owen, who were all transferred in the summer transfer window. Stéphane Henchoz left the club during the winter transfer window.

Thirty-two different players represented the club in four competitions, and there were 17 different goalscorers. Liverpool's top goalscorer were Milan Baroš, Steven Gerrard and García with 13 goals each. Defender John Arne Riise made the most appearances during the season with 57.

Background

Liverpool did not win any trophies in the 2003–04 season. The team finished fourth in the Premier League, securing a return to the UEFA Champions League, but finished 30 points behind eventual winners Arsenal. They fared little better in the cup competitions, exiting the FA Cup in the fifth round losing 1–0 to Portsmouth in a replay after the original tie finished 1–1. A 3–2 defeat to Bolton Wanderers resulted in Liverpool's exit from the League Cup in the fourth round. Liverpool reached the same round of the UEFA Cup before they were eliminated by Marseille 3–2 on aggregate.

Following the end of the season, manager Gérard Houllier was replaced by Rafael Benítez after six years in charge. Benítez had won La Liga and the UEFA Cup with Valencia during the 2003–04 season. Several new players were brought in as well as Benítez. A deal for striker Djibril Cissé was secured before Houllier left, while Benítez's first signing as manager was defender Josemi from Málaga. Antonio Núñez, Xabi Alonso and Luis García were the remaining transfers made in the summer transfer window. A further three players were signed in the January transfer window with defender Mauricio Pellegrino, striker Fernando Morientes and goalkeeper Scott Carson joining the club.

Transfers

In

Out

Pre-season matches

Premier League

A total of 20 teams competed in the Premier League in the 2004–05 season. Each team played 38 matches; two against every other team and one match at each club's stadium. Three points were awarded for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats. At the end of the season the top two teams qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League; teams in third and fourth needed to play a qualifier. The provisional fixture list was released on 24 June 2004, but was subject to change in the event of clashes with other competitions, international football, inclement weather, or matches being selected for television coverage.

August–October

Liverpool travelled to Tottenham Hotspur on the opening weekend of the season. Djibril Cissé scored on his league debut to give Liverpool the lead in the first half but an equaliser from Jermain Defoe in the second half meant the match finished 1–1. The following weekend, Liverpool hosted Manchester City at Anfield. City took the lead at the end of the first half when former Liverpool striker, Nicolas Anelka scored. However, a goal three minutes into the second half from Milan Baroš and another from Steven Gerrard in the 75th minute meant Liverpool won the match 2–1. A trip to the Reebok Stadium to face Bolton Wanderers was next for Liverpool. Luis García, making his debut, had a goal disallowed for offside before Kevin Davies 38th-minute goal secured a 1–0 win for Bolton. Due to international fixtures, Liverpool did not play another game for two weeks. When domestic football resumed, Liverpool faced West Bromwich at Anfield in their next natch. Goals from Gerrard, Steve Finnan and García secured a 3–0 win. Manager Rafael Benítez was encouraged by his side's performance: "It was perhaps the best performance so far because we scored three goals and had many possibilities, I'm a little closer to finding the balance, but I need more time — I cannot say how long, it's impossible to know, what we've seen is a better team — it's a small step, we need to do more."

Liverpool's next match was against rivals Manchester United at their home ground, Old Trafford. A Mikaël Silvestre opened the scoring for United in the 20th minute but an own goal by defender John O'Shea levelled the score 14 minutes later. Captain Gerrard went off with injury after 40 minutes and Liverpool struggled to create more chances, with a further goal from Silvestre secured a 2–1 win for United. A home match against Norwich City was next for Liverpool. Goals from Baroš, García and Cissé secured a 3–0 win. Liverpool's next match was away to Chelsea at their home ground, Stamford Bridge. A tight game was settled by a goal from Joe Cole in the 64th minute to give Chelsea a 1–0 victory. Liverpool travelled to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in their next match. They were 2–0 down at halftime due to two goals from Luís Boa Morte, but an goal by Zat Knight and goals from Baroš, Xabi Alonso and Igor Bišćan secured a 4–2 victory for Liverpool.

Goals from John Arne Riise and García were enough to secure a 2–0 win in their next match against Charlton Athletic at Anfield. Liverpool's opposition in the next match were Blackburn Rovers. They took lead in the seventh minute when Riise scored, but Jay Bothroyd scored in the 16th minute to level the scores. Liverpool suffered a setback in the 30th minute when Cissé was forced off with a broken leg after a challenge with Jay McEveley. Blackburn took the lead on the stroke of halftime when Brett Emerton after the Liverpool defence failed to clear the ball, but Liverpool levelled the scores in the 54th minute when Baroš scored from a pass by García. Liverpool manager Benítez was disappointed his side didn't win the match: "I'm disappointed as we began the game with a high tempo like we did at the start of the second half."

