2007–08 Liverpool F.C. season
English football club season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2007–08 season was Liverpool Football Club's 116th season in their history, and their 46th consecutive season in the top-flight of English football, The season covers the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008.
| 2007–08 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Tom Hicks and George Gillett | |||
| Manager | Rafael Benítez | |||
| Premier League | 4th | |||
| FA Cup | Fifth round | |||
| League Cup | Quarter-finals | |||
| UEFA Champions League | Semi-finals | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Fernando Torres (24) All: Fernando Torres (33) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 44,459 v Manchester United (16 December 2007, Premier League) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 41,095 v Porto (28 November 2007, UEFA Champions League) | |||
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Having finished third the previous season, Liverpool qualified for the UEFA Champions League final qualifying stage.
First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Season summary
August
Liverpool began their Premier League season with a trip to Aston Villa, which they won 2–1. This was followed by the first-leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier against Toulouse. The game, unusually played on a weekday afternoon, was won 1–0 by Liverpool.[1] Next came their first home game of the season, a Premier League match against Chelsea. Liverpool took the lead through Fernando Torres's first goal for the club, but Chelsea hit back with a disputed penalty from Frank Lampard,[2] ending the game 1–1.[3] Referee Rob Styles appeared to book Michael Essien twice without sending him off, similar to Graham Poll at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[2] Styles later admitted to have made an incorrect decision to award the penalty and, unusually, apologised to Liverpool for his mistake; he was subsequently dropped for the next gameweek.[2]
The third Premier League game of the season, was a 2–0 away win at Sunderland, It was notable for Mohamed Sissoko's first (and only[4][5][6]) Liverpool goal, after more than two years. This was also the Reds' 7,000th league goal.[7] The following Tuesday saw Liverpool play Toulouse at Anfield in the second-leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifying tie. Before kick-off, the Everton song "Z Cars" echoed around Anfield, in memory of 11-year-old Rhys Jones, a local boy who had been shot dead the previous week. The match finished 4–0 to Liverpool, and the club qualified for the group stage winning 5–0 on aggregate.[8]
September
Liverpool won their first match of September, 6–0 against Derby County,[9] Liverpool's biggest league win since 26 April 2003 when they beat West Bromwich Albion by the same scoreline.[10] This win took them to the top of the Premier League table for the first time under Rafael Benitez.[11]
After a two-week international break, Liverpool's next Premier League match was away to Portsmouth. The match ended in a 0–0 draw, after Pepe Reina saved Nwankwo Kanu's penalty-kick.[12] The following week, the Premier League match against Birmingham City at Anfield, also ended in a 0–0 draw.
In between those two Premier League draws Liverpool travelled to Porto to begin their UEFA Champions League group stage campaign against another club that had previously won the competition. The game, which ended 1–1, saw Jermaine Pennant sent-off after receiving two yellow cards.[13]
Liverpool got back to winning ways when they travelled to Reading for a League Cup third round match. Liverpool beat their hosts 4–2, with Fernando Torres scoring his first hat-trick for the club.[14] This was followed up with a Premier League success, away to Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium, where Yossi Benayoun's 75th-minute strike his second in two games was enough to secure three points.[15]
October
October's first fixture was the visit of Marseille, Liverpool's second UEFA Champions League group stage match. A spectacular individual goal from Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena handed Liverpool a 1–0 defeat, their first of the season. Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez described the match as possibly the worst performance by the club under his management.[16]
Liverpool remained at Anfield for their following match, the Premier League visit of Tottenham Hotspur. A last-minute, injury-time, equaliser by Fernando Torres earned the Reds a 2–2 draw to preserve their unbeaten league record.[17] However, Liverpool bounced back to win the Merseyside derby against Everton. The match at Goodison Park was a contentious one, with the referee's performance heavily criticised by Everton manager David Moyes. Dirk Kuyt scored two penalties that saw Liverpool come from behind to win 2–1.[18]
Liverpool's third UEFA Champions League group stage match was a trip to Istanbul, where they had won the trophy in 2005.[19] On this occasion, however, Liverpool fans had little to celebrate as their hosts Beşiktaş dealt their side's chances of progressing in the competition a serious blow by winning 2–1.[20] The highest seeded club in their group, Liverpool were now bottom of their UEFA Champions League group with only one point from their first three matches.[21]
