Striker Gerrard’s a lucky man

Steven Gerrard has somehow escaped censure for the second week in a row and is free to face Manchester United on Sunday. The Liverpool captain was facing a possible three-game ban for hitting Portsmouth's Michael Brown on the back of the neck with his forearm in Monday's 4-1 win. The referee noticed the swing and gave Gerrard a warning, which means no further punishment will be dished out. According to FA rules, a player cannot be punished retrospectively if the referee has seen and dealt with the alleged offence. It is the second Monday running Gerrard has escaped punishment for on-field controversy after appearing to make a V-sign at ref Andre Marriner during Liverpool's 1-0 defeat at Wigan.