November–December

League table

Results summary

Results by round

FA Cup

Liverpool entered the competition in the third round, as a result of their Premier League status. Their opponents in the third round were Burnley. The match was played at Burnley's home ground, Turf Moor, with Liverpool resting several regular first-team players and opting to field "a collection of reserve and youth team players" according to ''The Guardian''. The decision was unsuccessful. Burnley won the match 1–0 due to an own goal by defender Djimi Traoré in the second half.

League Cup

Liverpool entered the League Cup in the third round due to them qualifying for European competition, their opponents were Millwall. A "second-string Liverpool", according to BBC Sport, won 3–0 courtesy of a goal from Salif Diao in the first half and two from Milan Baroš in the second. They were drawn against fellow Premier League team Middlesbrough in the fourth round. Two goals from Neil Mellor secured a 2–0 win for Liverpool to progress to the quarter-finals. Benítez opted to field a reserve side again against Tottenham Hotspur, in a match which went to extra time after a goalless first 90 minutes. Tottenham opened the scoring in the 108th minute when Jermain Defoe scored from a Frederic Kanoute cross. Three minutes before the end, Liverpool were awarded a penalty kick after Kanoute handled the ball in the Tottenham penalty area. Florent Sinama-Pongolle scored from the penalty spot to level the match at 1–1 and set up a penalty shoot-out, which Liverpool won 4–3.

Liverpool were drawn against Championship side Watford in the semi-finals. Played over two-legs, Liverpool won the first leg at Anfield 1–0 after Gerrard scored in the 56th minute. The second leg at Watford's home ground, Vicarage Road, was "a game of few chances" according to BBC Sport. A goal from Gerrard in the 77th minute secured a 1–0 victory, and a 2–0 win on aggregate to secure Liverpool's place in the final. Liverpool faced Chelsea in the final, which Benítez felt would favour Liverpool: "There will be more pressure on them, they have spent a lot of money and are the best team in the league, because they are in first position, but they've lost their last two important games. That means they will be under pressure. People will see them as the favourites, I'm sure, so the pressure is on them and not us."

Liverpool took the lead within a minute of the kick-off. A cross from Fernando Morientes was met by John Arne Riise, who volleyed the ball past Petr Čech in the Chelsea goal. It was the fastest goal scored in a League Cup final. The score remained 1–0 until the 79th minute when Gerrard scored an own goal, after he headed a Chelsea free-kick into his own goal. The match finished 1–1 after 90minutes and wen to extra-time. Chelsea took the lead in the 197th minute when Didier Drogba scored and they extended their lead further six minutes later following a Mateja Kežman goal. Liverpool scored through Antonio Núñez a minute later, but they were unable to score another goal and Chelsea won the match 3–2 to win the League Cup.

UEFA Champions League

As Liverpool had finished fourth in the league the previous season, they needed to play a qualifying round against Grazer AK to ensure progression into the group stages. Liverpool won the first leg 2–0 courtesy of two goals from Gerrard. They lost the second leg 1–0 at Anfield, a Mario Tokić goal securing victory for Grazer, but they progressed 2–1 on aggregate. Liverpool were drawn in Group A along with Deportivo La Coruña, Monaco and Olympiacos.

Liverpool won their first match against Monaco at Anfield 2–0, courtesy of goals from Cissé and Baroš. A 1–0 loss against Olympiacos at the Karaiskakis Stadium was the first time Liverpool had lost to Greek opposition. Deportivo La Coruña were the opposition in Liverpool's third group game at Anfield. The match ended 0–0 with Liverpool dominating the game and lacking a 'cutting edge' according to BBC Sport. Liverpool won the reverse fixture at the Estadio Riazor 1–0 thanks to an own goal by Deportivo defender Jorge Andrade. A 1–0 defeat to Monaco at the Stade Louis II meant Liverpool needed to win their final match against Olympiacos at Anfield by two clear goals to progress to the knockout stages. Liverpool started the game well but went behind to a free-kick from Rivaldo. This meant they needed to score three goals to ensure they progressed to the next round. Sinama-Pongolle levelled the scores in the 47th minute after coming on as a substitute at half-time. Mellor scored a second in the 81st minute to put Liverpool ahead. In the 86th minute, Gerrard's "stunning half-volley, speared majestically from the edge of the area," according to ''The Guardian'' secured a 3–1 victory and Liverpool's place in the round of 16. Gerrard was delighted with the result after it looked like Liverpool might exit the competition after falling a goal behind in the first half: "I'd be a liar if I didn't say I thought we were down and out at the break. They were spoiling the game and were strong defensively, so there was a mountain to climb at half-time."

