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ARSENAL 2-1 LIVERPOOL
ALONSO OFF AS REDS LOSE AT HIGHBURY
Liverpool have missed the chance to close the gap on 2nd place in the Premiership after a goal in each half from Thierry Henry gave Arsenal a 2-1 win at Highbury today and condemned the Reds to a 5th away league defeat of the season.
It had looked as though Liverpool would earn a deserved point when Luis Garcia equalized Henry's opener in the 75th minute. But things started to go wrong when first Xabi Alonso was sent off for two bookable offences and then Henry capitalised on a defensive lapse to make it 2-1.
The Reds came to Highbury today looking to rid themselves of the gloom of getting knocked out of the Champions League and increase the likelihood of a top four finish. But they will have known to expect a tough task at a venue where they haven't won since a Titi Camara goal gave them a 1-0 win in 2000.
Rafa Benitez made three changes to the side that lost to Benfica on Wednesday with Sami Hyypia fit enough to return and Jan Kromkamp and Dietmar Hamann coming in to replace Harry Kewell and Fernando Morientes. And the Reds started with Steven Gerrard supporting lone striker Peter Crouch, a formation that has delivered results in recent times.
When the game started it was Arsenal who threatened first and their clever passing meant that the Reds defence had to be on their toes from the first whistle. We'd had just 8 minutes when Adebayor wasted an excellent chance created for him by Henry, but it was clear that the Gunners were in the mood to give us many more nervous moments.
The home side were forced to make an early enforced change when Pires replaced the injured Ljungberg after 15 minutes. But more encouraging for Liverpool was that the substitution was preceded by their first real attack when Garcia only just failed to connect with Warnock's cross when 6 yards out.
A period of good Liverpool passing followed that chance, but just when we thought they were gaining a grip on the game, Arsenal took the lead through Thierry Henry. It came when Fabregas fed a precise ball through the Reds defence giving Henry, who had drifted onto the left, the chance to stroll into the area and beat Reina with a fine curling shot from 12 yards.
It was a hammer blow for the Reds, but to their credit they didn't let their heads drop and they would go in at half time disappointed not to be level. Their best chance came in the 30th minute when Finnan's cross found Crouch free in the area, but his header flashed wide with Jens Lehman scrambling across his goal.
The Reds were in danger of going further behind soon after when Eboue dribbled through and forced a hasty and dangerous clearance from Finnan. But Liverpool would finish the first half strongest when Garcia, Alonso and Gerrard all went close.
There was controversy right at the start of the second half when Garcia went down under challenge when running through, but the Reds were in great danger again just moments later when Henry put his shot agonisingly wide when one on one with Reina.
And in what must have been starting to feel like a recurring nightmare for the Reds keeper, Reina was again eyeball to eyeball with Henry in the 53rd minute, only this time he won the battle wits when saving Henry's shot low to his left.
Liverpool's response was excellent though and they would launch a period of superiority that would lead to them scoring a deserved equalizer through Luis Garcia in the 75th minute.
Garcia was the hero of Liverpool's 1-0 win over Arsenal at Anfield just weeks ago and he was the toast of Liverpudlians again today when he reacted first to head home after Jens Lehman had only been able to parry Steven Gerrard's fierce drive.
But just when we thought the Reds had done enough to earn a point things quickly began to wrong. It started with the controversial sending off of Xabi Alonso for two bookable offences and before Liverpool could reshape, Theirry Henry intercepted Gerrard's back-pass and scored after rounding Reina to make it 2-1.
It took the intervention of a post and a great save from Pepe Reina to keep it at 2-1 in the dying minutes, but Liverpool will leave Highbury for the last time perhaps thinking they haven't got the rewards their efforts deserved.
Teams
Arsenal: Lehmann, Flamini, Senderos, Toure, Eboue, Ljungberg, Fabregas, , Hleb, Adebayor, Henry (c). Subs - Almunia, Bergkamp, Djourou, Pires, Song
Liverpool: Reina, Warnock, Carragher, Hyypia, Finnan, Kromkamp, Alonso, Gerrard (c), Hamann, Garcia, Crouch. Subs - Dudek, Fowler, Kewell, Morientes, Traore
Referee: S Bennett
Conditions:
Attendance:
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Steven Gerrard
Breakdown
16:02 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Arsenal kick-off attacking the Clock End
3 mins : Henry has the first effort on goal but rolls the ball tamely into the arms of Reina
8 mins : Adebayor spurns a great opportunity from six-yards out after Henry races past Hyypia when cutting in from the right
9 mins : Hleb shoots narrowly wide from the edge of the box with a low effort
15 mins : Warnock centres teasingly from the left but Garcia is unable to reach it
15 mins : Substitution: Robert Pires for Freddie Ljungberg:
17 mins : Crouch heads clear from a Henry free-kick
21 mins : GOAL! Thierry Henry: cuts in from the left and fires a shot impressively beyond the reach of Reina
24 mins : Henry shoots wide as the Gunners threaten again
26 mins : Gerrard's cross from the left is comfortably gathered by Lehmann
30 mins : Crouch nods disappointingly wide with a free header from a Finnan centre
33 mins : Finnan makes a vital clearance as the Arsenal forward line carve open the Reds defence
35 mins : Alonso goes close with a speculative 25-yard strike
36 mins : Garcia tries his luck with a spectacular scissor kick that ends up going high and wide
39 mins : Toure goes down following a collision with Warnock and requires treatment
44 mins : Gerrard curls a 30-yard strike just past the post
16:49 GMT : Half Time Reached
17:05 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Substitution: Harry Kewell for Jan Kromkamp:
49 mins : Arsenal almost score a second through Henry who combines with Pires and rolls the ball inches wide of the far post
53 mins : Henry has another chance but this time shoots straight at Reina when put under pressure by Carragher
61 mins : Great tackle by Hamann stops Eboube in his tracks as he advances towards goal from the right
65 mins : Reina is off his line quickly to thwart Adebayor
67 mins : Crouch fails to control a cross from the left by Kewell and Liverpool frustratingly concede possession
68 mins : Substitution: Dennis Bergkamp for Emmanuel Adebayor:
69 mins : Bergkamp shoots woefully over with his first touch
70 mins : Gerrard whips in a dangerous centre from the right but Lehmann is first to the ball
73 mins : Substitution: Robbie Fowler for Dietmar Hamann:
75 mins : GOAL! Luis Garcia: heads in from close-range after Gerrard's shot is saved by Lehmann
76 mins : Booking: Xabi Alonso: for a foul on Fabregas
79 mins : Fowler scuffs a shot wide from the edge of the box
80 mins : Garcia strikes a volley into arms of Lehmann
81 mins : Sending Off: Xabi Alonso: shown a second yellow for a foul on Flamini
84 mins : GOAL! Thierry Henry: siezes on a poor back-pass from Gerrard and rounds Reina to score
88 mins : Pires hits the post after a swift counter-attack involving Fabregas and Henry
89 mins : Booking: Luis Garcia: for a foul on Henry
90 mins : Reina pulls off fine one-handed save to deny Henry his hat-trick from a free-kick
90 mins : Three minutes of stoppage time is added on
17:53 GMT : Match Over |
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