Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool: Petr Cech saves the day for Arsene Wenger's side by denying Christian Benteke and Philippe Coutinho as Aaron Ramsey has early effort wrongly chalked off
- Aaron Ramsey put ball in the back of the net after just nine minutes, however officials ruled out effort for offside
- Petr Cech made two world class saves to deny Christian Benteke and then Philippe Coutinho during first half
- Olivier Giroud slipped at crucial moment as Arsenal went in search of their first home goal of the campaign
- Liverpool are yet to concede a Premier League goal after 1-0 wins against Stoke and Bournemouth
It is three games and no goals conceded now for Liverpool. What was it Brendan Rodgers said about defence being easy?
Except this was no desperate rearguard action. Well, not all of it, anyway. Three points here would not have flattered Liverpool, even though Arsenal placed them under immense pressure in the second half and had a perfectly good goal by Aaron Ramsey disallowed in the first.
Liverpool dominated the remainder of the opening 45 minutes and, if they failed to maintain that momentum, it was only because Arsenal came out with renewed vigour having no doubt seen Arsene Wenger’s less professorial side in the home dressing-room at half-time.
Christian Benteke squanders a golden opportunity to put his side in the lead, while Nacho Monreal attempts to block his shot
Petr Cech reaches down to his left-hand side to push Benteke's close-range shot around the post and away for a corner
Aaron Ramsey fires the ball past Simon Mignolet however his effort was deemed to be offside by the Premier League officials
Ramsey gestures to the assistant referee after his goal is wrongly disallowed during the Premier League clash in north London
The eventual champions may be elsewhere, but five into four doesn’t go – and five into three even less so if English clubs do not buck up their ideas in Europe – so at least one elite team is going to miss out on the Champions League again next season. That considered, this was a strong performance all round from Liverpool, and Rodgers will have been happier with the result.
Indeed, before the game, with captain Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana missing from midfield, and Jordan Ibe considered in need of a rest, there were some inside the travelling party who admitted they would have gladly shaken hands before kick-off on a 0-0 draw.
Looking at the shakiness of Arsenal’s defence, however, by half-time 5-1 to Liverpool might have been a fairer outcome. Arsenal were all over the place. They were very unfortunate to have Ramsey’s goal erroneously disallowed in the ninth minute, but after that they fell apart.
To be fair, the pessimists in the Liverpool camp were not to know that Arsenal’s two first-choice centre halves, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, would be ruled out prior to the game; or that Callum Chambers had seemingly forgotten how to defend since leaving Southampton. These factors then combined to create 45 minutes of mayhem.
Liverpool hit the bar, a post, were kept out by at least one wonderful save from Petr Cech and several last-ditch tackles, one of which could have resulted in a booking, or worse. Chambers and his partner Gabriel had never played together in a competitive fixture before, but that was no excuse.
They have both been at the club long enough to adjust to Arsenal’s style of play, and the speed and physical presence of elite Premier League forwards. By the end, Gabriel had found his feet, however. Not so Chambers, who was by turn bullied and beaten by Christian Benteke, at one stage contriving to lose a challenge in the air, before being nutmegged on the flat. It really wasn’t his night.
Fulll credit to Liverpool for earning the point, though. They were a significant attacking force early on, and resilient in the later stages as Wenger introduced fresher, quicker legs in the form of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
For a team that many tipped to be plunged into the first crisis of the season, seven points from nine, including visits to Stoke and Arsenal, is a hugely positive start. Yes, Liverpool were clinging on by the end but that was to be expected. Having lost their first home game of the season to West Ham, Arsenal were always going to throw the kitchen sink at victory here. That they came so close to defeat was a worrying sign, even with a makeshift defence. It was 1949 when Arsenal last lost their first two home games of the league season. Wenger wasn’t even born then.
Rodgers’ team announced its intention after just three minutes when a fine run by Emre Can ended with a pass to Benteke and a shot just wide. A minute later, Benteke found space on the right and his cross was lashed towards goal by Philippe Coutinho – striking the underside of the bar and somehow staying out with Cech beaten.
There then came an all-too-brief spell in which Arsenal could have taken the lead. Alexis Sanchez came close with a header from a Nacho Monreal cross and then Martin Skrtel and James Milner got into a terrible tangle trying to clear, before Sanchez poked the ball wide. The next chance should have been the opening goal, Ramsey played onside by at least one Liverpool defender, and possibly two, when he sped through to slide the ball past Simon Mignolet. Linesman Simon Bennett raised his flag for offside, an atrocious decision considering the benefit of doubt should go to the attacking player. After events against Bournemouth last week, it must be said Liverpool are also riding their luck right now.