Liverpool finished October with a pair of home fixtures. The Premier League visit of Arsenal yielded a 1–1 draw,[22] whilst the League Cup visit of Cardiff City, who featured Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler in their starting line-up, gave the Reds a 2–1 win with Nabil El Zhar scoring his first Liverpool goal.[23]
November
Liverpool began November with a 0–0 away draw against Blackburn Rovers,[24] further extending their unbeaten run in the league.[25] They followed this by finally injecting life into their UEFA Champions League campaign with an emphatic 8–0 home victory over Beşiktaş. A hat-trick from Yossi Benayoun, a goal from captain Steven Gerrard and two each from both Ryan Babel and Peter Crouch gave Liverpool fans something to celebrate as Liverpool established a new record for margin of victory in a UEFA Champions League match (the previous best, 7–0, had been held jointly by Arsenal and Juventus).[21]
On 10 November 2007, the UEFA Champions League win was followed up with a Premier League one, as Liverpool beat Fulham 2–0 at Anfield. Fernando Torres came off the bench to break the deadlock in the 81st minute, and Steven Gerrard scored a penalty won by Peter Crouch four minutes later to seal the win.[26]
After another international break, the club's thirteenth Premier league match took place, on 24 November 2007 at Newcastle United. Steven Gerrard, who had been booed by Newcastle United fans for his part in England's failure to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008, opened the scoring for the Reds and two more goals from Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel gave Liverpool a 3–0 win.[27]
The team ended the month by hosting their penultimate UEFA Champions League group game, the must-win visit of Porto. Liverpool won 4–1[28] and, as Fernando Torres scored the first two UEFA Champions League goals of his career, captain Steven Gerrard set a personal milestone of his own by equalling Michael Owen's club record of 22 goals in the Champions League.[29]
December
The club kicked off December by registering a 4–0 win against Bolton Wanderers at Anfield in the Premier League.[30] This win stretched Liverpool's winning streak to five matches,[25] during which they scored 21 goals and conceded just 1, and continued their unbeaten league run.[31]
However, this unbeaten start to the Premier League season was cut short the following week when the visit to Reading resulted in a 3–1 defeat on 8 December. After the hosts converted a penalty for a challenge that television replays showed had occurred on the line, Steven Gerrard equalised for Liverpool before two second-half goals from Reading handed Liverpool their first Premier League defeat of the season.[32]
Three days later, yet again needing a win to guarantee their survival in the competition, Liverpool travelled to Marseille for their final Champions League group stage fixture. Marseille had previously hosted English teams in Europe on six occasions and won all six times,[33] and only needed a draw to progress themselves. However, Liverpool registered their second 4–0 win of the month to finish second in their group and progress to the Round of 16.[34]
On 16 December, Liverpool hosted arch-rivals Manchester United in a vital Premier League match. The match ended with a 1–0 victory for Manchester United, their fourth in their last five league visits to Anfield, giving the latter a nine-point lead over Liverpool in the Premier League. The only goal was scored by Carlos Tevez. Arsenal beat Chelsea 1–0 later in the day to give themselves a ten-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool travelled to Chelsea for the League Cup quarter-final on 19 December. They were beaten 2–0 through a deflected goal from Frank Lampard and an injury-time goal from Andriy Shevchenko. Peter Crouch was sent-off following a two-footed tackle on Mikel John Obi.[35]
Three days before Christmas, Liverpool hosted Portsmouth, looking to get their Premier League campaign back on track after two successive defeats. Liverpool continued a record of remaining undefeated at Anfield against Pompey since 1951 by triumphing 4–1. Fernando Torres scored twice to continue his good run of scoring, while the other goals came from Yossi Benayoun and a Sylvain Distin own goal. On 26 December, Liverpool managed a 2–1 victory over Derby County, with goals from Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard respectively, before playing out a 0–0 draw against Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium in their final match of 2007.
January
Liverpool's first match of 2008 was against Wigan Athletic at Anfield, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[36] This was followed by their first FA Cup match of the season, the third round match against Luton Town, which also finished 1–1. In the replay a week later, Liverpool beat them 5–0 at home, in which Steven Gerrard scored his second Liverpool hat-trick. On 26 January 2008, Liverpool defeated Havant & Waterlooville 5–2, despite going behind twice in the first-half.[37] After that they travelled to Upton Park, where they faced West Ham United. An injury-time penalty from Mark Noble saw them slump to a 1–0 defeat, their third of the Premier League season.
