Trailing to a Middlesbrough side who will have to be treated with greater respect in future and looking uglier than their manager can ever have envisaged, Liverpool scored twice in a frantic finale to steal the points.

Jamie Carragher’s equaliser took a deflection off Emanuel Pogatetz and Liverpool would have been content to count their blessings at that stage.

But down the years this club and their current captain, Steven Gerrard, have produced the audacious and improbable and, almost four minutes into stoppage time, we had another spectacle to add to the collection.

Boro failed to clear beyond the path of the marauding Gerrard, who thrashed the ball back with interest and Anfield ignited. Boro substitute Mido had given them a lead they’d fully merited with a sumptuous goal and the frailty of Liverpool’s play provided scant evidence of the drama to unfold.

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Turnbull – 7: A last minute inclusion to replace the injured Brad Jones and made a few crucial early saves. Hapless to stop the equalizer and had not chance to stop Gerrard’s winner.

Wheater – 7.5: Pinned back by Dossena’s advances early in the game. Saw more of him in attack in the later stages but did superbly to cancel Benayoun and then Babel.

Huth – 7: Coped well with the double team of Torres and Keane. Showed great bravery to intercept the Spaniard and got a kick in the face for his troubles. Looked a bit shaky late in the game.

Pogatetz – 7.5: Always at the right place at the right time to intercept everything Liverpool could muster, whether it was a shot, a cross or a pass, or Carragher’s shot-cum-cross which unfortunately ended up in the back of his own net.

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Rafael Benitez's team look short in terms of fitness and down the left.

Boro had a good start, beating Tottenham, they have options up front and the look of a team playing with growing belief.

However, I don't think they will win at Anfield.

Verdict: 2-1

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Improvement Needed

Both sides come into this game hungry for another Premier League victory in order to maintain perfect starts to the season. Last week Liverpool lacked sharpness and struggled against Roy Keane’s lively Sunderland side. A moment of Fernando Torres magic snatched Liverpool a victory late on but Rafael Benitez will certainly demand more from his men this weekend. Analysis of Middlesbrough’s victory over Spurs will confirm that Liverpool will have to raise their game to beat a Boro’ side who were full value for their three points last week.

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