Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard Arrested Over Bar Assault

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was charged with assault and affray following a brawl outside a Merseyside nightclub that left a man needing hospital treatment for facial injuries, police said. "Steven Gerrard has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray," the duty inspector for Merseyside Police said.

The 28-year-old soccer player was released on bail with two other men to appear in court on Jan. 23 following their arrest yesterday in the town of Southport, northwest England, said a Merseyside police spokesman who declined to be identified in line with regulation.

Gerrard was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray, the spokesman said. Three other men, who were arrested with Gerrard at 2:30 a.m. yesterday morning, were released without charge pending further inquiries, he added.

Calls to the London offices of WMG Management, which represents Gerrard, went unanswered. Liverpool yesterday declined to comment on Gerrard’s arrest. Liverpool is co-owned by George Gillett, Jr., who also owns the NHL's Canadiens.

Midfielder Gerrard, who has played 70 matches for England, had been out celebrating following Liverpool’s 5-1 victory at Newcastle two days ago, in which he scored twice.

Liverpool leads England’s Premier League by three points and faces Preston North End on Jan. 3 in the third round of the F.A. Cup.

Liverpool 0-0 Stoke City

Stoke City defended magnificently to claim an unlikely point in a goalless draw at Anfield against unbeaten Liverpool.

Steven Gerrard tried everything he knew to grab his 100th goal for the club as Liverpool poured waves of attacks against the newly-promoted Potters.

But despite constant pressure they could not break through a resilient Stoke defence.

Battle of the Reds - Liverpool vs Manchester United

Liverpool's challenge for their first league title since 1990 gets its first real test of the season on Saturday when they seek to end a dire series of Anfield results against champions Manchester United.

United manager Alex Ferguson said this week that he expected United to soon overhaul Liverpool's record of 18 league titles, and since his team have won 10 of their 17 since Liverpool's last triumph, it is not exactly a wild prediction.

Liverpool fans are extremely unhappy about the prospect and, despite their continued European success, their regular failure to mount a serious domestic league challenge hangs above the club like a dark cloud.

"The fans are screaming out for it, the players want it and we need to deliver. If we're out of the race again come January or February, there will be a lot of unhappy people around here. The city will explode if we win the league, and I don't want it to happen when I'm retired. Over the last couple of years we've gone into games against United and Chelsea very organised tactically - defensive if you like - and still lost 1-0," Gerrard said.

"It's important a few risks are taken to try to score that goal against these teams because it gives you such a psychological boost."" captain Steven Gerrard said this week.

Gerrard, who had surgery to fix a groin problem last week, is unlikely to make the game where both sides will expect to improve on some hesitant early-season displays.

Liverpool have lost five and drawn one of their last six home league games against United and have not managed a league goal against them at Anfield for almost five years.

With Fernando Torres also likely to miss out with a hamstring strain, Liverpool will hope Robbie Keane returns energised from his Ireland duties and ready to find the target for the first time following his move from Tottenham Hotspur.

Keane's former Spurs strike partner Dimitar Berbatov is also set to feature in the game, making his debut for United after his deadline-day move. The pair equally shared 46 goals for the London club last season.

Steven Gerrard Suffers Thigh Strain in Valerenga Rout

FC Liverpool's suffered the worrying loss of skipper Steven Gerrard on Tuesday in a pre-season friendly match against Valerenga in Oslo. The world's on of the best midfielder limped off in the first half of this comfortable victory with what looked like a thigh injury. The midfielder’s pre-season has already been disrupted by injury and Gerrard only returned from a groin problem in last week’s stalemate with Villarreal.

The loss of Gerrard after 27 minutes, though, was a worrying blow. After bursting from defence, he pulled up with what seemed a recurrence of the injury that has disrupted his pre-season. Teenager Jay Spearing took over.

Although Rafa Benitez is expecting Liverpool skipper Steve Gerrard to recover from a thigh injury picked up against Valerenga within a week. Manager Rafael Benitez confirmed, “It is a thigh strain. We need to wait but it could be one week.”

The setback will only intensify Benitez’s desire to wrap up an £18million deal for Gareth Barry. There has been no contact between Anfield officials and American owners George Gillett or Tom Hicks since Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill conceded last weekend that Barry would finally leave the club.

Liverpool’s Premier League campaign gets underway just days later when they travel to Sunderland on August 16th.

Liverpool will hope they took Gerrard out of the action before any further serious damage could be done, but with a Champions League qualifier in a week's time against Standard Liege, this is a problem boss Rafael Benitez could do without...