Martin Škrtel was the first signing by Liverpool in the January transfer window. The undisclosed fee was rumoured to be £6.5 million, which was the highest amount paid by the club for a defender.[38] Mohamed Sissoko, who had found himself playing fewer games after the arrivals of Javier Mascherano and Lucas,[39] transferred to Juventus, and Jack Hobbs, who had played some first-team action this season,[39] joined Scunthorpe United on loan until the end of the season.[40]
February
Liverpool's first match of February was against Sunderland at Anfield, which finished in an 3–0 win.[41] On 10 February, Liverpool travelled to Stamford Bridge and played out a 0–0 draw with Chelsea.[42]
Liverpool played Barnsley in the fifth round of the FA Cup on 16 February 2008, and lost 2–1 at Anfield, but they then beat Inter Milan 2–0 on 19 February in the first-leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match.
Their last match of February, was against Middlesbrough on 23 February, which ended a 3–2 win for Liverpool, with Fernando Torres scoring a hat-trick.
March
Liverpool's first match in March was away against Bolton Wanderers which they won 3–1 through an own goal by Jussi Jääskeläinen and strikes from Ryan Babel and Fábio Aurélio, his first for the club. On 5 March, Liverpool played against West Ham United. Liverpool won 4–0, with a goal from Steven Gerrard and another hat-trick from Fernando Torres, making him the first Liverpool player in over 60 years to net hat-tricks in successive home matches.[43] Three days later, Liverpool beat Newcastle United 3–0 at home, with goals from Jermaine Pennant, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. On 11 March 2008, Liverpool became the second English team in a week to win at the San Siro by winning against Inter Milan 1–0, with Fernando Torres scoring the winner. Back in the Premier League, Javier Mascherano scored his first goal for Liverpool[44] and Fernando Torres scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season, becoming the first player at the club since Robbie Fowler to do so as Liverpool won 2–1 against Reading. However, their seven match winning streak was ended when they lost 3–0 to Manchester United. Javier Mascherano was sent-off by referee Steve Bennett for dissent after Mascherano questioned the controversial booking of Fernando Torres. Liverpool's final fixture of March was against Everton at Anfield. Fernando Torres scored the only goal early in the match, and Liverpool held on to win 1–0, giving them a five-point lead over Everton for fourth place in the table.
April
On 1 April, in the Champions League, Liverpool faced Arsenal for the first of three consecutive meetings, a 1–1 draw at the Emirates Stadium with Dirk Kuyt scoring an away goal. On 5 April they drew 1–1 once again at the Emirates. Peter Crouch scored for Liverpool to take the lead but Nicklas Bendtner scored the equalizer for Arsenal,[45] while Damien Plessis made his debut.[46] In the third match, Liverpool beat Arsenal 4–2 (5–3 on aggregate) to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. In the following match, Steven Gerrard scored in his 300th Liverpool appearance in the Premier League in a 3–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers. The following Saturday, Liverpool put out a weakened side against Fulham ahead of their semi-final first leg with Chelsea and won 2–0, with Jermaine Pennant and Peter Crouch getting on the scoresheet. On 22 April, Liverpool played against Chelsea at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg. Liverpool looked to be going into the second-leg with a 1–0 advantage through Dirk Kuyt, but in the final minute of stoppage time John Arne Riise accidentally headed from a Salomon Kalou cross into his own net, giving Chelsea a slight advantage through the away goal. The next Saturday, against Birmingham City, Liverpool again put out a weakened side before the second-leg with Chelsea. Damien Plessis started again, and Liverpool fought back from 2–0 down to 2–2, with Peter Crouch and Yossi Benayoun scoring. That point secured fourth place for Liverpool. The next Wednesday Liverpool played against Chelsea in the second-leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge, but lost 3–2 in extra-time (4–3 on aggregate), sending Liverpool out of the UEFA Champions League.
May
On 4 May, Liverpool beat Manchester City 1–0 at Anfield. On the final day of the Premier League, Liverpool won 2–0 away at Tottenham Hotspur, with Andriy Voronin scoring his sixth of the season and Fernando Torres' his 24th league goal, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's record for the most goals scored by a foreign Premier League player in a debut season.
