Yesterday's clash of the last unbeaten Premiership teams was as exciting as such a match should be. The contest in doubt and fiercely contested until the whistle sounded. Arsenal, of course, battled back from a 1-goal deficit to go level at 1-1 and reclaim top spot - by a hair - in the Premiership.
The Gunners were unlucky to be down a goal seven minutes in as a Stevie G free kick from 19 yards was assisted by five Gunners doing there best impression of the Berlin Wall coming apart. I think it was Flamini who dove aside to open the door. Almunia had nothing to do with it, given the pace of Gerrard's shot, but dove gamely and with good reaction to get near the ball.
After that, the Gunners were inspired and began playing some of the best passing football displayed this season. They literally ran and passed in circles around Liverpool. The domination of posession and attack was such that if I were a Liverpool fan I'd be quite concerned. The match commentators were talking about this; one was saying that Liverpool's trouble getting and keeping the ball could be a result of them being tired, blah blah blah. The other chimed in: "It's also a sign you're getting old." Boo. And Yah.
Nonetheless, this was one of those strange games in which we dominated so thoroughly and yet had zero shots on goal. 27 minutes in, out of nowhere, Liverpool got two corner kicks and put some heavy pressure on goal. Stevie G got on the ball at 20 yards out and hit a sure goal, a rising ball with exceptional pace that was headed just under the crossbard. Almunia, who apparently doesn't read the German papers, showed excpetional stuff and made a great save to push the ball over the bar. Really fabulous save from the Spaniard. Most keepers - that was goaltime.
Two minutes later, I was amazed to see Gerrard apparently growing roots in the pitch, standing to recieve a 15 yard pass that an Arsenal played intercepted by running to it. I thought, yeah he's scored the goal but shouldn't the center-half be moving?
Shortly thereafter, Carragher applied a manly, but really cheapshot elbow to eboue's head in the box. Liverpool was desperate to assert some control on a game that had gotten so far away from them they couldn't even sniff its exhaust, and they did so by getting increasingly chippy. Liverpool only looked dangerous in the first half on set pieces.
Adebayor did not have a great game. He seemed to lack the final instinct. Just before the break he got a pass on the right side of the defense and had a clear run to the box for a 1-on-1 with Reina. But the Liverpool defense began calling for offsides...and Adebayor hesitated to check for a flag. The defense had stopped! A first-rate striker continues.
At end of half, Gunner Nation was frustrated and needed meds. Arsenal was ascendent, transcendent, masterful and as dominant as an EPL team can be against another...and yet, they had no shots on frame. I just felt the 2nd half would return some justice to the world of football.
Liverpool started off the half strong and began posessing more of the ball in the midfield. Mascherano was a terror all game long. However, he tended to follow up his tackles with long spells of posessionthat too often ended in disposession. seven minutes in Liverpool got a nice shot - sure goal - from Peter Crouch that Almunia made another outstandign save, this one a full stretch dive to his right to push the ball wide. The Spaniard was a crucial factor for Arsenal in this match and must be strongly tipped for more playing time.
Arsenal should've gotten level in the 53rd on a beautiful pass through to Eboue, but he hit the post/ The rebound spilled to Cesc with a tantalizingly wide open goal but he couldn't get his foot right on the ball and it went over.
The Arsenal continued to build attacks and they were getting the ball in deeper. Wenger made tactical subs bringing Theo and Gilberto and then Bendtner. Theo continues to bring energy and pace by the barrowful. I like what I'm seeing from the young man. Bendtner proved to be a key sub as he made a nifty pass through to an onrushing Cesc who brilliantly toe tapped the ball past Reina and into the back of the bag for the leveller. Six minutes later the Wunderkind - which one?, Cesc. - hit the post. Several times in the last 25 minutes, Arsenal could've taken this game and were unlucky not to leave Anfield with the full 3 points.
The last ten minutes were a rush of excitement with action up and down the pitch but mostly in Liverpool's end. However, Captain Gallas saved us from defeat with a crucial last minute save on a Stevie G shot that was the sure game winner. At the end, the 1-1 tie and 1 point was sure justice to a team that played brilliant football and played with heart and commitment.
The Professor was quick to applaud his side, and their chances to claim the title this season.
After the match I was treated to an even more satisfying game, when my daughter's U13 team met up with a top rival and basically replayed the Arsenal match, except they won. After going down a goal n the first half, despite thoroughly dominating, with great passing and no real shots to show for it, they blasted in two second half goals to leave as victors! Great stuff. And they played a passing, motion-based game like the Gunners.
Finally a few words about Lemon...er, Lehmann. Franz Beckenbauer tries an intervention with the petulant keeper. You may recall that Lehmann called out Wenger and Almunia two weeks ago.
"Lehmann will be playing for a different club by winter because Wenger will not
accept that," he said.
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