Reds firepower blitzes Bolton

Liverpool 3 Bolton 0

Northwest neighbours they may be, but there is little warmth between Liverpool and Bolton. Allardyce’s team are regarded as an irritant by many opponents, but their muscular approach to the game gets under the skin of Benitez in particular.

Prior to his team’s 2-0 defeat at the Reebok in September, the Spaniard rather foolishly went public with a pre-match criticism of Allardyce’s tactics and Bolton’s willingness to push officials to the limit with their physical play. “They would never get away with it in Spain” was the general theme of Benitez’s tirade.