Liverpool were drawn against Bayer Leverkusen of Germany in the round of 16. Liverpool took the lead in the first leg at Anfield when García scored in the 15th minute. Riise scored from a free-kick in the 35th minute to make it 2–0 and Hamman added a third in the second half. An error in the last minute by goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek saw França score for Leverkusen to make the score 3–1 at full-time. The second leg at Leverkusen's home ground, the BayArena finished with the same scoreline. Two goals in quick succession in the first half by García, was followed by a goal from Baroš in the second half. Jacek Krzynówek scored late in the match, but Liverpool's 3–1 victory meant they won 6–2 on aggregate to progress to the quarter-finals. Liverpool were drawn against Juventus. This was the first time the clubs had met since the Heysel Stadium disaster at the 1985 European Cup Final, where 39 people, many of them Juventus supporters, lost their lives. Liverpool took the lead in the first leg at Anfield in the tenth minute when Sami Hyypiä scored and García added a second fifteen minutes later. Juventus replied in the second half, when Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson allowed a Fabio Cannavaro header to slip through his fingers. But they were unable to score a second goal and the match finished 2–1. Liverpool captain Gerrard was pleased with the result and optimistic about their prospects in the second leg: "I was delighted with the first half, unfortunately the first half and second half were very different. They pressed us back after the break and made it difficult for us to keep the ball. The blow was conceding a goal in the second half," added the captain Steven Gerrard. "I'm sure Scott will be disappointed with it but to be fair to him he stopped one in the first half and it was one of the best saves I've seen all season. It means we've got to keep a clean sheet over there, but we won't play for a 0-0 in the second leg. We've got the ability to nick a goal so that will be our game plan and if we keep a clean sheet we're into the last four." Liverpool progressed to the semi-finals after a 0–0 draw in a game of few chances at Juventus' home ground, the Stadio Delle Alpi.

Liverpool faced Chelsea in the semi-finals, who were the favourites as they had already beaten Liverpool three times during the season. The match was a close match with both sides close to scoring in the early stages. Riise and Baros missed chances for Liverpool, while Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard had chances to put Chelsea in the lead too. The second half was a 'sterile affair' according to BBC Sport with neither side able to score the match finished 0–0. Despite failing to score an away goal, Benítez was confident Liverpool would progress following the second leg at Anfield: "It is a good situation. We have very good supporters, they will be with us at Anfield and we need to win, we always have confidence and we need to believe in ourselves. We played a good game. The team worked hard and controlled the game, they had chances but a draw is a good result." Liverpool took the lead within the first four minutes at Anfield, when Baros beat Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech to the ball and García tapped the ball into Chelsea goal, despite the protestations of Chelsea players who claimed the ball hadn't gone over the line. For the remainder of the match, Liverpool withstood Chelsea's attacks, whose best chance came in the final minute when Eiður Guðjohnsen's volley went just wide of the Liverpool goal. A 1–0 victory meant Liverpool progressed to their first European Cup final since 1985. Chelsea manager was critical of the officials following over the Liverpool goal: "The linesman scored the goal. No one knows if that shot went over the line and you must be 100%, but they are in the final and from my heart I hope they win it. The night belongs to them and I don't want to criticise them." Goalscorer García was adamant the ball was over the line when he scored and was delighted to have reached a final in his first season at the club: "I hooked the ball towards the goal, I felt it went in and I am very happy now. When I arrived here last summer I was intent on winning some trophies, but I do not expect to get to the Champions League final in my first season in England. For us to get to the final is beyond all our dreams, and for me to score the goal is a special moment too."

Squad statistics

Liverpool used a total of 32 players during the season, with 17 different goalscorers. There were also five squad members who did not make an appearance during the season. Riise featured in 57 matches, the most of any Liverpool player during the campaign. Carragher was the only player to appear in every Premier League match. Baroš, Gerrard and García were topscorers with 13 goals each.

Key

No. = Squad number

Pos = Playing position

Nat. = Nationality

Apps = Appearances

GK = Goalkeeper

DF = Defender

MF = Midfielder

FW = Forward

= Yellow cards

= Red cards

''Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with number struck through and marked left the club during the playing season.''

See also

*2004–05 in English football
*2005 Champions League Final

Notes

References

External links

2004-05 Season at LFC History

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liverpool F.C. season 2004-05
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2004–05 FA Premier League by team
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