The linesman chose to give the benefit of the doubt to Liverpool's defenders rather than the Wales international
Arsenal goalkeeper Cech can only stand and stare as Philippe Coutinho's effort crashes off of the woodwork during the first half
Although not for the remainder of the first half. It was Liverpool, Liverpool and more Liverpool, all the way to half-time, Arsenal’s uncertainty clear from the 15th minute when Chambers struck a simple pass out from the back to Coutinho, who was clear on goal but rendered off balance at the vital moment by pressure from Francis Coquelin.
There was less to admire about Coquelin’s challenge on Benteke in similar circumstances eight minutes later. He didn’t appear to get any of the ball, but referee Michael Oliver didn’t see a foul. If he had, given the lack of defensive cover, the Frenchman could have been in serious trouble.
It was Gabriel’s turn to intervene in the 25th minute, after a fabulous ball to Milner from Coutinho, and the defender was needed again nine minutes later, when first Can then Benteke won headers and Coutinho sped on goal only to collapse under the pressure of Gabriel’s challenge.
In the 39th minute, new signing Roberto Firmino – starting his first game – hit a pass across the face of Arsenal’s goal, met by Benteke at the far post, yet somehow kept out by Cech. Two of the 10 points he is meant to be saving them this season right there, one thinks. From the resulting corner Cech had to be equally alert, saving a low shot by Firmino with his feet, late and unsighted. With the final attack of the half Coutinho left Hector Bellerin bedazzled from a wide position before curling a shot which struck the far post.
And then it was Arsenal’s turn.
The second half belonged to them, but not in quite the same way. They had all the possession, and the lion’s share of chances, but not as many that were as clear-cut as Liverpool’s. Sanchez shot just wide after Olivier Giroud laid the ball back in the 60th minute, and Dejan Lovren did enough to put Giroud off as he readied to shoot from close range nine minutes later, Mignolet clawing the ball clear. Liverpool’s goalkeeper made fine stops from Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain, the last in the 90th minute. Nine goals have been scored in the final minute in the last 11 meetings of these sides, but it was not to be. Rodgers also took off the brilliant Coutinho for a defender, Alberto Moreno. See, easy.
Cech then made an outstanding save to tip Coutinho's goalbound bending shot on to the post when it looked like it was heading in
Mignolet also showed his class by saving a shot from Giroud, who slipped on the wet turf as he went to strike the ball
Giroud could only flick the ball towards goal as he lost his footing on the Emirates Stadium turf before testing Mignolet
France international Giroud looks dejected after squandering a good opportunity to hand his side all three points
Liverpool striker Benteke palms off Arsenal defender Gabriel during the first half of the Premier League clash at the Emirates
Reds defender Martin Skrtel can only watch on as a lively Alexis Sanchez attempts to find a way past Mignolet
Arsenal ace Olivier Giroud tries to win back possession by stealing the ball away from Liverpool's stand-in captain James Milner
Skrtel tussles with Arsenal forward Sanchez as the Liverpool and Slovakia defender looks to fend his opponent off of the ball
Former Chelsea custodian Cech keeps hold of the ball as his Arsenal team-mates push up the field after a Liverpool attack
Belgium international Mignolet punches the ball away as Arsenal striker Giroud and Liverpool team-mate Dejan Lovren look on
Liverpool right back Nathaniel Clyne keeps a close eye on Sanchez on his third Premier League appearance since his summer switch
Milner makes a last-ditch challenge on Arsenal left back Nacho Monreal as he attempts to block the Spanish defender's cross
English teenager Jordan Rossiter came off the substitutes' bench to make his Premier League debut by replacing Lucas Leiva
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers puts his thumb up as he watches on from the sidelines during the opening 45 minutes
Arsene Wenger shows a look of dejection as he sits in the dugout along with his coaching staff and unused substitutes
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3209357/Arsenal-0-0-Liverpool-Petr-Cech-saves-day-Arsene-Wenger-s-denying-Christian-Benteke-Philippe-Coutinho-Aaron-Ramsey-early-effort-wrongly-chalked-off.html#ixzz3jmMbzvBd