Premier League
| 11 August 2007 1 | Aston Villa | 1–2 | Liverpool | Birmingham, West Midlands |
| 17:15 BST | Mellberg  26'Bouma 58'Barry 67',  85' (pen.)Petrov 89' |
Report | Laursen 31' (o.g.) Pennant 55'Reina 84'Gerrard 87' |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 42,640 Referee: Mike Riley |
| 19 August 2007 2 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Chelsea | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 16:00 BST | Torres 15' Kuyt 30'Pennant 40'Gerrard 43'Carragher 61' |
Report | Essien 12' A. Cole 59'Ben Haim 63'Lampard 62' (pen.), 70'Terry 74' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,924 Referee: Rob Styles |
| 25 August 2007 3 | Sunderland | 0–2 | Liverpool | Sunderland, Wearside |
| 12:45 BST | Etuhu 27' |
Report | Sissoko 37' Arbeloa 67'Voronin 87' |
Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 45,645 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 1 September 2007 4 | Liverpool | 6–0 | Derby County | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 15:00 BST | Alonso 29', 69' Babel 45'Torres 56', 77'Voronin 76' |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,076 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 15 September 2007 5 | Portsmouth | 0–0 | Liverpool | Portsmouth, Hampshire |
| 12:45 BST | Bouba Diop 29' Johnson 64'Davis 90+3' |
Report | Alonso 31' Sissoko 76' |
Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 20,388 Referee: Mike Riley |
| 22 September 2007 6 | Liverpool | 0–0 | Birmingham City | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,215 Referee: Lee Mason |
| 29 September 2007 7 | Wigan Athletic | 0–1 | Liverpool | Wigan, Greater Manchester |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Benayoun 75' |
Stadium: DW Stadium Attendance: 24,311 Referee: Mark Clattenburg |
| 7 October 2007 8 | Liverpool | 2–2 | Tottenham Hotspur | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Voronin 12' Torres 90+2' |
Report | Keane 45', 47' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,986 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 20 October 2007 9 | Everton | 1–2 | Liverpool | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 12:45 | Hyypiä 37' (o.g.) Hibbert  53'Neville 90' |
Report | Kuyt 54' (pen.), 90+2' (pen.) |
Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 40,049 Referee: Mark Clattenburg |
| 28 October 2007 10 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Arsenal | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 16:00 | Gerrard 7' |
Report | Fàbregas 80' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,122 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 3 November 2007 11 | Blackburn Rovers | 0–0 | Liverpool | Blackburn, Lancashire |
| 17:15 | Report | Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 30,033 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| 10 November 2007 12 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Fulham | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 17:15 | Torres 81' Gerrard 85' (pen.) |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,073 Referee: Steve Tanner |
| 24 November 2007 13 | Newcastle United | 0–3 | Liverpool | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| 12:45 | Report | Gerrard 27' Kuyt 46'Babel 66' |
Stadium: St. James' Park Attendance: 52,307 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 2 December 2007 14 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Bolton Wanderers | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 15:00 | Hyypiä 17' Torres 45'Gerrard 56'Babel 85' |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,270 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 8 December 2007 15 | Reading | 3–1 | Liverpool | Reading, Berkshire |
| 17:15 | Hunt 17' (pen.) Doyle 60'Harper 67' |
Report | Gerrard 28', 59' |
Stadium: Madejski Stadium Attendance: 24,022 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 16 December 2007 16 | Liverpool | 0–1 | Manchester United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 13:30 | Gerrard 33' Mascherano 63' |
Report | Evra 15' Anderson 33'Brown 36'Tevez 41' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,459 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 22 December 2007 17 | Liverpool | 4–1 | Portsmouth | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Benayoun 13' Distin 16' (o.g.)Torres 66', 85' |
Report | Benjani 57' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,071 |
| 26 December 2007 18 | Derby County | 1–2 | Liverpool | Derby, Derbyshire |
| McEveley 67' |
Report | Torres 11' Gerrard 90+2' |
Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 33,029 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 30 December 2007 19 | Manchester City | 0–0 | Liverpool | Manchester, Greater Manchester |
| 16:00 GMT | Report | Torres 85' |
Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium Attendance: 47,321 Referee: Uriah Rennie |
| 2 January 2008 20 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Wigan Athletic | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Torres 49' |
Report | Bramble 80' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,308 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 12 January 2008 21 | Middlesbrough | 1–1 | Liverpool | Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire |
| Boateng 26' |
Report | Torres 71' |
Stadium: Riverside Stadium Attendance: 33,035 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 21 January 2008 22 | Liverpool | 2–2 | Aston Villa | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Benayoun 19' Crouch 88' |
Report | Harewood 69' Aurélio 72' (o.g.) |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,590 Referee: Mark Clattenburg |
| 30 January 2008 23 | West Ham United | 1–0 | Liverpool | Newham, London |
