Euro dream still alive for Reds

Champions League round-up

Asian Player of the Year

Liverpool beat FC Porto 4-1 at Anfield to keep alive their hopes of qualifying from Group A for the Champions League knockout stages. Fernando Torres gave the home side the lead before Lisandro Lopez headed an equaliser on 33 minutes. Liverpool struggled to regain control of the game but when Torres netted his second after 78 minutes, there was only going to be one winner. Steven Gerrard slotted home a penalty on 84 minutes and Peter Crouch completed the scoring with two minutes remaining. Elsewhere, Chelsea ensured qualification from Group B with a comfortable 0-4 victory against Rosenborg in Norway and Celtic are on the brink of reaching the last 16 after beating Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 at Celtic Park.

Aston Villa climbed to sixth in the Premier League table after a 0-4 victory against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. John Carew, Gareth Barry (penalty), Ashley Young and Marlon Harewood were on the scoresheet for the Villains.

There were two games played in the Championship this evening. Two goals from Roman Bednar helped West Bromwich Albion to a 1-2 victory against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park while Stephen Elliott scored the only goal of the game at Molineux as Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Colchester United 1-0.

Five men - aged 69, 60, 55, 48 and 30 - have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting - part of the police force’s ongoing investigation into corruption within football. Portsmouth said manager Harry Redknapp and chief executive Peter Storrie were among those held. Mr Redknapp and three others have since been released on police bail. Meanwhile, police said a 30-year-old remains in custody. On his release, Mr Redknapp said:

“We all helped the police with their inquiries, but it doesn’t directly concern me, it’s other people involved. I’ve been answering questions to help the police. I am not directly concerned with their inquiries. They have to arrest you to talk to you, for you to be in the police station. I think that’s the end of it, it didn’t directly concern me.”

In July, officers raided Newcastle United, Portsmouth and Rangers football clubs as part of the inquiry.

Alex McLeish has been unveiled as the new manager of Birmingham City. The former Scotland boss has signed a three-and-a-half year contract. Andy Watson and Roy Aitken, McLeish’s assistant coaches with Scotland, are also joining him at Birmingham.

Meanwhile, Birmingham City do not expect Carson Yeung’s takeover of the club to go through, according to joint owner David Gold. The Hong Kong-based businessman bought a near 30 per cent stake in the club in July but he has not tabled a deal to gain complete control.

Former Wigan Athletic boss Paul Jewell has been named manager of Premier League strugglers Derby County on a three-and-a-half-year deal after Milton Keynes Dons had denied the Rams permission to speak to Paul Ince about the job.

Saudi Arabian Yasser Al Qahtani has been named Asian Player of the Year. The 25-year-old captains his national side and currently plays for Al Hilal.

Nathan Davies