Welcome to the final live game of the day, a day which has seen some glut of goals. Will that inspire Liverpool to finally start converting their chances? Or, like Chelsea, will they buck the trend of the day but not of their season. Kenny Dalglish’s side have a paltry scoring record. By contrast, Bolton will need to frustrate Liverpool to fire their own survival challenge.

The teams:

Bolton: Bogdan, Steinsson, Knight, Wheater, Ricketts, Eagles, Reo-Coker, Muamba, Petrov, Mark Davies, Ngog. Subs: Lynch, Sanli, Kevin Davies, Pratley, Boyata, O’Halloran, Riley.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose Enrique, Maxi, Henderson, Adam, Bellamy, Gerrard, Carroll. Subs: Doni, Coates, Kuyt, Downing, Carragher, Shelvey, Kelly

Perhaps a surprise that Craig Bellamy starts given his fitness of late. But he adds a different dimensions to a Liverpool team that, other than Steven Gerrard, looks a bit functional and one-dimensional.

We’re off.

GOAL! Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Liverpool

That’s a surprise. You have to credit a flowing Bolton move but Liverpool’s defence just opened up. Chris Eagles passed to David N’Gog who did well to flick on for Mark Davies. From there, though, he had an almost clear run at goal and easily sidefooted past Pepe Reina. To win this, Liverpool have to do what they’ve rarely done: score twice.

Bellamy fires across the box but it’s easily collected.

Dull enough stuff so far.

Of course, the big news of the day as regards this game was that Kenny Dalglish’s midweek praise for Stewart Downing had a point: he was preparing to drop him. Hasn’t had a notable effect on Liverpool so far.

Steven Gerrard fires in a brilliant pass but Andy Carroll is offside. And, in any case, his header is poor.

GOAL! Bolton 2-0 Liverpool

And it just gets worse for Liverpool! After having a penalty appeal turned down after what appeared to be a Zat Knight handball in the box, they see Nigel Reo-Coker go straight up the other end to extend Bolton’s lead.

Whatever about Liverpool’s grievances, their midfield has been poor today and the team as a whole woefully flat.

GOAL! Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Liverpool

Craig Bellamy – Liverpool’s only spark of light – pulls them back into the game. He races onto a flick-on and, with just two touches (one of them very heavy) puts himself through on Bogdan to finish. The ball just about creeps over the line.

Andy Carroll, it should be noted, got the flick-on for the Pepe Reina punt that ended up at Craig Bellamy’s feet and in the back of the net. The big number-nine has had a decent game linking up with people, even if you feel he still needs an important goal.

Gerrard drives forward before shooting a bit more meekly from out wide, leaving Bodgan to play it safe and palm wide.

Stilian Petrov forces a brilliant save from Pep Reina with an even better free-kick. Fiercely struck.

Half-time. Bolton are generally comfortable and containing a flat Liverpool.

Zat Knight has to pretty much drag Nigel Reo-Coker off the pitch at half-time. The midfielder has had a running battle with Craig Bellamy which has only got more ugly and looks set to continue.

The second half is under way with no changes to either side.

GOAL! Bolton Wanderers 3-1 Liverpool

Oh, Liverpool start the second half as badly as they did the first. Martin Petrov’s outswinging corner is headed down by David Wheater, with Steinsson then driving into the bottom corner.

Emphatic. There does seem a possibility, however, that Petrov’s corner actually swung out of play.

Bogdan easily collects another Liverpool high ball. Other than Bellamy’s pace, it’s really all they’ve offered. Very poor.

Liverpool need to do something, but don’t really have many options. Dirk Kuyt is on for Maxi Rodriguez, Stewart Downing is on for Charlie Adam. A reshuffle pending.

Bellamy creates an opportunity from the left but Kuyt – who has been really misfiring recently – heads it over. Took a deflection. But the corner is wasted.

Dan Agger clips the bar with a well-struck 30-yard effort after an equally long stride. It was a super effort but it’s also an indictment that that’s about the best Liverpool ghave to offer.

Oh Carroll The ball is cut back to him and he completely miscues the ball and kicks the air. For all the differences between him and Torres and the fact one replaced the other, they seem to do things in tandem. That was Caroll’s version of Torres’s atrocious miss earlier in the day.

I’d be very surprised if this “happens” for Liverpool. It’s been uninspiring.

Bellamy surges at goal through the same pocket of space that Agger did but his shot is easily saved by Bogdan.

Eagles shoots wide as Bolton looking to now catch Liverpool on the break. It’s a reflection of how uninspired Liverpool have been that the home side are probably likelier to score.

Eagles again goes close, this time curling over. My fantasy football could have doe with that after a somewhat dismal day so far. Yes, Fantasy Football. That’s what we’re commenting on, reflecting how dour this has been for the last 40 minutes.

FULL-TIME: Bolton Wanderers 3-1 Liverpool

That’s it. Bolton fully deserved their win for a contained and yet clinical performance. Liverpool were atrocious and, even if Owen Coyle’s side are improving, it’s an indictment that they couldn’t get a point away to a team with the worst home record in English football. Even in spite of injuries and absences, Liverpool do not look like a Champiomns League team at the moment.

Relatively big changes in the table too. Liverpool drop to seventh behind Newcastle, Bolton jump outside the relegation zone.

That’s it from us. Cheers.