| Noble 90+3' (pen.) |
Report | Stadium: Upton Park Attendance: 34,977 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 2 February 2008 24 | Liverpool | 3–0 | Sunderland | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Crouch 57' Torres 69'Gerrard 89' |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,244 Referee: Rob Styles |
| 10 February 2008 25 | Chelsea | 0–0 | Liverpool | Fulham, London |
| 16:00 | Belletti 3' Carvalho 74'Alex 78' |
Report | Babel 41' Riise 63' |
Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,788 Referee: Mike Riley |
| 23 February 2008 26 | Liverpool | 3–2 | Middlesbrough | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Torres 28', 29', 61' |
Report | Tuncay 9' Downing 83' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,612 Referee: Lee Mason |
| 2 March 2008 27 | Bolton Wanderers | 1–3 | Liverpool | Bolton, Greater Manchester |
| Cohen 79' |
Report | Jääskeläinen 12' (o.g.) Babel 60'Aurélio 75' |
Stadium: Reebok Stadium Attendance: 24,004 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 5 March 2008 28 | Liverpool | 4–0 | West Ham United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Torres 8', 60', 81' Gerrard 85' |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,954 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 8 March 2008 29 | Liverpool | 3–0 | Newcastle United | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Pennant 43' Torres 45'Gerrard 51' |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,031 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 15 March 2008 30 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Reading | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Mascherano 19' Torres 48' |
Report | Matějovský 5' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,524 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 23 March 2008 31 | Manchester United | 3–0 | Liverpool | Trafford, Greater Manchester |
| 13:30 GMT | Brown 34' Ferdinand 60'Ronaldo 78'Nani 81' |
Report | Mascherano 11'  44'Torres 44'Arbeloa 53' |
Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 76,000 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 30 March 2008 32 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Everton | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 16:00 | Torres 7' |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,295 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 5 April 2008 33 | Arsenal | 1–1 | Liverpool | Islington, London |
| 12:45 | Bendtner 54' |
Report | Crouch 41' |
Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,111 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 13 April 2008 34 | Liverpool | 3–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 13:30 | Gerrard 60' Torres 82'Voronin 90' |
Report | Santa Cruz 90+2' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,283 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 19 April 2008 35 | Fulham | 0–2 | Liverpool | Fulham, London |
| Report | Pennant 17' Crouch 70' |
Stadium: Craven Cottage Attendance: 25,311 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| 26 April 2008 36 | Birmingham City | 2–2 | Liverpool | Birmingham, West Midlands |
| Forssell 33' Larsson 35' |
Report | Crouch 63' Benayoun 75' |
Stadium: St Andrew's Attendance: 29,252 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 4 May 2008 37 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Manchester City | Liverpool, Merseyside |
| 16:00 | Torres 58' |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 43,074 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 11 May 2008 38 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0–2 | Liverpool | Haringey, London |
| 15:00 | Report | Voronin 69' Torres 74' |
Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 36,063 Referee: Uriah Rennie |
Classification
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chelsea | 38 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 65 | 26 | +39 | 85 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 3 | Arsenal | 38 | 24 | 11 | 3 | 74 | 31 | +43 | 83 | Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round |
| 4 | Liverpool | 38 | 21 | 13 | 4 | 67 | 28 | +39 | 76 | |
| 5 | Everton | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 55 | 33 | +22 | 65 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 71 | 51 | +20 | 60 | Qualification for the Intertoto Cup third round |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
For further information on European qualification see Premier League – Competition
Results by round
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 38 | 21 | 13 | 4 | 67 | 28 | +39 | 76 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 43 | 13 | +30 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 24 | 15 | +9 |
Big Four Games
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 |
Cup Competitions
Football League Cup
| 25 September 2007 Third Round | Reading | 2–4 | Liverpool | Reading, Berkshire |
| 19:45 | Convey 28' Halls 64' |
Report | Benayoun 23' Torres 50', 71', 86' |
Stadium: Madejski Stadium Attendance: 23,567 |
| 31 October 2007 Fourth Round | Liverpool | 2–1 | Cardiff City | Liverpool |
| 19:45 | El Zhar 48' Gerrard 66' |
Report | Purse 65' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,780 |
| 19 December 2007 Fifth Round | Chelsea | 2–0 | Liverpool | Fulham, London |
| 19:45 | Lampard 59' Shevchenko 90' |
Report | Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,366 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
FA Cup
| 6 January 2008 Third Round | Luton Town | 1–1 | Liverpool | Luton |
| 16:00 | Riise 76' (o.g.) |
Report | Crouch 73' |
Stadium: Kenilworth Road Attendance: 10,226 |
| 15 January 2008 Third Round Replay | Liverpool | 5–0 | Luton Town | Liverpool |
