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Liverpool entertained Arsenal at Anfield having qualified for the Capital One Cup semi-finals with a win against Bournemouth.
Arsenal had scored 4 goals in each of their last 2 matches, but injury concerns meant they had to keep a few youngsters on the bench.
It looked like Liverpool were the only team playing in the first half as they dominated Arsenal with 70% of the ball in that period. They created chance after chance and just when everyone thought it would be 0-0 at the break Philippe Coutinho scored a beauty from just inside the box on the 45th minute.
Arsenal had their first real chance in stoppage time when a free kick was floated in and after a couple of headers Mathieu Debuchy looped a header in at the far post. Liverpool must have felt hard done by having gone into the half-time break level with Arsenal.
In the second half, after just 10 minutes, the game was stopped as Martin Skrtel suffered a head injury and had to be attended by the medical staff after the Slovakian was profusely bleeding from his head as he was hit by an unintentional boot by Olivier Giroud. The defender came back after having a bandage wrapped around his head.
In the 64th minute, Arsenal took the lead through the Frenchman and Anfield was left stunned as that was not how the game was being played. Liverpool, however, did not lose hope and Brendan Rodgers brought on Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert to find the equalizer.
Wojciech Szczesny was a busy man on the night as Liverpool had 27 attempts compared to Arsenal’s 7 and it looked like Arsenal would hold on when substitute Fabio Borini was sent off for a second yellow card late in the game.
The fourth referee showed 9 minutes of added time and Liverpool were still trying to find the equalizer despite being reduced to 10 men.
It isn’t a Liverpool-Arsenal match without a late goal and the spectators witnessed another as the Reds’ 10th corner of the game brought the equalizer through the heavily bandaged Martin Skrtel as he headed the ball in with power from Adam Lallana’s corner. It was no less than what Liverpool deserved.
In the match, Liverpool kept Arsenal down to their lowest Premier League possession (35%), since Opta stats started in 2003.
Here are the highlights of the game:
Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal: Philippe Coutinho (45’)
Liverpool’s domination of the first half finally paid off when Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring at Anfield. Jordan Henderson came inside from the right hand side and found the Brazilian on the edge of the box. The tricky attacker smartly got away from Debuchy and hit a low shot that went in off the far post to beat Szczesny.
Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal: Mathieu Debuchy (45’+2’)
Right at the stroke of half-time, Arsenal were awarded a free kick and Alexis Sanchez stepped up to take it. His looping cross was first headed by Mamadou Sakho, who was starting his first league match since September, and a first-time header by Mathieu Flamini found Debuchy at the far post and he easily headed the ball past Brad Jones.
Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal: Olivier Giroud (64’)
In the second half, a swift Arsenal counter-attack found Giroud, whose flick found Cazorla at the byline. His cut-back found the Frenchman and Giroud’s shot went in through Jones’ legs from a few yards out. Arsenal, surprisingly, found themselves leading at Anfield.
Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal: Martin Skrtel (90’+7’)
It isn’t a Liverpool-Arsenal match without a late goal. Despite being down to 10-men, Liverpool had not given up and were duly rewarded through the man who scored 2 in the same fixture last season. Skrtel’s injury brought about a big chunk of added time and the wounded soldier made the most of that as he headed in from Adam Lallana’s corner to send Anfield into delirium.
