Steven Gerrard has won the Football Writers’ Association (FWA)’s player of the year award for the first time.

The Reds captain saw off challenges from Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand to secure top spot in a poll of FWA members.

The 28-year-old has spent most of this season playing as a second striker, forging an exhilarating partnership for Liverpool with Fernando Torres. He has scored 23 goals in all competitions and become the club’s record scorer in European competition.

“We are delighted to honour Steven’s contribution this season with our prestigious award,” said FWA chairman Steve Bates.

“Steven has had a fantastic season and has so often been the driving force behind Liverpool’s forceful challenge for the Premier League title.

“Steven is viewed by the football writers who voted as the heartbeat of Liverpool’s team and a player who gives everything for the cause.”

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Liverpool will face Arsenal tonight at Anfield without the services of their captain Steven Gerrard.

The England midfielder is expected to be ruled out for a further seven to 10 days with the groin problem that has forced him to miss Liverpool’s last two matches.

A draw for Liverpool at Anfield would see them go top of the table although champions Manchester United would regain first place if they defeated Portsmouth at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Arsenal will be without their top scorer Robin van Persie (groin) and fellow striker Emmanuel Adebayor (hamstring).

However, full-back Bacary Sagna has recovered from a virus and could feature at Anfield, along with fit-again Croatia forward Eduardo.

Lukasz Fabianski, who had a shaky match during Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea, is set to continue to deputise for the injured Manuel Almunia (ankle) while defenders Gael Clichy (back), William Gallas (knee) and Johan Djourou (knee) are all out of action.

Arsenal are fourth in the table and seemingly assured of qualification for next season’s Champions League now that they are seven points ahead of Aston Villa.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger may be tempted to rest key players ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final with United.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who himself fielded what was all but a reserve side during United’s FA Cup semi-final loss to Everton last weekend, was banking on his French rival’s competitiveness.

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Steven Gerrard, star England and Liverpool midfielder, denied taking part in a bar brawl last year that left a businessman injured.

The Liverpool captain was arrested in the early hours of Dec. 29 after police were called to the Lounge Bar nightclub in Southport, north of Liverpool in northwest England.

Company director Marcus McGee, 34, required hospital treatment after receiving facial injuries.

At Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, Gerrard, 28, pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray in relation to the incident, the Press Association reported.

The incident occurred following Gerrard’s man-of-the-match performance in a 5-1 win over Newcastle United in which he had scored twice.

Gerrard signed a new two-year contract extension on Friday that will keep him at Anfield until at least 2013, and Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has said the club are fully behind their captain.

Liverpool are second in the Premier League, a point behind Manchester United and would go top on Saturday if they avoided defeat at Fulham, at least until Manchester United play Aston Villa on Sunday.

Source: supersport.co.za

Steven Gerrard have indicated that he is now happier than ever in his career and is ready to sign a contract extension with Liverpool.

The Reds skipper is looking to cap an amazing fortnight by helping England overcome Slovakia in a friendly at Wembley on Saturday before the crucial World Cup qualifier against the Ukraine on April 1 as Fabio Capello’s team look to maintain their 100% start to Group Six.

He could hardly be in a more confident mood.

Having helped dump Real Madrid out of the Champions League, beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford and score a hat-trick in the five-goal hammering of Aston Villa on Sunday, Gerrard suddenly finds himself leading a team with realistic ambitions of winning the Barclays Premier League.

It is a far cry from the dark days when it seemed Liverpool would never threaten at the top end of the table and joining Chelsea looked like a far more attractive option.

“I have never been happier throughout my whole career than I am at the moment,” Gerrard said.

“I have two years left on my contract and if there was a chance to extend it, I am sure I would.

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Liverpool‘s chances for a first English Premier League title since 1990 were given a boost last week with the win over Chelsea.

But Reds boss Rafael Benitez faces a test of his squad’s strength in depth as he seeks to keep the momentum going at Portsmouth on Saturday, less than 72 hours after a gruelling, extra-time FA Cup defeat by Everton.

With Manchester United not in action until Sunday’s trip to in-form West Ham, Benitez’s men can return to the top of the table — temporarily at least — by taking all three points at Fratton Park.

But the required victory will have to be secured without influential skipper Steven Gerrard, who tore a hamstring muscle early in the Everton defeat and is facing a three-week lay-off at least.

Benitez may also feel that star striker Fernando Torres, who looked distinctly weary in that match, may not be up to a third start in the space of seven days, a situation which will inevitably raise further questions about the wisdom of selling Robbie Keane back to Tottenham this week.

Portsmouth, with just two wins in 15 matches since Tony Adams took over as manager, are hoping for a boost from the arrival of Greek duo Angelos Basinas – who arrived in a deadline-day switch from AEK Athens – and Theofanis Gekas, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen.

First-team coach Johnny Metgod is backing the pair to lift the gloom around the club.

“Gekas has got a very good goalscoring record, not only in Greece but in Germany, and Basinas is a very clever, intelligent midfield player,” Metgod reported.

Chelsea welcome back key defender Ricardo Carvalho from injury as they attempt to put their title bid back on track at home to Hull, and the Portugal centreback believes the Blues will also get a boost from the involvement of his international team-mate Ricardo Quaresma.

The winger has been signed on loan from Inter Milan and Carvalho is backing him to provide the imaginative spark Chelsea have lacked of late.

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It was the Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard who kept his team in the FA Cup by equalizing 6 minutes before the turn of the hour against Everton at Anfield on Sunday night. The two teams drew 1 – 1  for the second time in a week.

When the teams met on Monday, it was Everton who fought back to force a draw and dent Liverpool’s Premier League title ambitions, but Sunday’s fourth round tie saw the Reds come from behind.

Everton took the lead in the 27th minute when Liverpool failed to mark Tim Cahill in the box.

The Australia midfielder’s header from Steven Pienaar’s corner was nodded home from close range by Joleon Lescott.

But Gerrard, as he’s done so often before, dragged Liverpool back into the match with a well-struck shot six minutes before the hour although Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard ought to have saved at his near post.

Gerrard, who opened the scoring on Monday, said Liverpool had deserved to win this match.

“In the league game Everton were worthy of a point but for 90 minutes we’ve dominated the game and they’ve scored off a set-piece which is disappointing,” he said.

“I thought we were fantastic. The only thing we’ll look at is set-pieces and being a bit more clinical in front of goal.” Asked about the undesirability of a replay, Gerrard said: “Both sides could have done without it, both would have wanted to progress tonight.”

Earlier, Arsenal were also left contemplating the somewhat unwelcome prospect of a replay against Cardiff City after their Welsh opponents held them to a goalless draw at Ninian Park.

“We could do without it, but let’s not complain because we play football,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

“It’s one more game to play. If that’s the price we have to pay to stay in the hat, we’re happy to do it.”

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