| 20:00 | Babel 45' Gerrard 52', 64', 71'Hyypiä 57' |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,446 |
UEFA Champions League
Third qualifying round
| 15 August 2007 First leg | Toulouse  | 0–1 |  Liverpool | Toulouse, France |
| Report | Voronin 43' |
Stadium: Stadium Municipal Attendance: 36,000 Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece) |
Group stage
| 18 September 2007 1 | Porto  | 1–1 | Liverpool | Porto, Portugal |
| 20:45 | L. González 8' (pen.) |
Report | Kuyt 17' Pennant |
Stadium: Estádio do Dragão Attendance: 41,208 Referee: Ľuboš Micheľ (Slovakia) |
| 3 October 2007 2 | Liverpool | 0–1 | Marseille | Liverpool, England |
| 20:45 | Report | Valbuena 77' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,355 Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria) |
| 24 October 2007 3 | Beşiktaş  | 2–1 | Liverpool | Istanbul, Turkey |
| 20:45 | Hyypiä 13' (o.g.) Bobô 82' |
Report | Gerrard 85' |
Stadium: BJK İnönü Stadium Attendance: 32,500 Referee: Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark) |
| 6 November 2007 4 | Liverpool | 8–0 | Beşiktaş | Liverpool, England |
| 20:45 | Crouch 19', 89' Benayoun 32', 53', 56'Gerrard 69'Babel 78', 81' |
Report | Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,143 Referee: Markus Merk (Germany) |
Knockout phase
Round of 16
| 19 February 2008 First leg | Liverpool | 2–0 |  Inter Milan | Liverpool, England |
| Kuyt 85' Gerrard 90' |
Report | Materazzi 30' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,999 Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium) |
| 11 March 2008 Second leg | Inter Milan | 0–1 | Liverpool | Milan, Italy |
| Burdisso 50' |
Report | Torres 63' |
Stadium: San Siro Attendance: 80,000 Referee: Tom Henning Øvrebø (Norway) |
Quarter-finals
| 2 April 2008 First leg | Arsenal | 1–1 | Liverpool | London, England |
| Adebayor 23' |
Report | Kuyt 26' |
Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,041 Referee: Pieter Vink (Netherlands) |
Semi-finals
| 22 April 2008 First leg | Liverpool | 1–1 | Chelsea | Liverpool, England |
| Kuyt 43' |
Report | Riise 90+4' (o.g.) |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 42,180 Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria) |
| 30 April 2008 Second leg | Chelsea | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Liverpool | London, England |
| Drogba 33', 105' Lampard 98' (pen.) |
Report | Torres 64' Babel 117' |
Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 38,900 Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy) |
Top scorers
| P | Player | Position | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | UEFA Champions League | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fernando Torres |
Forward | 24 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 33 |
| 2 | Steven Gerrard |
Midfielder | 11 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 21 |
| 3 |  Yossi Benayoun |
Midfielder | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| Peter Crouch |
Forward | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11 | |
 Dirk Kuyt |
Forward | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 11 | |
| 6 | Ryan Babel |
Forward | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| 7 |  Andriy Voronin |
Forward | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 8 |  Sami Hyypiä |
Defender | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 9 | Xabi Alonso |
Midfielder | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jermaine Pennant |
Midfielder | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 11 |  Fábio Aurélio |
Defender | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Javier Mascherano |
Midfielder | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Lucas |
Midfielder | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
 Mohamed Sissoko |
Midfielder | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
 Nabil El Zhar |
Forward | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Disciplinary record
| N |
Pos. |
Nat. |
Name |
 |
 |
 |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | MF | |
Javier Mascherano | 7 | 1 | 0 | |
| 23 | DF | |
Jamie Carragher | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | MF | |
Xabi Alonso | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | FW | |
Fernando Torres | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | MF | |
Steven Gerrard | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | DF | |
Álvaro Arbeloa | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | MF | |
Jermaine Pennant | 4 | 1 | 0 | |
| 22 | MF | |
Mohamed Sissoko | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | DF | |
Sami Hyypiä | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | DF |  |
John Arne Riise | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | FW | |
Dirk Kuyt | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | MF | |
Lucas | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | FW | |
Ryan Babel | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | DF | |
Fábio Aurélio | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 | GK | |
Pepe Reina | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | FW | |
Andriy Voronin | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | DF |  |
Steve Finnan | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | MF | |
Yossi Benayoun | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 37 | DF |  |
Martin Škrtel | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 48 | DF | |
Emiliano Insúa | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | FW | |
Peter Crouch | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Last updated: 11 May 2008
Source: Match reports in Game Log
Only competitive matches = Number of bookings; = Number of sending offs after a second yellow card; = Number of sending offs by a direct red card.
