Costly Draw for Gunners

The Gunners nicked a point against the league leaders
Sunday at the Emirates with a thrilling, infuriating 1-1 draw. Despite a
positive result against table toppers

Liverpool

,
this one really felt like 2 dropped points, though I know I should view it differently.

 

Arsenal went up a goal off a simply brilliant strike by
Robin Van Persie. The Dutch striker made a brilliant run between the Reds’
center backs. Samir Nasri played a smart ball in, which RVP took out of the air
with his chest, directing the ball into the one place it could possible create
a chance, and slashed a right-footed shot past the diving boot of Carragher and
finding net before Pepe Reina figured out what was happening.

While they should've held the lead, it looked to me all the while that the back line was willing to see a Liverpool score. Sleepy? Somnambulent was more like it. Several times Keano got behind the napping Gallass and Djorou. Finally, with a minute to play in the first half Arsenal was made to pay as the out-of-form Liverpudlian striker got in form in a hurry.

I hate to say this about our defense, but it's true: We made Robbie Keane look like Fernando Torres!

Injury was added to insult as Captain Cesc was injured in the closing minutes of the half and looks to be out 2-3 weeks. Not what we needed to see. At the restart, our midfield looked, well, it's unfair  to say they looked like a Champsionship side midline but they certainly weren't the quality Arsenal fans have come to expect. Without Cesc on the pitch, they were shorn of creativity, out of ideas.

Before Gunners faithful had a chance to really worry about that, Howard Webb decided it was time to remind everyone who was in charge of the game, and what a travesty that was for all. Following a quite softer first half yellow to Ade, at around 55 minutes, Webbo gave him a second soft, yellow and ejected the baffled striker. (needless to say, the gaffer was not amused)

Webbhead then entertained the crowd by allowing Liverpool's fullback to continue crash into Arsenal players like a drunk at a New Year's Eve party before issuing his first yellow at 80 minutes. Amusing stuff, old man. Keep it up!

As so often is the case, the indignity of unfairly being reduced to 10 brought the team to a fever that had them looking more likely to notch another goal. The Reds seemed fearful of losing the points and never really re-oriented the lineup or the attach until much too late.

So, 10 men down, napping defense, Cesc gone, and a point is OK. But, this is another Big 4 match we should've prevailed in.

Oh, and now we're going into Aston Villa without Fabregas and Adebayor (and Walcott, Rosicky etc...)