Squad statistics
- Last updated on 11 May 2008
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Premier League | Champions League | FA Cup | League Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 3 | DF | IRL |
Steve Finnan | 35 | 0 | 21+3 | 0 | 6+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | FIN |
Sami Hyypiä | 44 | 4 | 24+3 | 1 | 12+1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF |  DEN |
Daniel Agger | 6 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | NOR |
John Arne Riise | 44 | 0 | 22+7 | 0 | 5+5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 7 | MF |  AUS |
Harry Kewell | 15 | 0 | 8+2 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ENG |
Steven Gerrard | 52 | 21 | 32+2 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 1+2 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | FW | ESP |
Fernando Torres | 46 | 33 | 29+4 | 24 | 10+1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | FW | UKR |
Andriy Voronin | 28 | 6 | 13+6 | 5 | 4+3 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ISR |
Yossi Benayoun | 47 | 11 | 15+15 | 4 | 7+4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1+2 | 1 |
| 12 | DF | BRA |
Fábio Aurélio | 29 | 1 | 13+3 | 1 | 7+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | ESP |
Xabi Alonso | 27 | 2 | 16+3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | FW | ENG |
Peter Crouch | 36 | 11 | 9+12 | 5 | 5+3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ENG |
Jermaine Pennant | 25 | 2 | 14+4 | 2 | 2+3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | ESP |
Álvaro Arbeloa | 41 | 0 | 26+2 | 0 | 8+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | FW | NED |
Dirk Kuyt | 48 | 11 | 24+8 | 3 | 10+2 | 7 | 2+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | NED |
Ryan Babel | 49 | 10 | 15+15 | 4 | 8+5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | ARG |
Javier Mascherano | 41 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | BRA |
Lucas | 32 | 1 | 12+6 | 0 | 2+5 | 0 | 3+1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | MLI |
Mohamed Sissoko | 14 | 1 | 6+3 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | ENG |
Jamie Carragher | 55 | 0 | 34+1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 25 | GK | ESP |
Pepe Reina | 52 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | GK | FRA |
Charles Itandje | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | ARG |
Sebastián Leto | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | SVK |
Martin Škrtel | 20 | 0 | 13+1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | FW | MAR |
Nabil El Zhar | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 |
| 46 | DF | ENG |
Jack Hobbs | 5 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 47 | MF | FRA |
Damien Plessis | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | DF | ARG |
Emiliano Insúa | 3 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Transfers
In
| # | Player | From | Fee | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Fernando Torres | Atlético Madrid | £27,200,000 | Summer |
| 10 | Andriy Voronin |  Bayer Leverkusen | Free | Summer |
| 11 | Yossi Benayoun | West Ham United | £5,300,000 | Summer |
| 19 | Ryan Babel | Ajax | £11,500,000 | Summer |
| 20 | Javier Mascherano | West Ham United | £18,600,000 | Summer |
| 21 | Lucas | Grêmio | £6,300,000 | Summer |
| 30 | Charles Itandje | Lens | £1,400,000 | Summer |
| 33 | Sebastián Leto | Lanús | £1,800,000 | Summer |
| 47 | Damien Plessis | Lyon | £2,500,000 | Summer |
| 37 | Martin Škrtel |  Zenit Saint Petersburg | £6,500,000 | Winter |
Out
| # | Player | To | Fee | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jerzy Dudek | Real Madrid | Free | Summer |
| 9 | Robbie Fowler |  Cardiff City | Free | Summer |
| 10 | Luis García | Atlético Madrid | £4,100,000 | Summer |
| 11 |  Mark González[notes 4] | Real Betis | £4,000,000 | Summer |
| 17 | Craig Bellamy | West Ham United | £7,500,000 | Summer |
| 24 | Djibril Cissé | Marseille | £6,550,000 | Summer |
| 29 | Gabriel Paletta[notes 5] | Boca Juniors | £1,200,000 | Summer |
| 30 | Daniele Padelli | Sampdoria | Loan return | Summer |
| 32 | Boudewijn Zenden | Marseille | Free | Summer |
| Paul Barratt | Worcester City | Free | Summer | |
| David Roberts | Bangor City | Free | Summer | |
| Florent Sinama Pongolle | Recreativo Huelva | £2,700,000 | Summer | |
| Danny O'Donnell | Crewe Alexandra | £100,000 | Summer | |
| Ryan Wignall | Vauxhall Motors | Released | Summer | |
| Lee Woodward | Unknown | Released | Summer | |
| Jon Pringle | Unknown | Free | Summer | |
| Stephen Behan | Unknown | Free | Summer | |
| Michael Burns | Bolton Wanderers | Free | Summer | |
| Jon Routledge | Tottenham Hotspur | Free | Summer | |
| Charlie Barnett | Tranmere Rovers | Free | Summer | |
| Laurence Gaughan |  Celtic | £200,000 | Summer | |
| 45 | James Smith | Stockport County | £450,000 | Winter |
| Jimmy Ryan[notes 6] | Shrewsbury Town | £3,450,000 | Winter | |
| 22 | Mohamed Sissoko | Juventus | £8,250,000 | Winter |
| Josh Mimms | York City | Free | Winter | |
| Lee Peltier | Yeovil Town | £200,000 | Winter |
Loaned out
| # | Player | To | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26[47] | Paul Anderson | Swansea City | Season[48] |
| 26[47] | Scott Carson | Aston Villa | Season[49] |
| 34 | Miki Roque | Xerez | Season[50] |
| 35 | Danny Guthrie | Bolton Wanderers | Season[51] |
| 36 | Ryan Flynn | Hereford United | November to December |
| 36 | Adam Hammill | Southampton | Season[52] |
| 37[53] | Lee Peltier | Yeovil Town | July to December[54] |
| 38 | Craig Lindfield | Notts County | November[55] |
| Chester City | January to February | ||
| 41 |  Besian Idrizaj | Crystal Palace | August to November[56] |
| Wacker Innsbruck | February to June[57] | ||
| 44 | Robbie Threlfall | Hereford United | November to May[58] |
| 45 | James Smith | Stockport County | August to November |
| 46 | Jack Hobbs | Scunthorpe United | January to May |
| Jimmy Ryan | Shrewsbury Town | August to November | |
| Josh Mimms | York City | October to December | |
| Godwin Antwi[notes 7] | Hartlepool United | Season[59] | |
 Nikolay Mihaylov | Twente | Season[60] | |
| Anthony Le Tallec | Le Mans | Season[61] | |
| Aridane Hernández | Fuerteventura | Season |
- In:
£29,950,000+ - Out:
£64,200,000+ - Total spending: £34,250,000+
Reserves and U-18s
Summary
The reserves side were crowned champions of the Barclays Premier Reserve League North this season on 7 April 2008, the 17th reserve league title for the club. They became National Champions after beating Southern Champions Aston Villa Reserves 3–0 in the Premier Reserve League Play-off Final at Anfield on 7 May 2008. The reserves also reached the finals of the Liverpool Senior Cup and the Lancashire Senior Cup, and won the international football tournament Dallas Cup. Krisztián Németh, who scored 9 goals in 12 matches, was the top scorer in the Premier Reserve League North. The under-18s finished fifth in the Premier Academy League and qualified for the last 16 in FA Youth Cup. Nathan Eccleston was the best scorer in the youth team with 18 goals.
New players
After the departure of Steve Heighway, Dutchman Piet Hamberg came in to run the academy. As well as some changes to background personnel, the reserve and youth sides were bolstered by several new players:
|
|
Players this season
Reserves
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
- Squad numbers refer to players' first team squad number where applicable. Reserve and youth games are 1–11.
Under-18s
|
|
Records
- Mohamed Sissoko's goal against Sunderland was not only his first (and only) goal for the club but also Liverpool's 7000th league goal.[62]
- The 6–0 win against Derby County was the first time Liverpool had scored six in the league since 26 April 2003, against West Bromwich Albion.
- The 8–0 win over Beşiktaş was the biggest ever win in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing two previous 7–0 victories by Juventus and Arsenal.[21]
- The 4–0 win against Marseille was Liverpool's biggest away win in UEFA Champions League.
- The 2–0 win at Anfield against Inter Milan was Liverpool's 100th win at Anfield in all European competitions.
- Liverpool scored a hat-trick in every competition they played in this season.
- Liverpool were the first Premier League club to score 100 goals in all competitions.
Notes
- Sissoko was born in Mont-Saint-Aignan, France, but also qualified to represent Mali internationally and made his international debut for Mali in 2004.
- González was born in Durban, South Africa, but was raised in Chile from the age of 10 and made his international debut for Chile in 2003.
- Paletta was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and represented them at U-20 level, but also holds an Italian passport due to his great-grandfather originating from Italy, and would make his international debut for Italy in June 2014.
- Ryan was born in Liverpool, England, but also qualifies to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally and has represented them at U-21 level.
- Ajdarević was born in Pristina, Yugoslavia (now part of Kosovo, but part of Serbia during the 2007–08 season), but was raised in Sweden from the age of 2 and represented them at U-17, U-19, U-21, and U-23 level. He also qualified to represent Albania internationally through his parents and would make his international debut for Albania in November 2017.